If there’s one thing that sets Edinburgh apart from other cities, it’s just how steeped it is in mystery. Ghost stories, haunted houses, and strange, unexplained disappearances are so common here they’ve almost become part of everyday life. Among the most famous tales is that of the loyal dog who kept watch over his master’s grave for 14 years, and whose barks, some say, can still be heard in the city centre, or the haunting sound of a bagpiper who vanished without a trace centuries ago in Edinburgh’s underground tunnels. The city is also home to what’s said to be Scotland’s most haunted cemetery, Greyfriars Kirkyard, where the ghost of a notorious criminal is believed to roam. But the most haunted spot of all is surely the castle, the subject of countless chilling stories. Legend has it that a headless drummer appears in its corridors whenever Edinburgh is in danger. If you visit, keep your ears open, you might just hear the beat of a drum. And be prepared for sudden drops in temperature, unseen hands tugging at your clothes, whispers, laughter, and even screams. Many claim to have experienced these eerie sensations firsthand. Still keen to go in? For the curious, and the brave, there’s no shortage of guided tours specialising in the castle’s dark tales and the city’s more sinister legends.