Photo: Saffron Blaze, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Old Town after dark: body snatchers, witches and the Covenanters' prison
Your local guide
Callum Reid
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Highlights
- Greyfriars Kirkyard and the Covenanters' prison
- Mortsafes, the iron cages against body snatchers
- Burke and Hare's trade in corpses, explained
- The witch trials, explained on Castlehill
- Grassmarket and the story of Half-Hangit Maggie
About this tour
This after-dark session follows Edinburgh's darker history, from the Covenanters' prison in Greyfriars Kirkyard to the gallows site in Grassmarket. You see the mortsafes fitted to graves against body snatchers, hear how Burke and Hare supplied the city's anatomy school, and stand where Half-Hangit Maggie survived her own hanging. It is Old Town history told through crime and punishment rather than architecture.
The call opens with a sound check as the light is dropping, then moves between the kirkyard, the old medical quarter and Grassmarket at a walking pace suited to the stories in between. Questions are welcome throughout, and a short list of names and places follows by message once the call ends.
This suits anyone who likes the grimmer side of city history told plainly rather than played for scares. It also suits those who want to see the Old Town after dark, when the streets and the stories both feel different.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 7 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Edinburgh before heading out.
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Greyfriars Kirkyard 21 min
In Greyfriars Kirkyard, the camera moves along the walls of the Covenanters' prison, where the guide points out mortsafes, the iron cages placed over graves to keep body snatchers out.
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The old medical quarter 21 min
The guide walks through the old medical quarter where Burke and Hare sold bodies to the anatomy school, explaining how the trade in corpses worked before it was made illegal.
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Grassmarket 21 min
In Grassmarket, the guide stands where public hangings once took place, including the survival of Half-Hangit Maggie, and connects the gallows here to the witch trials centred nearby on Castlehill.
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Your questions 14 min
Time to ask anything about Edinburgh: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 6 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Shortbread and Old Town, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in London time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 12 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Edinburgh, showing you Scott Monument and Grassmarket live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Is this suitable if I do not drink?
Yes. Say so when you book and the guide will focus on the atmosphere and venues rather than the drinks list.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Edinburgh live with my phone and you ask anything as we go.
Times shown in London time (GMT)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Sun 1 Nov · 12 seats left From 19,00 €
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