Covenanters Prison
 Bluidy MacKensie's masoleum |
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The Covenanters were a powerful political force in Scotland in the 17th century, who signed a "National Covenant" in Greyfriars Kirkyard pledging to keep Scotland a Presbyterian country. However, 50 years later, they had been outlawed and had been heavily defeated by King Charles II's forces. 1,200 of the Covenanters who survived the battle were imprisoned in the Covenanters Prison by Judge and Lord Advocate Sir George Mackenzie, known as Bluidy Mackenzie. Some of the Covenanters were executed by Mackenzie, their heads displayed around the prison walls. The rest were corralled in the yard and left without food or water, and hundreds died.
When Bluidy MacKensie died, he was buried in Greyfriars, not far from the Covanters Prison. His mausoleum was avoided, and carried a reputation of being haunted. One cold rainy night, a homeless man entered into the cemetery and was looking for a place to sleep. MacKensie's tomb has a roof, and is very enclosed, but also has locked gates. Looking through the window in the gate, he could see something that looked like an entry in the back. He climbed over the fence, and found a way in. It was much more pleasant inside, but it was still cold. There is a grate in the floor of the mausoleum, and the man lifted it up to find stairs that went down. He descended into the bowels, and found large coffins. Hoping for a shroud or something similar for warmth, he started banging against the coffin trying to break it. When the 400-year-old corpse fell onto him, and he away screaming.
Following the disturbance of the grave, strange stories of attacks, blackouts, and other spooky goings-on circulated. The Edinburgh City Council locked the door of the Covenanters Prison, and declared it closed. Jan-Andrew Henderson, who runs ghost tours of the city, acquired permission from the City Council to take tours into the Prison, and the stories of hauntings in the Prison continue.
When Bluidy MacKensie died, he was buried in Greyfriars, not far from the Covanters Prison. His mausoleum was avoided, and carried a reputation of being haunted. One cold rainy night, a homeless man entered into the cemetery and was looking for a place to sleep. MacKensie's tomb has a roof, and is very enclosed, but also has locked gates. Looking through the window in the gate, he could see something that looked like an entry in the back. He climbed over the fence, and found a way in. It was much more pleasant inside, but it was still cold. There is a grate in the floor of the mausoleum, and the man lifted it up to find stairs that went down. He descended into the bowels, and found large coffins. Hoping for a shroud or something similar for warmth, he started banging against the coffin trying to break it. When the 400-year-old corpse fell onto him, and he away screaming.
Following the disturbance of the grave, strange stories of attacks, blackouts, and other spooky goings-on circulated. The Edinburgh City Council locked the door of the Covenanters Prison, and declared it closed. Jan-Andrew Henderson, who runs ghost tours of the city, acquired permission from the City Council to take tours into the Prison, and the stories of hauntings in the Prison continue.
