Mercat Tours Doomed Dead and Buried Tour Review
Doomed, Dead and Buried Tour
Reviewed by Nicole Warren
Being a bit of a cynic who is also a bit creeped out by cold black corners is a difficult combination when you go on a Mercat Tour. I had the privilege of being taken around by our guide, Hannah, on the new Doomed, Dead and Buried Tour.
As per Mercat Tours usual format, you meet at The Mercat Cross on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh and are told of how this cross was used. At this point, audience participation is used to help tell some ghostly tales of people who made a deal with the devil. After breaking the ice with this comedic storytelling you are taken by your guide to the underground Blair Street Vaults. Admittedly, there is not a huge amount to actually *see* but this part of the tour relies heavily on the storytelling abilities of your guide. Luckily, Hannah was a great mix of eerie calm and comedy with a dark twist. When in each of the underground rooms your guide points out where each of the friendly, and not so friendly ghosts are usually seen and tells the story of how they have come to be in these vaults. Room to room, we are told of Jack, the child of the vaults, The Watcher (AKA Mr Boots) and the Cobbler as well as various experiences of other tour guides.
After leaving the eerie vaults, we are taken to the atmospheric Canongate Graveyard. Admittedly, 9.30pm in the UK Summer isn’t massively conducive to scary ghost stories, but with Hannah’s fantastic storytelling skills, you could feel the atmosphere was still tense and jumpy. You are lead around the graveyard stopping at various headstones and tombs being told of those who were buried here and the tour finishes at the Canongate Mercat Cross.
Personally, I loved this tour. I felt involved and although I did definitely jump at points and refuse to look certain ways to where ghosts were seen before, which is a bit odd for a cynic.
Overhearing other members of the group, they found that Hannah was a very good guide and could understand every word she said. For people whose first language is not English (or Scottish) this was key to them enjoying the tour. Those in our group definitely enjoyed this tour, saying how quickly the 1hr 45min tour went in and talking about the stories Hannah recounted. All in all, a very spooky evening.
Tours run nightly at 8.30pm from The Mercat Cross on the Royal Mile. Further information can be found on www.mercattours.com where you can book in advance if you wish.
Rating: 5/5 
For more information on this and other available Mercat Tours or to book tickets visit www.mercattours.com
