Ghosts and Graverobbers Tour
Unearth the Dark Past of Dumfries!
Next date - Coming Soon!
Ghosts and Graverobbers is an exciting addition to our range of dark storytelling tours. The name is very important; this new street and graveyard-based walking tour will cover a range of darkly dramatic subjects.
Ghosts, in the sense of spirits who return to haunt a particular location and also the type that is a trace, a vestige of the past, something chilling and repellent that the town may prefer to forget… Graverobbers certainly fall into the latter category! The days of the Resurrection Men are a fascinating period in history and our new tour aims to bring to life some of the stories linked to those nefarious characters that terrorised the town of Dumfries.
After a brilliant five years of promoting grim and ghostly tales to a multitude of local folk and visitors, we wanted to delve deeper into the extensive history of Dumfries and unearth a collection of different accounts. Some relate to the cruel side of human nature, others have a hint of humour, we hope that all will stimulate thought, discussion and maybe just a fraction of fear…
The tour made its official public debut on 30th October 2015 and now runs at regular intervals throughout the year. Guests will discover eerie, unsettling accounts as they wander in trepidation through the town’s shadowy, dimly lit streets. Two of Dumfries’ beautiful and historic graveyards will feature as main characters, each with its own unique, Gothic atmosphere. This is something we’re particularly excited about as visiting churchyards is another great passion of ours. We love researching social history, stunning sculptures (particularly Memento Mori designs) and personal stories that keep the memories of the dearly departed very much alive.
Of course, the graveyards are included for another pivotal reason. Locations such as these, once bore witness to the devilish deeds of the bodysnatchers, when the dead who lay peacefully in their graves were raised from eternal sleep (in a somewhat ruthless manner!) to feed the demands of the Edinburgh anatomists.
Join the team as we divulge the drama of a famous court trial; reveal dark insights into the infamous Killing Times and uncover the story behind a grisly execution on what is now hallowed ground! We look forward to captivating guests with these and many more well-researched accounts on our walk, a must-do for lovers of legends, local history and ghost-lore!