Scotland

The capital city of Scotland, Edinburgh, is one of Europe’s most beautiful. The city has an incredible number of historic buildings from different periods of it’s history. The Georgian New Town has countless classical style buildings while the Old Town has buildings that are far older. Many travel to Edinburgh to enjoy one of the great many festivals where it is possible to enjoy world class performances by world renowned artists.

Growing in popularity is the phenomenon of ghost tours, with such great public demand for spooky tours of Edinburgh there are now a few available. Some of the finer tours have tour guides dressed in period costume and employ the services of actors and actresses to act out the roles of Edinburgh’s most famous ghostly characters. Nearly all guided tours of Edinburgh make mention of at least one of the city’s ghosts but if you are really interested in matters of the spirit world you can’t beat the professional ghost tours but be prepared to have your pants scared off you.

Scotland’s past is full of horrendous events, mass slaughters, mass murders and evil witchcraft. The deeply religious Scottish have always had a close relationship with the spiritual and throughout history there are numerous ghostly tales of woe. Many of Edinburgh’s ancient ghosts persist in haunting the nation’s capital to this day.

One such haunting is that of a Major Weir who lived at the beginning of the seventeenth century. Even though the street on which he lived, in the West Bow of the city, has long since gone, it is still possible to hear him wandering in the vicinity. Many people have reported seeing him walking, with his distinctive black staff, around the streets of Edinburgh. More alarmingly there have been reports of him being sighted riding a ghostly black horse and many have reported the sounds of galloping horses or the noise of horse and cart (which is said to be the devil himself traveling to meet Major Weir).

Major Weir lived quietly with his sister, Grizel, and was generally regarded as a pious man. Wherever he went he could be recognized by his habit of swinging his long black staff which he had with him at all times. One day when he was about to present a prayer in his local church he chose to reveal to the congregation that he had been leading a double life. Outwardly he was a respectable pillar of society but behind the closed doors of his Edinburgh home he practiced witchcraft with the aid of his sister. Weir was examined by physicians and declared sane so there was no alternative but to try him for his deeds. He and his sister were found guilty of witchcraft and executed. Weir was strangled and burnt with his staff which was said to come alive in the flames. His home remained empty for most of the following 150 years, with nearly all inhabitants reporting strange apparitions, until it was demolished in the mid nineteenth century.

Edinburgh has many other famous ghosts who continue to haunt the city. Many of the hotels in Edinburgh can be found to be in old fine buildings which have been fully modernized to provide top class service. If you are planning a vacation in Scotland why not consider spending some time in one of these wonderful hotels and taking one, or two, of the popular ghost tours? I would suggest that it will help to create a most memorable vacation.

Of course not all of Edinburgh’s hotels are in older buildings many are in modern designer type buildings offering world class accommodation for the discerning traveler. Take a look online and you will see that there is a truly massive selection of accommodation on offer, something to satisfy everyone.

Andrew Kelly writes widely for travel sites with his main interests being Scotland, England and Wales. However, when he stays in hotels in Europe he uses his experiences in his writing and reviews.