Are the Edinburgh Vaults the Most Haunted Place in Scotland?
The Edinburgh Vaults are often referred to as the most haunted place in Scotland. Completed in 1788, they are a series of chambers formed under the South Bridge’s 19 arches. There were roughly 120 rooms down there, and for the first 30 years or so, the Vaults were home to taverns and workshops for cobblers and other tradesmen.
There were also living quarters in the Vaults, and the lower underground people lived, the poorer they likely were. Conditions were dark, damp, and crowded, with 10 or more people often occupying a single room. It didn’t help at all that the South Bridge’s poorly constructed viaduct allowed rain to flow through the cracks, dripping blood, dirt, human and animal waste onto the tenants below, and allowing diseases like cholera to run rampant.
Any light provided was from lamps that burned fish oil, and combined with the stench of soiled chamber pots and lack of air circulation, the smell was unbearable. Things got even worse when thousands of Irish immigrants settled in Edinburgh, having fled the worsening Potato Famine of 1845-1847.
In 1828, Scottish serial killers William Burke and William Hare killed 16 people and sold their bodies to Dr. Robert Knox, who was experimenting with dissection. Though they are rumored to have both stalked their victims in the Vaults and used its dark corners to hide bodies, there is no evidence of this.
Later, the Edinburgh Vaults became a seedy red light district. The chambers housed illegal gambling dens and whisky distilleries, while SA, murder, and other crimes were common in the shadowy, serpentine tunnels. Most legitimate businesses had left by the 1820s, and by the 1860s, the remaining tenants had left too. The Vaults were closed off in the late 19th century, until being rediscovered in the 1980s by Norrie Rowan.
With the long history of death and suffering, reports of paranormal activity are to be expected, and the Edinburgh Vaults are notoriously active. Visitors have experienced sudden temperature drops, disembodied voices, and a general feeling of being watched. Notable apparitions include:
The Watcher - the most malevolent resident ghost lurks in the back of the Vaults. He is known to push, hit, curse and throw rocks at visitors. Described as a tall, imposing man in a dirty blue coat, he is also referred as Mr. Boots due to his loud, heavy black boots.
The Watcher is possibly a former caretaker or a deceased criminal.
“Jack” - a young boy of around six or seven who is said to playfully interact with visitors by tugging on their clothing or grabbing their hands in the wine vault.
“Annie” - a young girl who was supposedly abandoned in the vaults by her parents. She is often heard either crying or laughing
The White Lady - a ghostly woman in a white dress
The Cobbler - a short, stocky man who smiles at visitors and is considered benevolent.
The Aristocrat - a somewhat sinister presence, who leans against the wall and grins at visitors
To some, the Edinburgh Vaults have been cursed from the beginning, and a popular piece of folklore illustrates this:
The oldest woman in the city had been following construction from the beginning and requested to be the first one to cross South Bridge. As the wife of a judge, her wish was honored, however, she died just before the opening. Therefore, she was still the first person to cross the bridge, she just did so in her coffin.
