Paranormal reality television show Most Haunted was a favourite across the country in the 00s, as the hosts made their way round Britain’s spookiest spots.
It wasn’t surprising when production came to Edinburgh, given its rich history and abundance of underground chambers and mysterious settings. In the third season of the show, presenter Yvette Fielding came to the Edinburgh Vaults to do some paranormal investigation.
With the help of historians and other paranormal investigators, the Most Haunted team went below Edinburgh’s streets in 2003 - and into the nineteen arches that make up the vaults, where the team was 'terrified' by creepy noises and brushes with ghostly characters.
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As the show opens Fielding describes what's to come, as she tells us: “A dark labyrinth of haunted tunnels deep beneath the ground, we spend 24 hours in the Edinburgh Vaults.”
Formed by the 19 arches of the South Bridge, the vaults are widely considered one of the most ‘haunted’ places in Edinburgh. Whether this is true or not, spending 24 hours in those tunnels is something we’ll leave to the experts.
When the South Bridge Act was first passed in 1785, it created the vaults which were used as taverns and storage space - as well as becoming a hotspot for illegal gambling, distilling, and if we’re to believe the rumours, a place for bodysnatchers to leave corpses overnight.
With conditions in the vaults deteriorating due to damp and poor air quality, only the poorest of Edinburgh locals were inhabiting the underground maze by the 1820s. By around 1860, they had left as well - and it wasn’t until the 1980s that we discovered the tunnels existed.
As we see more of the underground network, the host tells us: “As with any town, tragedies and murder occured. In these vaults, the most horrific crimes were committed.”
We’re told of a few famous names that have associations with the vaults including Burke and Hare, the infamous bodysnatchers. One woman, Mary Mckinnon, was a landlady at one of the taverns.
As documents from the National Archives show, she stabbed a local man after intending to get some ruffians out of her establishment. He died, and she was hanged for murder.
Various paranormal experiences that visitors have reported while in the tunnels include a cold hand up against them, strange shapes and shadows and eerie voices. One of the tour guides at the Edinburgh Vaults, Frances Hollinrake, says that the tunnels have never had a paranormal investigation such as this.
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She said: “They’ve never been investigated before, we think there are strange things going on. We have an inkling that there are experiences to be had, but we’ve never had a full scale overnight investigation.”
A spiritualist medium, Derek Acorah, is brought in to help with the investigation. As the night draws in, the team make their way further into the tunnels to see what they can find.
Unexpected noises and ‘lost souls’ make an appearance, and as all the main lights are turned out and night vision lights switched on - the host tells us she is ‘terrified.’ They make their way across to the Blair Street Vaults, which are supposedly the haunted side of the tunnels - more so than the Niddry Street side.
With the Blair Street Vaults three levels below the street, the silent underground tunnels have a decidedly more spooky atmosphere. Yvette feels the touch of something, which she is told is the soul of ‘Mr Boots’.
The sinister character has been seen wearing knee-length boots, thought to be a cobbler - and has been spotted glaring at people and ordering them to get out of ‘his vaults.’
The man, who Mercat Tours refer to as the Watcher, reportedly likes to keep a close eye on visitors to the vaults. According to the ghost tour company, those who have seen him describe him as a tall, imposing man with a dirty blue coat.
Yvette says: “This place was terrifying, and I honestly can’t wait for the investigation to be over.”
After several of the camera crew report feeling a hand brush their faces, the crew listened out for some noises before eventually calling it a day. The episode ends with the host telling us: “If you asked any of the team to go back to the vaults, every one of them would refuse - I think that speaks for itself.”
All episodes of Most Haunted are available on Amazon Prime, including their trip to the Edinburgh Vaults and Mary King's Close.
