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City of the Dead Haunted Graveyard Tour Review: Is Edinburgh’s Spookiest Ghost Tour Worth It?
- Sep 1, 2025
- 5 min read
Updated: Dec 22, 2025
The City of the Dead Haunted Graveyard Tour is one of Edinburgh’s most infamous ghost tours, offering exclusive nighttime access to Greyfriars Kirkyard and the Covenanter’s Prison, a place long associated with the legend of the Mackenzie Poltergeist.
Marketed as one of the city’s scariest experiences, this 90-minute walking tour promises chilling stories, dark history, and encounters that blur the line between folklore and fear. But does it actually live up to the hype? We joined the City of the Dead tour to see what makes it different from Edinburgh’s many ghost walks, what you really experience behind the locked gates, and whether it’s worth your time and money.
Tour Basics: Cost, Duration, and Departure Info
Tour Cost
Adults: £19.00 (≈ $19.43)
Seniors: £17.00 (≈ $17.39)
Tickets are competitively priced compared to other Edinburgh ghost tours, especially considering the exclusive access included.
Departure & Ending Points
Start: The Tree of the Dead, beside St. Giles’ Cathedral on the Royal Mile
End: Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery (EH1 2QQ)
The tour begins in the heart of Old Town and finishes inside one of Edinburgh’s most infamous graveyards.
Tour Schedule
Summer (Easter–Halloween):Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 9:00 PM
Winter (Halloween–Easter):Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 8:30 PM
Tour Duration
Total time: Approximately 90 minutes
Expect a steady walking pace with frequent stops for storytelling and historical context.
Locations Visited
Tree of the Dead (starting point)
St. Giles’ Cathedral
The Royal Mile
Charles II and Duke of Buccleuch statues
Edinburgh South Bridge
Greyfriars Bobby statue
Greyfriars Kirkyard (often called the world’s most haunted cemetery)
Covenanter’s Prison and Black Mausoleum (exclusive access)
Exclusive Access: What Sets This Tour Apart
The City of the Dead tour is the only ghost tour in Edinburgh that grants visitors access to the Covenanter’s Prison and the Black Mausoleum, areas normally locked behind iron gates within Greyfriars Kirkyard.
These sites are closely associated with the infamous Mackenzie Poltergeist, often described as one of the most well-documented paranormal cases in the world. Rather than viewing these locations from outside the gates, you’re taken directly inside, placing you at the center of one of Edinburgh’s darkest chapters of history.
Is City of the Dead Haunted Graveyard Tour Scary? Our Honest Experience
We’ll never forget the moment we stepped under the stone archway into the Covenanter’s Prison. The air seemed heavier, the temperature dropped, and even the ambient city noise disappeared behind the old walls. It was dark, eerily quiet, and somehow… still. You could feel it in your chest, that tightening hush before something happens in a horror film.
Our guide, Ross, added an unexpected layer to the experience: he was clearly under the weather. Pale, hoarse, and coughing through half the tour, it somehow made the whole thing feel more cursed, like we had stumbled into a Victorian ghost story where even the narrator is slowly becoming a part of the graveyard. In all seriousness, he pushed through like a champ. His storytelling was sharp, his sarcasm was well-timed, and his silences were intentional and effective. It wasn’t theatrical in a theme park way; it was unnerving in a slow-burn, real-history kind of way.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, this tour builds its tension through atmosphere. You’re not being jump-scared. You’re being walked deeper and deeper into a story, one that just happens to involve plagues, prisons, and a haunted mausoleum. By the time you reach the Black Mausoleum and hear about the Mackenzie Poltergeist, you may find yourself scanning the shadows a little more carefully. We didn’t see or feel anything supernatural. But we also didn’t linger behind the group, and we didn’t knock on any tombs. Just in case.
Is the City of the Dead Tour Scary? What to Know Before You Go (and Who It’s For)
This is a nighttime walking tour through Edinburgh’s Old Town and one of its most infamous graveyards. While it isn’t a jump-scare attraction, it does lean heavily into atmosphere, dark history, and unsettling locations, especially once inside Greyfriars Kirkyard.
Before you book, here’s what to know, and who will enjoy it most.
Important Things to Know Before You Go
Dress for cold, damp conditions: Even in summer, Edinburgh nights can be chilly. In fall and winter, the combination of wind, mist, and stone paths makes it feel colder than expected. Wear layers and closed-toe shoes with good grip; parts of Greyfriars Kirkyard are uneven, wet, and slightly slippery after dark.
Expect low lighting: Once inside the graveyard, lighting is minimal. A small flashlight or your phone’s light can help you avoid puddles, mud, and uneven ground, especially helpful near tombstones and narrow paths.
Hot drinks are a smart move: We grabbed warm drinks before the tour, and they were a lifesaver for our hands while walking. It also adds to the cozy-but-creepy vibe of the evening.
Weather adds to the experience: We visited close to Halloween, and the cold air, fog, and darkness made the stories feel even more immersive. If you enjoy seasonal atmosphere, late October is an especially fun time to go.
Who This Tour Is Right For
This tour is a great fit if you:
Enjoy dark history, true crime, and folklore
Like atmospheric experiences more than theatrical jump scares
Want exclusive access you won’t get on standard ghost tours
Are comfortable walking at night in historic, uneven areas
Appreciate storytelling rooted in real events rather than gimmicks
Who Might Want to Skip It
This may not be the best choice if you:
Dislike cold, damp weather or nighttime walking tours
Are easily unsettled by graveyards or heavy historical themes
Prefer lighthearted or comedic ghost tours
Have mobility concerns that make uneven terrain difficult
Final Verdict: Is the City of the Dead Haunted Graveyard Tour Worth It?
Yes, if you want an authentic, history-driven ghost tour, this is one of the best in Edinburgh. It avoids the cheesy theatrics and jump scares found on many nighttime tours and instead delivers something darker and more unsettling: real locations, real history, and exclusive access to places most visitors never see.
Just know what you’re signing up for. This is a cold, nighttime walk through centuries-old streets and a genuinely haunted graveyard, with stories rooted in brutality and folklore rather than humor. If that sounds appealing, the City of the Dead tour is absolutely worth your time, and easily one of the most memorable experiences we had in Edinburgh.
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