About the Ghosts

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Where can I find more information on the Witchery Tours?
A. Call us on +44 (0) 131 225 6745 or email us at lyal@witcherytours.demon.co.uk and our Erudite Expert Entities will be happy to answer all your questions. Unless the question is “Where are my car keys?” – we don’t know. Did you try the windowsill?

Q. What type of tours do you do?
A. We operate two evening walks around Edinburgh, Scotland: The Witchery Ghosts and Gore Tour in the Summer, and The Witchery Murder and Mystery Tour all year round.

Q. What topics are covered during a Witchery Tour?
A. The Witchery Tours take a light-hearted look at Edinburgh’s darker side including tales of witchcraft, plague and torture. The tour information is gathered from city records, library documents and historical archives.

Q. What happens on a Witchery Tour?
A. You’re led around the Old Town of Edinburgh by a deceased tour guide who regales various ghoulish tales. On route you will meet "jumper-ooters" – costumed characters employed to appear at inopportune times in an attempt to surprise you. Let’s hope they appear on cue…

Q. Are your tours scary?
A. Some people say they are, others say they’re not. Judge for yourself. We reckon the tours are more funny than scary, although we do state: "You come on our tours at your own risk!"

Q. What do the tours cost?
A. Both the Witchery Ghosts & Gore Tour and the Witchery Murder & Mystery Tour cost £8.50 for adults and £6.00 for children under 16. The book Adam Lyal’s Witchery Tales is included in both prices.

Q. Do you pay in advance?
A. Yes. You can pay by cash, cheque, credit or debit card.

Q. At what time of year do the tours operate?
A. The Witchery Murder & Mystery Tour operates all year, apart from 24-26 December. The Witchery Ghosts & Gore Tour runs from May through to early September.

Q. Why is the Ghosts & Gore Tour only available from May to September?
A. We created the Ghosts & Gore Tour as an alternative version of the Murder & Mystery Tour, that would be more suitable for daylight hours. (Adam Lyal does not like going out before nightfall; he has to keep his complexion nice and pale!) This is why we do not run regular Ghosts & Gore Tours in winter – not enough daylight! However, as you’ll see on our tour booking page, Murder & Mystery Tours are run at earlier times during the winter, so you can still join us if you have an early bedtime. If you really want to do a Ghosts & Gore Tour during the winter, we can arrange this specially for large enough groups – contact us for more details.

Q. What’s the difference between the Murder & Mystery and Ghosts & Gore Tours?
A. The routes of the tours are different, though they visit some of the same locations. The Ghosts & Gore Tour has a slightly shorter (and much flatter) route, so we recommend it for those with mobility difficulties. The content is quite similar: all the major stories are covered on both tours, with just a couple of differences. The major difference is in how the ‘jumper-ooters’ behave: on the Ghosts & Gore Tour, they will chat with the guide and tell the group about their character and historical background. You don’t get much of this on the Murder & Mystery Tour – these ghosts are more interested in making you scream!

Q. Do the tours operate every night?
A. Yes, every single night of the week.

Q. What time do the tours start?
A. The times vary depending on the bookings that we already have and the time of year. We take reservations in advance so we can control the number of people attending each trip. So if you call or e-mail us, we’ll give you the exact times for the evening in question.

Q. Where do the tours start?
A. We commence our walks outside The Witchery restaurant, 352 Castlehill, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 2NF.
The restaurant is right at the top of the Royal Mile, just before Edinburgh Castle. We’re opposite The Camera Obscura and beside The Scotch Whisky Heritage Centre.
Click here for a map to the Witchery restaurant.

Q. Do they ALWAYS start there?
A. There are a couple of exceptions. When the Castlehill is obstructed due to performances of the Edinburgh Military Tattoo (Monday-Saturday for three weeks during August) or a one-off concert (usually a couple of nights during June and July), the tours meet outside our shop at 84 West Bow, Victoria Street.
Click here for a map to our shop.

Q. Are The Witchery Tours connected to The Witchery restaurant?
A. No, we are a separate operation. Please call the restaurant on +44 (0) 131 225 5613. We can
possibly cook a lasagne but it’s not very good.

Q. What is the duration of the tours?
A. The Witchery Murder and Mystery Tour lasts 75 minutes and the Witchery Ghost and Gore Tour lasts 80 minutes.

Q. Is the Witchery Tour suitable for children?
A. Yes, the tour is open to all ages. Even young children are very rarely upset by our ghosts’ antics, though we advise parental discretion if you think your child is of a particularly nervous disposition.

Q. Where do the tours go?
A.Both our tours are outdoor walking tours visiting the closes and alleyways in the Old Town of Edinburgh. We won’t reveal the whole routes, but let’s just say we recommend sturdy and comfortable footwear for a good reason…

Q. What is the minimum and maximum number of people allowed on a Witchery Tour?
A. The minimum number would be 1 (one) and the maximum number would be 40. Normally you will be joining other groups so there are plenty of hands to hold if you get scared! Please ask the owner’s permission before holding a strange hand, though.

