Family Breaks: Spooky Edinburgh

by Take The Family

The new movie about Edinburgh’s 19th-century serial killers Burke and Hare may be strictly for older kids and adults, but the Scottish capital is a great destination for a family break during the witching season, with Halloween activities and events for all the family.

For our tips on where to stay and eat – plus other things to do in the city – see our Edinburgh destination guide.

Burke and Hare: The Business of Murder – The Edinburgh Dungeon
New for 2010, this tour has visitors edging their way through the darkness and tombstones of the murky burial ground to find themselves in the gravest of  situations as two shadows move menacingly through the gloom – will they be Burke and Hare's next donation to the medical profession?  There are no lower age limits, but the Dungeon is not suitable for very young children of those of a nervous disposition, and under-16s must be accompanied by an adult.

Surgeon's Hall
Scotland's largest medical museum follows the story of surgery in Scotland from its earliest days through the Burke and Hare murders to modern keyhole surgery. Displays include early anatomical specimens and surgical instruments, a pocketbook made from the skin of Burke, and a hands-on keyhole surgery-training unit. The recommended minimum age is 10, and under-16s must be accompanied by an adult – the museum contains human remains that some may find unsettling.
Note that you get free entry with the Edinburgh Pass.

Mercat Tours – The Vaults
These special Halloween tours take visitors underground into the Blair Street Vaults, where Burke and Hare are said to have hunted for victims, abandoned in the early 19th century. Alternatively, there’s a 1.5hr Halloween Ghostboat ride through the dark haunted waters of the Union Canal, or for those with older kids, the late-night Haunted Halloween Tour. No under-5s are allowed on tours;  ages 5–15 must be accompanied by an adult. Brave parents might like to come back for the Halloween Vigil, for ages 18 and up.

The Cadies & Witchery Tours
These suspenseful but mirth-filled tours of Edinburgh's Old Town are suitable for all ages, on parental discretion. Visitors step back in time a few hundred years as Adam Lyal (deceased) and his spooky chums bring the Scottish capital's grisly past vividly to life, and may even meet Burke and Hare.

University of Edinburgh's Anatomy Museum
Come here to hear about the ironic end to the Burke and Hare story  – as part of his punishment, Burke's body was donated to the medical school for ‘useful dissection’, and his skeleton is still on display at the University Medical School. Visits are by appointment only.

Lothian and Borders Police Information Centre
The small Police Museum on the Royal Mile exhibits another pocketbook made of Burke's skin and also has displays on the history of Edinburgh's policing, with information on Burke and Hare and other notorious  Edinburgh criminals such as Deacon Brodie.

The Burke and Hare Murder Tour , West Port Tours
Edinburgh's only crime history tour takes visitors to the actual locations relating to the grisly story, including the key murder sites and Surgeons Square, where Burke and Hare delivered the bodies to Dr Knox. Children must be accompanied by adults; there’s no lower age limit but this is of most interest to older kids.

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