When you come to Edinburgh to pick up one of our motorhomes, you should know that you’ll be arriving in one of the most haunted cities in the UK. Ghost lovers, you’re going to love having a look around. Non-ghost lovers, we’ll get the motor running for you.
Seriously though, Edinburgh is a city with so much history and culture that it would be impossible for there not to be ghosts here. If anything, they should be celebrated. Unless they’re flicking you on the back of the head or tickling your feet in the middle of the night, these ghosts are wonderful symbols of the city’s past, and all of them have their own fascinating stories to tell.
That is why we’re going to suggest taking a wee look. Before renting a motorhome with us, there’s a place in Edinburgh city that is one of the best, spookiest places in the UK for people who are happy to step into the unknown.
The Wonder Of Mary King’s Close
Earlier in October, Planet Cruise listed Mary King’s Close as the most haunted place in the world, let alone just the UK. This place is known as Mary King’s Close, and it’s got an intriguing history.
When you’re walking around Edinburgh, you’ll notice that it appears to be built in layers, with city streets almost built on top of one another. This is already pretty unique, but it gets even more unique when you consider that many more city streets are sitting below ground level.
One of these streets is Mary King’s Close, which sits just beneath the City Chambers of Edinburgh, just off the Royal Mile. It was here that hundreds of Dunediners were living between the 16th and 17th centuries, but when the plague started ravishing the streets, they were completely sealed off. Not only this, but the council also then built on top of them.
Now, however, the public can venture back down into the streets and experience what life must have been like hundreds of years ago.
The Ghosts Of Mary King’s Close
It’s worth noting, however, that people died in the plague. What’s more, the residents who survived didn’t much like their homes being cut off from society and completely built over. So, there’s been a haunting or two since it all happened.
One of the most notorious hauntings is carried out by a little girl called Annie, who died of the plague in the 1600s. According to several eyewitnesses, this girl has been seen wandering the now-empty streets of Mary King’s Close, in search of a doll that she lost before she died. Visitors now take their own dolls down with them, placing them in the Close to create a makeshift shrine.
Another ghost story dates all the way back to 1685. When Thomas Coltheart, a respected lawyer, moved into the Close with his family, they were tormented by a number of ghosts that had been victims of the plague. One of these ghosts was a dog that would curl up on their chair, and a disembodied head that would float through the floorboards. Still to this day, visitors have claimed spotting the eyes of a ghostly dog peering at them in the darkness.
Other ghosts include Andrew Chesney, a troubled man who wanders through the alleys at night, and the woman in black, who is believed to be the spirit of Mary King – whom the Close is named after.
Is This The Most Haunted Location In Scotland?
We’ve written a little bit about haunted locations in Scotland, so we think we have as much say as Planet Cruise over which is the most haunted! So, what do we think?
Well, there’s a lot of contenders. In Edinburgh alone, there’s Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh Castle, and the Edinburgh Vaults, all of which can give Mary King’s Close a run for its money. Outside of Edinburgh, there’s Culzean Castle, the Glencoe Highlands, the Rosslyn Chapel in Midlothian, and many more – all of which we recommend you visit while you’re exploring in your motorhome!
Having said this, we can’t deny the power behind Mary King’s Close. There is such a deep history to the Close that, as we said before, it’s hard to imagine it not being haunted. For this reason, we would certainly say that it has a definitive claim to being the most haunted spot in the country – you see how we dodge giving a definitive answer?
Either way, it’s certainly worth a look, if just to immerse yourself in its history. Just make sure to leave all of the ghosts behind before you set off on your motorhome adventure.