Q. Do you conduct special tours during the day?
A. Yes, if you are part of a group of 12 people or more. This will typically be charged at our Private Tour rate;
please contact us for further details.

Q. How do we book the tour?
A. The simplest way is to go to our online booking page. If you need further information prior to booking or have special requirements, please contact us by telephone +44 (0) 131 225 6745 or fax: +44 (0) 131 220 2086 or by email: lyal@witcherytours.demon.co.uk

Q. I have bought (or plan to buy) an Edinburgh Pass. Can I make a booking through the online system?
A. No, the online system is only designed for booking with credit/debit cards. However, just contact us and we will take your booking. You’ll be asked to provide contact details, and to re-confirm with us the evening before the tour. Be sure to mention the Edinburgh Pass when booking.

Q. Do you do anything else apart from tours?
A. We have published several books and have produced a number of short films. All our books and videos are available to buy in our online shop. We also have a full publication, What’s under the Kilt? available to view online.

Terms and Conditions

Paying Online – Information

When you complete the tour booking form or make a goods order in our online shop, you will be taken to a Checkout page where you will be asked to supply personal information to complete your order. Please note that the Checkout page for tour bookings is separate from the Checkout page for the online shop; you cannot pay for goods and a tour in the same transaction.

Our Checkout pages protect your personal information with Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) security. You can see that this is enabled by looking in the address bar of your web browser: SSL-protected addresses begin with https:// instead of http:// and usually your browser will display a padlock icon somewhere on-screen to confirm that SSL is enabled. This means that all data you enter into the Checkout forms are sent across the Internet in encrypted form, and cannot be read by anybody else. This security is maintained throughout the payment process.

Tour Booking Checkout: On this page you will be asked to provide:

Preferred alternative time: In case we are unable to match your requested time on the date chosen, choose whether you would prefer an earlier or later tour, or have no preference. This will help us to make an alternative booking offer.
Email address: your confirmation emails and (where necessary) any further correspondence required to finalise your booking will be sent to this address.
Contact Phone number: This will be used to contact you around the time of the tour, in the event of any unexpected changes to the tour details or other emergency. It may also be used if you have not responded to email correspondence requiring a reply within 24 hours (see below). If possible, please provide a mobile phone number, including international dialling prefix if a non-UK number.
Billing Address: Please fill in these fields exactly as they appear on your bank or credit-card statement. These details will be transmitted to our Payment Solution Provider in the final stage of the transaction.
Shipping Address: No longer applicable as we do not post tickets.
Additional Information: You can add a message here advising of any special information you need or want to include with your booking. For example, if you want to provide additional contact details (such as the name of your hotel), you can enter them here. Another use might be to name any member of your party having a birthday or special occasion, as our guides will try to include a mention of this (and maybe some ’special treatment’) in the tour.

Online Shop Checkout: On this page you will be asked to provide an email address, phone number and Billing Address. There is also a field for Additional Information, however please note that special shipping instructions such as time of delivery cannot be placed.

Both Checkout pages will alert you if you have missed any required information, and you will be returned to the Checkout where you can complete the required details.

Checkout Stage 2: After you have submitted all the required details to the Checkout, you will be taken to a Confirmation page where you can check the details are correct, and return to the Checkout page if you need to change anything. Once you are satisfied that all the details are correct, press the ‘Proceed’ button and you will be taken to our Payment Solution Provider’s website where you may enter your payment details.

Entering Payment Details with our Payment Solution Provider: You will be taken to a secure website where you will be able to enter your credit/debit card details. As with our own Checkout pages, SSL security is provided to ensure that the data you enter are kept private.

Help is provided throughout the payment process to help you complete your payment. Once you have entered your payment details, you will be returned to our website, showing either a summary of your order if your payment was successful, or a failure notice if unsuccessful.

Please note: We only accept payments where the data you enter have been successfully verified with your bank or card-issuer. Therefore please ensure that you enter all data accurately, including the billing address (which should be exactly as written on correspondence from your bank/card issuer).

We are aware of some cases of apparently genuine credit/debit cards being declined by our Payment Solution Provider. We understand this is due to limitations of the current verification system, known as AVS/CV2 checking. If your payment is declined even though you are certain you entered the correct data, please notify your bank or card-issuer that your card is failing AVS/CV2 checks. Although we will not be able to accept your payment through the website, please contact us to discuss alternative methods of payment.

MasterCard, Maestro and Visa cardholders please note: From the 1st of July 2007, payments using these cards may use the 3D Secure enhanced authentication system for online buying (also known as MasterCard SecureCode and Verified by Visa). This system allows cardholders to choose a password, which they use as an extra form of authentication when buying online. Currently, not all MasterCard and Visa issuers have launched this system yet, but from 1st July 2007 it is compulsory for all Maestro cardholders. If your card issuer has implemented 3D Secure, you will be expected to enroll in the scheme by choosing a password; if you have enrolled already, you will be required to use your password when buying from us.

