Weird Edinburgh

The Strange Side of Scotland's Capital

Did you know that Edinburgh is also packed with myth, legend and dark history? The castle is full of ghosts. Bodysnatchers Burke and Hare plied their trade in Edinburgh. Stevenson's Jekyll and Hyde, although set in London, was probably inspired by Edinburgh and Deacon Brodie. In fact there's so much wyrdness in Edinburgh that haunted vigils and ghost tours are something of a tourism cottage industry.

On these pages I'll introduce a little of the wyrd side of Edinburgh. Whether you live nearby in Scotland, are visiting Auld Reekie for a holiday - perhaps for the Edinburgh Festival/Fringe - or whether you're a tourist "just passing through" there're plenty of more interesting things to do than shopping in Princes Street!

If you're thinking of visiting Edinburgh in the summer for the Festival, Fringe or Tattoo then it would be safest to book your accomodation in advance. During Festival season just about every apartment and hotel room is in use - if not by tourists then by performers. For once it really is a case of "book early to avoid disappoinment".

As with most of the UK the weather in Edinburgh is best described as "variable". It can be bright and sunny in one part of the city, gloomy and wet in another. We normally get a week or two of very hot weather each year, but overall it's significantly cooler up here than in England. Edinburgh is also very good at rain; when the weather decides to be wet then it is very wet!