Do you have to book to go on the tour?

No: but we most strongly recommend it as the tours can fill up very quickly, especially at weekends, in high summer, and at New Year. Hallowe'en is so busy you are unlikely to find a place on a tour unless you have booked in advance.

You can book online, by telephone, in person from our representative at the Mercat Cross, an eight sided monument just downhill from St Giles Cathedral on the High Street, or from the Mercat office, or buy advance tickets from Tourist Information Centre on Princes Street.

Back to Top

Do you have to do a lot of walking on the tours?

No: the distances are not great. However we would recommend you wear sensible shoes because the ground underfoot can be uneven and occasionally steep.

Back to Top

Will the tour run even if it is wet?

Hail, rain, wind or snow: your guide will always be there, at the Mercat Cross, to greet you. We are very skilled at finding shelter from the elements, but do dress for the cold (hat/gloves) especially in the evenings and in the winter months.

Back to Top

Will the guide be dressed up for the tour?

We have a strict dress code for all our staff. Our daytime guides wear smart, dark clothing: our evening guides wear distinctive cloaks. All guides wear their Mercat Tours badge.

Back to Top

How many will there be on the tour?

It depends on the tour! With The Paranormal Underground we have a maximum of 25 places per tour because the capacity of some rooms in the Vaults cannot take more than that. On the other hand, on our ghost tours, numbers tend to be larger: we encourage the group to become the baying Edinburgh mob of old which relished gruesome and gory goings-on! However, we cap numbers to ensure that all customers can see, hear and enjoy a quality experience. The maximum number of places on most tours is 40 per guide.

Back to Top

Will I be scared on the Ghost Tour (or any tour in the Vaults?)

Sorry: no guarantees! - what some people find terrifying doesn't scare others at all.

What we do guarantee is that we choose our tales, craft them into engaging and enthralling stories and use all our skills as storytellers to bring a tingle to your neck.

Back to Top

Are the tours suitable for people with disabilities?

Guides have successfully led wheelchair users on the Secrets of the Royal Mile tour. Our other public tours are not suitable for people with perambulatory difficulties as they include the Vaults which are accessed down a winding staircase and whose flooring is the original, uneven earth and rock.

We provide short synopses of our tours for those with hearing difficulties (please alert us beforehand that you are coming) and guides have worked well alongside someone who signs for deaf customers.

The poorly sighted or blind would need to be accompanied during the tour. We believe the skill of our guides as storytellers and the craft with which they use their voices to create atmosphere make for an enjoyable experience for those totally dependent on listening.

Essential carers go free.

Back to Top

What do you mean by 'family' ticket?

A family ticket allows two adults with two children to go on a tour at a discount for one child. Adults and children do not have to be relatives.

Back to Top

Can children under 5 years come on a tour?

For health and safety reasons we are unable to allow children under 5 years of age on any tour.

Back to Top

Can children 5 - 15 years be booked onto a tour without an adult?

No: All children on tours must be accompanied by an adult.

Back to Top

Is Megget's Cellar suitable for children?

Yes. Megget's Cellar is a private room located directly above the Underground Vaults. We provide soft drinks and children are most welcome.

Back to Top

Why are children not recommended to go on The Ghosthunter tour?

Honestly? - because the grown-ups asked for a tour to themselves. We never have had many youngsters coming on this late night tour anyway. We have expressly reserved our scariest stories for the Ghosthunter. And the guide is free to 'pull out all the stops' to make the tour as atmospheric as possible when no children are present.

Back to Top

Will people jump out on me during the tour?

Not in our planning! 'Jumper-ooters' are not a feature of our scheduled tours. We are confident enough in the content of our ghost tours and the skills of our guides not to require such extras to provide the chill factor. We are great believers in the power of the imagination.

Back to Top

How easy will it be to get home after the The Ghosthunter finishes?

Bus services and many trains stop running at 11.00pm. There is a less regular, nightime bus service in the city. Your guide will direct you back up the Royal Mile to the junction with the North and South Bridges. There is a taxi rank outside the Radisson SAS hotel and plenty of passing taxis too.

Back to Top

 

We've been on tours where some customers have spoiled it for us with loud, disruptive and sometimes drunken behaviour. What do you do about this?

We reserve the right to refuse entry on any tour to disruptive customers. Even if the disruptive behaviour only emerges once the tour has begun our guides are instructed to invite the person(s) to leave. Our priority is to ensure a quality, enjoyable experience for all.

Back to Top

 

is photography permitted on tours?

Photography is permitted on all tours, but visitors are requested not to take photos while a guide is addressing the group as this can distract the guide and other visitors.  In the vaults, photos are permitted to be taken as the guide leaves each area.  However visitors are asked to use flash photography sparingly, as rapid multiple flashes can have adverse health implications for some people.  Photography on the Paranormal Underground tour will be at the direction of the individual guide as appropriate to the tour.

Back to Top