Mysteries & Terrors of the South Bridge Vaults

The Auld Reekie tour of the South Bridge Vaults and Wynds takes you on a dark and historical journey above and below ground where history unfolds in surroundings dating back to the 17th century. 

The Edinburgh Vaults or South Bridge Vaults are a series of chambers formed in the nineteen arches of the South Bridge in Edinburgh, Scotland, which was completed in 1788. For around 30 years, the vaults were used to house taverns, cobblers and other tradesmen, and as storage space for illicit material, reportedly including the bodies of people killed by Burke and Hare the infamous serial killers who sold corpses to medical schools for medical experiments. They are said to have hunted for victims in the Edinburgh Bridge Vaults.

As the conditions in the vaults deteriorated, mainly because of damp and poor air quality, the businesses left and the very poorest of Edinburgh's citizens moved in, though by around 1820, even they are believed to have left too. That people had lived there was only discovered in 1985 during an excavation, when middens were found containing toys, medicine bottles, plates, and other signs of human habitation.

On Saturday July 1, 1815, The Edinburgh Evening Courant, reported that On the 24th inst. Mr McKenzie, supervisor, accompanied by Mess. Gorie and McNaugton, officers, discovered a private distillery, of considerable extent, under the arch of the South Bridge, which has been working these 18 months past, to the great injury of the revenue. The particulars of this seizure are worthy of notice, from the great pains which had been taken to prevent disclosure. The original door to the place where the operations were going forward had been carefully built up and plastered over, so as to prevent any appearance of an entrance. Behind a grate in the fireplace of a bed-room, an opening had been made, and fitted with an iron door and lock, exactly fitting the grate, which could only be seen by being removed; and this passage led to the flat above by a trap-door and ladder, where the still was working. This place again was in one of the deaf arches, immediately adjoining the middle arch of the bridge, (now The Caves venue), and the person had found means to convey a pipe from one of the town’s branches, which gave a plentiful supply of water. A soil pipe was also got at, and a hole broke through into a neighbouring vent to carry off the smoke. Besides the still, a considerable quantity of wash, and some low wines, were found in the premises; also many casks, mash ton, large tubs, etc. The spirits were said to have been conveyed away in a tin case, made to contain two or three gallons, which was again put into a green bag, and carried out by a woman under her cloak.

It is not known when the vaults complex was closed down, with some suggesting as early as c.1835 and others as late as c.1875. Written records regarding the vaults during their slum use are virtually non-existent. All that is known is that at some point tons of rubble were dumped into the vaults making them inaccessible.

The vaults were rediscovered by former Scottish rugby internationalist, Norrie Rowan, after he found a tunnel leading to them in the 1980s. From this tunnel he helped Romanian rugby player Christian Raducanu escape the Romanian secret police and seek political asylum weeks before the Romanian uprising of 1989.

The vaults were excavated by Norrie Rowan and his son Norman Rowan in the 1990s. Hundreds of tonnes of rubble were removed by hand and several interesting artifacts were discovered including thousands of oyster shells, which were part of the staple diet of the Edinburgh working class.

Paranormal Activity - Fact or Fiction?

The South Bridge Vaults have frequent reports of paranormal activity and ghost sightings and have featured as a place of interest for those who believe in paranormal activity for many years.

In 2009 a BBC TV production team filming a one-off TV special featuring Joe Swash recorded unexplained voices in the vaults during an overnight sleepover by Swash. One voice appeared to be that of a Catholic priest reciting the Last Rites. Swash was the only person in the vaults and did not hear the voices himself at the time of recording, despite the sounds being audible on his own microphone. The voices continued to be heard on the recording for some 20 minutes before abruptly ceasing after what appears to be the sound of children yelling. BBC sound engineers initially thought the sounds may be explained by voices drifting into the tunnels from nightclubs nearby but this was found to be incorrect and no other logical explanation could be found. The recordings were broadcast as part of the finished program Joe Swash Believes in Ghosts on BBC Three in January 2010.

In 2001, Professor Richard Wiseman of the University of Herdfordshire invited subjects to spend time in the Edinburgh Vaults. His study concluded that people who believed in ghosts reported more supernatural experiences than disbelievers, that participants consistently reported unusual sensations in areas they were told were haunted, and that there was an increased report of incidents in Vault rooms with a decidedly more sinister visual appearance or stronger cold air flow. Professor Wiseman’s study suggests that visitors may help create the haunted experience they expect to find in the Vaults.

So again, Fact or Fiction. Do you believe in ghosts?

One of the vaults in the South Bridge holds the Source Coven of the Blue Dragon which is one of a few Wiccan worship locations around Scotland. It is known that George Cameron (born 1951, also known as "The Hermit", is the Wiccan High Priest of the Source Coven of the Green Dragon, based in Edinburgh in Scotland and in 2004 at Edinburgh, Cameron performed the first legal Wiccan wedding since the repeal of the Witchcraft Act.

The vault is locked and the iron gate is guarded by gargoyle statues on each side but you can see all the decorations and paraphernalia of the coven around the vault. I am not to sure what happens when a worship is in progress, but I presume the witches have a good standing with Auld Reekie tours and work in conjunction so that they do not get disturbed by tourists. 

The vault in the picture below definitely has one of the most interesting stories and is probably the most well known of all the vaults. Rumour has it that the South Bridge Poltergeist is trapped inside the stone circle. 

The Wiccan Coven occupied this vault at first but reported that there were negative activity and decided to move to the new location which had a better aura. They assisted in the construction of the stone circle and trapping of the poltergeist. The tour guests are warned about this circle and what it is rumoured to contain, then it is up to you to decide if you are brave enough to step inside it. 

People who have dared to step inside it have reported that they feel odd and have unnatural things happen to them. On our tour it was just myself, Dru and another couple who was a bit elderly so we all forgo our chance to dare the supernatural. I think lets leave that for a next time, the vaults were spooky enough as it were.

All information c/o Auld Reekie