Edinburgh has been named Europe's most haunted city in a new study, with the Scottish capital located less than 90 minutes by train from Newcastle. The ranking comes from a 'European Hauntability Index' compiled by travel company Iglu Cruise, which assessed 40 major destinations to identify the top spooky getaways.
Ghost tours and historic sites drive ranking
The index looked at factors including the supply and demand of ghost tours, historic architecture such as crypts, cemeteries, catacombs, castles and ruins, and visitor reviews. Halloween night sunset times were also considered to determine when darkness would fall.
Edinburgh's top spot was mainly attributed to high tourist demand, with the city receiving almost 17,000 reviews for ghost tours. The company noted that on Halloween night, the sun will set there just after 4.30pm, "creating ideal conditions for evening walking tours through the Old Town."
Key attractions and top 10 list
Key attractions driving interest include Greyfriars Kirkyard and the underground passages of the Real Mary's King Close. The company said: "Edinburgh has taken the overall crown as Europe's most haunted city, closely followed by London and Rome."
York, about an hour by train from Newcastle, was ranked fifth, behind Prague in fourth place. The rest of the top 10 includes Vienna, Budapest, Stockholm, Lisbon, and Brasov in Romania, the latter helped by fascination with Dracula folklore.
Edinburgh's dark history
Edinburgh's haunted reputation extends to The White Hart Inn, a historic tavern in the Grassmarket area linked to the 1800s murderers William Burke and William Hare. The pair killed people and sold their corpses to medics for anatomical study. Hare gave evidence against Burke in exchange for immunity, and Burke was hanged outside the inn, which is said to be home to ghostly sightings.
