Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Specific Location: Edinburgh

Apparitions / Hauntings

The Ghost of John Chiesly

For three hundred years Dalry was reputedly haunted by the apparition of a screaming (and sometimes manically laughing) man with a bloody stump for his right arm. This ghost was known as ‘Johnny One-Arm’ or, more correctly John Chiesly. John was an unhappy husband who petitioned for a divorce in 1688.

Apparitions / Hauntings

Bell’s Wynd

According to tradition, a house on Bell’s Wynd had supposedly stood empty for twenty one years and no-one was aware that the body of Mrs Guthrie, who had died two decades earlier, was still inside. A locksmith who lived either close by or immediately above the Mrs Guthrie’s decided to break in and see why it was empty.

Hauntings / Poltergiests

Learmonth Hotel, Edinburgh

The Learmonth Hotel is reputedly haunted by what has been described as a poltergeist . The hotel is on the tree lined 19th Century Learmonth Terrace. Activity in the hotel is said to include doors that open and close by themselves, whistling being heard by staff and visitors in the corridors and interference with electrical devices such as hairdryers and kettles.

Apparitions / Hauntings

Mary King’s Close

A close such as Mary King’s Close is a narrow lane or passage that runs between two buildings or a route that would give access to the rear of a building.