BY GINNY CUMMING
PHOTOGRAPHY BY HELEN CATHCART
Do you believe in ghosts? That was the question posed to the yeahbaby team when I convinced them to join me on a ghost hunt in Edinburgh, in honour of Halloween.
The results, predictably, were mixed, ranging from a scornful “No” to a gibbering “Yes – please take someone else!” But ultimately, everyone agreed to the challenge and we made tracks to the Scottish capital, ready to be spooked.
Our destination? The Real Mary King’s Close, a maze of ancient narrow streets lined on both sides with tenement houses that once reached up to seven storeys high. In 1753, the top levels were knocked down, and the lower storeys used as the foundations for the Royal Exchange building which looms large above to this day.
A veritable underground city was created, supposedly haunted by the ghosts of plague victims who had perished in the Close a hundred years or so earlier. Today, it’s an awardwinning tourist attraction, with tours every day offering a fascinating insight into life in Edinburgh’s Old Town in centuries past.
On this particular night we were in for a special treat: not only were we to experience the seriously brilliant tour, but we were to do it in the middle of the night, when everyone else had gone home, and we were to be joined by Mark and James from Ghost Finders Scotland, a non-profit organisation set up to research paranormal cases. Mark, a former engineer and self-confessed “healthy sceptic”, started the company in 2003, following a lifelong quest to find definitive proof that ghosts do exist. James is a volunteer working with Mark, and had driven for an hour in the rain, for no pay, to help conduct our 10pm to 2am search – and then drive home again. That’s dedication.
There were five of us in the yeahbaby team: me (the editor), Helen (our matter-of-fact, no-nonsense photographer who was there to do a job and was consoled by the notion that her camera would almost provide a barrier between her and the afterlife), Jonny (design director, and the sole man in the group, who pledged to look after us all), Julia H (our photo editor, who was bubbling with excitement and positively gagging to see evidence of the paranormal) and, finally, Julia M (our fabulous art director, who had been wracked with fear and worry ever since the trip had first been mentioned). By the time the fateful night arrived, “nauseous and hysterical” were the words she used to describe how she felt… and she was not alone. Nappies were even discussed, after someone read a quote from a comedian who claimed he was so scared on a “normal” ghost tour that “a little bit of pee came out”! What was it going to be like for us?
Fortified with calming shots of whisky, we entered the Close, nappyfree. Despite all my reassurances in the lead-up to the adventure, I have to admit I started to get very nervous as we prepared to enter the Close. A few steps off the Royal Mile, it’s accessed via a gift shop, a jarring juxtaposition between today and yesterday that doesn’t prepare you for what lies beneath. Walking down a flight of stairs, you enter another world…
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there’s no denying that there’s an eerie atmosphere in the Close. It’s quite claustrophobic, with a pervading sense of unease, and a stillness that makes it increasingly difficult to remember that the noise and crowds of the Royal Mile are just metres away.
Far be it from me to recount the entire history of the Close on these pages – there’s simply not enough space to do it justice the way our guides, Karyn and Iain, did that night. And anyway, you really have to do the tour yourself – it’s the most fascinating history lesson-meets-ghost-tour you can imagine, and an absolute must for anyone visiting the Scottish capital.
The tour complete, we revisited key rooms and areas accompanied by Linda, a “spiritualist medium” who works with Ghost Finders Scotland on various cases. We wandered through the Close, hot on the heels of Linda, a down-to-earth, female, Scottish incarnation of Derek Acorah. She recounted strange and scary stories from previous visits, constantly punctuated by messages sent by her “guides” and various spirits residing in the Close. Clear as day to her, we obviously couldn’t hear a thing, and it was a surreal experience that got scarier still when Linda decided to conduct a seance.
Standing in a circle in the dim and flickering light of a room once used for slaughtering animals (that had us tasting blood and/or feeling faint), we held on to one another for dear life, all the while gripped with terror that we might be about to open up a connection to the spirit world. The questions and requests Linda directed to any spirits present went largely unanswered, but it was still a creepy and suspenseful experience, with both Jonny and Helen – our resident sceptic – reporting some very strange sensations… and heavy breathing directly behind them.
Finally, Linda escorted us to one of the Close’s most haunted spots, the Chesney House – before flatly refusing to enter. “The last time I was in there a gentleman told me, quite clearly, to get out,” she explained. “I won’t go in there ever again.”
With impeccable timing, Mark and James advised us that this was to be the location for our experiment, using EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) to try and record ghosts’ voices. Utterly terrified by Linda’s comments and the knowledge that the ghost of Andrew Chesney is particularly hostile, it took a lot of persuading to get the five of us ghost-hunting novices to enter the house, but for the sake of this story, we sucked it up and stepped into the undeniably eerie home, feeling weighed down by fear. Accompanied by guide Iain, we sat down in a circle, clinging to each other for all we were worth.
