The 6 Most Haunted Pubs in Edinburgh

Our next stop on our haunted pub tour of Britain is Edinburgh. This ancient city is believed to have the highest concentration of the most active haunted locations anywhere in the world. For this reason, Edinburgh is regarded as the most haunted city on the planet.

From its medieval dungeons and underground streets to the famous hauntings at Edinburgh Castle, the ghost stories surrounding Edinburgh do have an undercurrent of pain and suffering, which could be the trigger for so much of the paranormal activity from these tortured souls.

The ghostly reports don’t end with the city’s famous landmarks. Its pubs are also regular haunts for its long-dead citizens. Apparitions, poltergeist activity, visions, and strange sounds have all been witnessed in the following list of haunted pubs in Edinburgh.

Self-proclaimed as “Scotland’s most haunted nightclub”, parts of this club were once part of the infamous underground vaults of Edinburgh. These vaults were home to some of Edinburgh’s most destitute and unsavoury characters. If you put your drink down anywhere here, be careful, as it may just be thrown against a wall by an unseen force! It was here where many of these people met their gruesome end.

Locals know one spirit that lurks here as “The Banshee”. On one occasion, the workers who were renovating the pub heard a blood-curdling scream coming from one of the vaults. Moments later, one of the workmen received a phone call informing him that one of his family members had just passed away.

Famous for its resident ghost and the last hanging in Grassmarket, this 17th Century building was once part of Tenements which housed some of Edinburgh’s poverty-stricken. The pub you see today was rebuilt using the buildings’ original stone.

The spirit that haunts The Last Drop is said to be that of a young girl who may have lived here during its time as a dwelling. She has been seen by staff and customers both in the cellar and the bar area.

Built into the South Bridge Vaults, this underground venue has two ghosts. One of which is known as “The Imp”, a mischievous entity that likes to annoy the staff. Playing tricks with objects moving them around, locking people in rooms, and stopping clocks around the bar.

The other spirit goes by the name of “The Watcher”. The Watcher is a quiet spirit that lurks in the background, watching punters from a distance. He has been seen by staff and customers wearing 17th-century clothing and is described as having long black hair. He’s been seen mostly in the bar area of Whistlebinkies, but he’s also been seen in other areas of the vaults too. He was approached on one occasion by a person on a tour who believed he was a tour guide, only to disappear before them.