Ghost Tours: Edinburgh, the haunted city

Curious about the most haunted places in Edinburgh? Here are three stories to remember during Halloween month.

Transcript

00:00Many hundreds of years ago, within the grounds of the castle, a tunnel was discovered.

00:25It was too narrow an entrance, so a young boy was employed.

00:29They squeezed him into the entrance, giving him a drum, ordering that he beat it repeatedly

00:37as he travelled along the tunnel.

00:39The beating of that drum suddenly stopped.

00:43Neither the noise nor the drummer boy were ever seen again.

00:48Well, around 1650, the drummer boy was seen again.

00:54But now he was a headless ghost, patrolling the central courtyard of our castle, repeatedly

01:03beating his drum.

01:05We didn't view it as a paranormal warning, which it was, because 1650 was the very year

01:13Oliver Cromwell invaded Scotland and entered our castle.

01:24John made no effort to protest his innocence in court.

01:54He was found guilty, sentenced to public hanging.

01:59Before hanging him, we tied the pistol around his chest and removed the right hand he had

02:06used to fire it.

02:37The Major gradually lost his mental stability, publicly stating repeatedly,

02:45I have lived as a beast, I will die as a beast.

02:50His wife, Jean, did not help matters, claiming she and the Major would communicate with the devil, witchery.

03:01Both would pay for that by being publicly executed.

03:05Their former marital home remained empty for over 150 years.

03:13Finally, it was purchased by a soldier.