The 3D Secure authentication window currently appears as a pop-up window which opens automatically. Therefore you should disable any popup-blocker in your web browser before completing the checkout on our site, to ensure the window appears. If you have any problems using this new system or are unsure what to do, please contact us and we will be happy to give advice.

After successfully making payment you will receive two emails, one from our Payment Solution Provider confirming your successful payment, and one from us confirming the details of your purchase or booking request. In the case of booking requests, there will be a third email from us either confirming your booking or giving you an alternative offer (see below).

Tour Bookings

When you book a tour on this website, we will check availability and do one of the following:

If we have vacancies at the date and time you chose, we will debit your card for the cost of the tour and send you confirmation of your booking by email.
If we cannot match your selection exactly, we will send you an offer of the closest available tour. If you accept this offer, we will then debit your card and send confirmation by email. Although your card is not debited until you have accepted, the funds will be reserved (meaning that you will not be able to spend the amount to be charged) until you either accept or withdraw the booking.

If you receive a booking offer, it is important to respond as quickly as possible. If you have not replied within 24 hours, we will attempt to contact you by telephone. If we are still unable to contact you after 72 hours, your booking will not be completed and the funds reserved on your card will be freed. We will notify you of this cancellation by email, and you will be free to make another booking.

Note: From October 2009, we no longer send paper tickets by post. Instead, when your booking has been finalised we will send you a confirmation by email. This email will include a 5-digit ticket reference number, which you should take a note of, as it may be required to identify you at the start of the tour. (You don’t need to print the whole email though – please think of the trees!)

VAT: Value Added Tax is levied on 56% of the cost of tour bookings. This is because the price of the tour includes a copy of the book Adam Lyal’s Witchery Tales which is estimated at 44% of the total value (as agreed with HM Customs). If you require a receipt that includes this VAT breakdown, please request this in the “Additional Information” section of the Checkout page, and we will attach a receipt in Adobe PDF format to your confirmation email.

Cancellations: You may cancel a booking up to 7 days before the date of the tour and receive a full refund. No refund will be given within 7 days of the tour. If possible, we will attempt to re-schedule your booking to a more suitable time or date; any such re-scheduling will be undertaken entirely at the discretion of The Cadies & Witchery Tours, and subject to availability.

Admission policy: The Cadies & Witchery Tours reserve the right of our staff to refuse admission to any guest who is:

drunk (or otherwise intoxicated) to the point of incapacity;
verbally or physically abusive to tour staff or other guests;
under 16 years of age and unaccompanied by an adult;
persistently disruptive of the guide and/or other guests’ enjoyment of the tour by any activity (e.g. talking loudly over the guide).

The guide may also eject from the tour any guest who breaches these conditions while the tour is in progress. In either case, no refund will be given.

Online Shop – Terms of Sale

Cancellation of purchase: If you wish to cancel your purchase, you should contact us immediately, as we will dispatch orders as quickly as possible after receiving them (see below). If your goods have not yet been dispatched, we will cancel your order and give a full refund without dispute. If we have already dispatched your order, no refund will be given.

Dispatch of goods: We aim to dispatch all bought items within 36 hours of purchase. If, for any reason, we are unable to dispatch your purchase within 36 hours, we will contact you immediately providing full details of the reason for and extent of the delay. If the delay is unacceptable, we will cancel your order and refund your payment without dispute.

All goods are sent using Royal Mail First Class (for UK customers) or International Air Mail (for overseas). You should therefore expect to receive your goods within 72 hours (UK) or 14 days (overseas – note this is a maximum figure and most destinations will be reached in a much shorter period). If you have not received your goods within this period, please contact us and we will undertake to locate (or if necessary, re-send) your goods. In such circumstances, we will offer a full refund if the resulting delay in receiving your goods is unacceptable.

Returns Policy: You may return bought items and receive a full refund in the following circumstances:

The goods are damaged upon arrival
The goods received are different from the item purchased, based on the description provided on this website and (where applicable) the individual description given in your confirmation email
The goods arrived later than the maximum period (stated above) applicable to your shipping address.

Any return request should be made immediately on receipt of the goods. Return requests made more than 7 days after receipt of goods will not be considered.

Upon receipt of your return request we will evaluate your claim and respond within 24 hours. In some cases we may require further information to validate your claim; e.g. in cases of damage we may request photographic evidence showing the damage to the item(s) and/or packaging. We undertake to complete the validation of your claim as quickly as possible; each response by us will be made in under 24 hours (normally less).

The Cadies & Witchery Tours reserve the right to decline any return request that we feel does not satisfy any of the criteria above. If you wish to further dispute a declined return request, we will refer you to the appropriate mediation authority under United Kingdom consumer protection laws. In any such dispute we undertake to cooperate fully with the mediation process.

Upon validation of a return request, the goods must be returned to The Cadies & Witchery Tours at the address below within the maximum period applicable to your shipping address (as above) from the date of validation.

Shopping