Mark explained that EVP uses a particular, early brand of dictaphone that’s famous among the ghost hunting fraternity for picking up voices that the naked ear can’t hear. We sat in the dark, in total, utter silence, save for the voice of Mark as he asked Mr Chesney a series of questions. He let it run for a couple of minutes after each question, in order to give us an opportunity to capture any responses from Chesney’s ghost.
That moment before hitting the “play” button to hear the results would have to be one of the tensest, most terrifying moments of my life. The world stood still: what were we going to hear? Mark’s voice played back to us first… and then, where previously there was deathly silence, came the loudest, angriest other worldly voice; violent and aggressive, it was not the voice of someone who wanted us there. We could only make out a few of the words barked out in a guttural, almost animalistic voice, but there was an underlying, softer voice that spoke a message we all clearly heard and understood. I won’t repeat the language used here, but suffice it to say, Mr Andrew Chesney told us to leave in no uncertain terms.
We did – in fact, we couldn’t get out of there fast enough, calling out assurances to our “host” that, just like Linda, we’d never come back!
I know sceptics and non-believers will poo-poo the entire experience, and in the cold light of day we’ve all excused and explained some of the things we experienced that night, but nothing will ever convince us that the voice we heard that night was not real… and really scary!
SPELLBOUND AT THE WITCHERY
There was only one place we could conceivably enjoy dinner before going on a Halloween-inspired ghost hunt in Edinburgh: The Witchery. Located on the Royal Mile, in a 16th-century building at the gates of Edinburgh Castle, it has an appropriately macabre history. Hundreds of suspected witches were burned at the stake here during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Today, however, it’s Edinburgh’s most romantic restaurant. Twinkling candles provide the only illumination in an opulent, tapestry-draped dining room that’s simply stunning. The classic menu is – joy of joys – relaxed, unpretentious and totally delicious, accompanied by offerings from an extraordinary list of almost 1,000 wines and 30 Champagnes. Lining our stomachs before the ghost hunt, we savoured dishes such as the signature melt-in-your-mouth steak tartare, and a seafood platter for two that was positively groaning under the weight of the freshest offerings from the sea. The lamb dish, enjoyed by one of the team, inspired the verdict: “Amazing: the best lamb I’ve had all year – and I’m a Kiwi!” Indulgent desserts, such as chocolate torte with chilli ice cream, capped off a truly wicked evening. Add to all this sublime service and it’s no wonder an A-list of celebs has dined here – everyone from Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones to Jack Nicholson, Pierce Brosnan, and Ewan MacGregor. Oh, and Davina McCall.
Castlehill, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Tel: +44 (0)131 225 5613, www.thewitchery.com
Sweet Dreams
You might think a good night’s sleep would be impossible after an evening communing with a particularly nasty ghost, but I’m happy to say that wasn’t the case. The last thing we wanted after our terrifying adventure was to stay in a haunted hotel.
I’m sorry, but I don’t want to have to worry about bumping into a spectre when I’m in my dressing gown – I’m scary enough before I’ve got my face on! Instead, we opted for glamorous accommodation with the best possible location – and came up trumps with Fraser Suites Edinburgh, located in St Giles Street, just off the Royal Mile – and about one minute’s walk from the Real Mary King’s Close. For anyone wanting to do a tour at the Close – or simply explore the Royal Mile and the Old Town – there’s no better place to stay. The sumptuous new boutique hotel boasts 75 superbly finished classic rooms and beautifully appointed suites – all are spacious, welcoming and totally luxurious.
As you’d expect in a property of this calibre, Fraser Suites Edinburgh features 24-hour reception and concierge, a gymnasium and a restaurant. The ambience is warm and inviting, with a big dollop of contemporary chic. Special finishing touches abound, such as the bespoke artworks, commissioned from the Edinburgh College of Art, which adorn the walls throughout. It’s all housed in an historic, Grade II-listed building dating back to the 1800s, which has been meticulously renovated to protect its historic façade. The views the boutique hotel affords are also superb, and guests can look out across Princes Street Gardens to the Firth of Forth beyond. And, even more importantly, at this perfect gem of a crash-pad in Edinburgh, there are no ghosts!
12-26 St Giles Street, Edinburgh, Tel: +44 (0)131 221 7200, www.frasershospitality.com
The Real Mary King’s Close is open daily (except Christmas Day), with tours departing every 20 minutes from 10am. Pre-booking is strongly recommended due to demand. See www.realmarykingsclose.com or call +44 (0)845 070 6244 to book in advance and find out more! For more information about Ghost Finders Scotland – or to let them know if you’ve got your own paranormal visitor that needs investigating! – log on to www.ghostfinders.co.uk
