Happy spooky season to all those who celebrate! In case you weren’t aware, it’s that strange time of year when we all suddenly decide that being scared out of our wits sounds like the best way to spend our time.
And if you live in the UK and get a kick out of getting creeped, you’ll be pleased to discover that the most haunted place on Earth is within easy reach. After analysing a load of data from Trip Advisor, travel experts at Planet Cruise have revealed that Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh is the world’s spookiest spot.
Below the the City Chambers of the Scottish capital and just off the Royal Mile, people lived and worked in the dark, labyrinthine streets of Mary King’s Close between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. It was also ravaged by the plague over that time, making it ripe for creepy tales.
One of its most notorious residents is the ghost of a little girl called Annie, who had died of the plague in the 1600s. According to a Japanese psychic who visited in 1992, the story goes that she was abandoned by her family and lost her doll. Annie supposedly tugged at the psychic’s hand who then went and bought her a new doll, and people have been leaving similar gifts to the spirit ever since.
And if that’s not enough paranormal activity for you, here’s the full list of the top ten most haunted destinations in the world, according to Planet Cruise.
- Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh, Scotland
- Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia, USA
- The Stanley Hotel, Colorado, USA
- Crumlin Road Gaol, Belfast, Northern Ireland
- St Augustine Lighthouse, Florida, USA
- Bhangarh Fort. Pajastan, India
- Bonaventure Cemetery, Savannah, USA
- Myrtles Plantation, Louisiana, USA
- Catacombs of Paris, Paris
- Tower of London, London
Now check out our own ranking of the 20 most haunted places in the world
Did you see that this UK university is now offering a degree in magic?
Plus: this old-school disease is making a worrying comeback in the UK.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out UK newsletter for the latest UK news and the best stuff happening across the country.