The Ghosts of Greyfriars

Edinburgh's spooky Greyfriar's Cemetery is situated in the middle of the old town, just off the end of George IV Bridge and near to the Museum of Scotland. It is a popular tourist destination and is perhaps best known for the story of Greyfriar's Bobby, the dog that mourned its master and was immortalised by a Disney film. It is also the resting place of "famous" Scots poet William McGonagall - known as the worst poet in British history! But perhaps its greatest claim to fame is that it is said to be one of the most haunted areas of Edinburgh. Quite an achievement in a city with as many ghosts and spooks as Edinburgh.

Historically, Greyfriar'sCemetery is best known as the burial ground for the 17th century Covenanters persecuted by "bloody" George Mackenzie in the Covenanters' Prison. Since then it has been the site of many hauntings and strange occurences, including sightings of the ghost of Mackenzie himself - the famous Mackenzie poltergeist.

As well as the hauntings, the place seems to have a fascination over people. Many visitors experience strange feelings, even if they don't actually witness a visible manifestation. Is it supernatural or just the atmosphere?

The place's reputation for gruesome activity continues today. In 2004, two teenagers were convicted of desecrating the cemetery. It was alleged that they cut the head from one of the corpses and used it like a glove puppet.

A night-time visit to the Greyfriars Cemetery is one of the highlights of the Black Hart City of the Dead Tour.