City of the Dead Tour: Explore Edinburgh's Haunted Graveyard & Encounter the Mackenzie Poltergeist

Embark on a spine-chilling City of the Dead Tour in Edinburgh. Explore haunted graveyards, encounter the infamous Mackenzie Poltergeist, and uncover the city’s dark history.

Duration: 1 hour, 20 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Greyfriars Kirkyard - All tours last approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes and leave from the “Tree of the Dead” located outside St Giles Cathedral on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. Each guide is a local expert on Edinburgh’s fascinating and horrifying history, with their own unique style and delivery so no two tours are ever the same.
    Combining history,…
What's Included
  • Local, expert guide
What's Not Included
  • Transportation to/from attractions
Additional Information

Experience a unique blend of history, humor, and horror on this guided walking tour through Edinburgh’s intriguing past, culminating in a visit to a locked area of Greyfriars Kirkyard, famously known as the Covenanter’s Prison.
This site is home to the ‘Mackenzie Poltergeist’, considered the most well-documented supernatural case ever. An encounter with…

Location
St Giles' Cathedral
High Street
All tours leave from the "Tree of the Dead" outside St Giles Cathedral on the pavement facing the Royal Mile. Please arrive at the meeting point 15 minutes prior to departure.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.7
(233 Ratings)
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212jakubp
Mar 25, 2026
City of the Dead Tour - Even though the evening was very chilly, the experience during the tour was even more chilling! Fiona is an amazing tour guide, you can really tell it is not only her job but also hobby and she is sooo dedicated to build the suspense but also provide a lot of interesting information. Thank you so much for the experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mstyujj
Mar 15, 2026
Ben was fantastic - Very informative tour about brutal history. I had the tour guide called Ben and he was really fantastic! 🙂
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Louise
Mar 4, 2026
Fantastic - Ross is a brilliant tour guide and very funny, I really enjoyed it. It was also very interesting and I learnt a lot.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Liams1042
Mar 2, 2026
Best haunted tour in Edinburgh - We have done lots of historical and haunted tours in Edinburgh over the years, but this is without doubt the best yet. Our tour guide Hess, was simply brilliant. Passionate and knowledgeable, we cannot recommend her and the tour highly enough.
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Tour23259136607
Feb 15, 2026
Becks is the best - Becks was brilliant, so funny. We had a small group and we all had a great laugh and great time. Lee and Natalia
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Margaretnu2445po
Feb 1, 2026
Ross is amazing! - Me, my fiancé, and a group of friends had Ross as our tour guide and we loved him! He really kept things interesting with the way he presented things and he has a great sense of humor! If I could recommend Ross to do all the tours, I would! Definitely a 10/10. Profound orator!
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S7998kcantoniom
Jan 21, 2026
Best tour in Edinburgh - Fiona was the Best. It gives you first able, a backgroubd so you can understand the history. The bloody Mackenzie poltergeist it was a great experience. Thank You Fiona por everything
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Julie70ffc
Jan 20, 2026
Best ghost tour in Edinburgh - I’ve done several ‘ghost walks’ but this was by far the best and most informative. Sarah, our guide, was an absolute character from the minute we introduced ourselves. I especially loved the fact that she was born and raised and still lives in Edinburgh old town. She told of some of her own personal experiences and that, for me ,made the tour so worthwhile. There were some hair raising moments and my friend experienced some chilling moments of his own at Greyfriars cemetery especially. I was just in awe of Sarah’s stories and experiences and would most definitely go on this tour again. Sarah, you are an absolute diamond. Our tour was on 11/01/26 so apologies for the late review. Visited on Weekend Wait time No wait Reservation recommended Yes
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Alejandro_t
Jan 11, 2026
Fun, Spooky, and Unforgettable - Our guide, Ross, was spectacular, engaging, and full of dark humor. It was a very fun tour where we learned many anecdotes we didn’t know about Edinburgh, as well as terrifying stories from different spots around the city, with the cemetery as the main highlight. We had a great time, and it’s an experience we highly recommend if you want to enjoy yourself while discovering the darker side of the city.
Review provided by Viator
Shobina55
Dec 24, 2025
Just book and go .. don't overthink ...must try - Our guide Ross was the funniest and the most natural orator I've seen , Absolutely talented The gruesome details can be overwhelming for some, but i was ok He was so funny 🤣 i just laughed the whole duration I wonder why i never tried this before? 🤔 Cemetery part could have been a bit more scarier but i guess ... They don't want any fatalities. Absolutely must try
Review provided by Tripadvisor
From $26
up to 4 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).