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An Edinburgh attraction has been named Scotland’s spookiest destination this Halloween(Image: The Real Mary King’s Close)
Scotland’s “scariest” destinations to visit this Halloween have been revealed. Topping the list is a historic attraction in Edinburgh.
On Wednesday, October 8, Betway shared a list of the “the scariest UK locations to visit” in October. A total of 10 spooky destinations across the nation were singled out.
Coming in at number one on the experts’ list for Scotland is Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh. The close, which is situated beneath the streets of the city centre, was also named the fifth-scariest location to visit in the whole of the UK.
Mary King’s Close is a historic close that takes its name from Mary King, who was a merchant burgess who lived there in the 17th century. It was partially demolished and buried in the 18th century, leading to the area becoming shrouded in myths and legends of hauntings.
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Today, The Real Mary King’s Close is an attraction that allows visitors to wander the hidden close and learn about its history from character guides. The tours reveal what it was like for the people who lived, worked, and died on Mary King’s Close hundreds of years ago
One Tripadvisor review reads: “My husband and I went to The Real Mary King’s Close, we enjoyed the tour. Our guide was very informative.
The Real Mary’s King Close(Image: Luigi Di Pasquale / The Real Mary King’s Close)
“A nice way to learn about the past, and a little creepy.”
The second and final Scottish destination to appear on Betway’s list is Glamis Castle in Angus. The historic castle placed at number seven on the UK-wide roundup.
Glamis Castle is a category A listed building that was the childhood home of the late Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother. It is widely believed to be haunted, with the ghosts of a tongueless woman and a shadowy figure known as the Monster of Glamis said to be among the spectres that wander its halls.
Glamis Castle(Image: Orietta Gaspari / Getty Images)
Elsewhere, Chillingham Castle in Northumberland was named by Betway as the scariest UK location to visit this Halloween. The 13th century building features a ‘Torture Chamber’, while visitors can also head on ghosts tours.
To put together the list, the experts analysed around 180,000 Tripadvisor reviews across 30 famously haunted sites. Reviews were scanned for keywords such as ‘scary’, ‘haunted’, ‘ghosts’, ‘eerie’, and ‘sinister’, before Betway calculated how frequently each term appeared.
According to Betway, Mary King’s Close has received 24,244 reviews—the most out of the top 10. It was found that 13.4 per cent of these featured keywords relating to scariness.
Meanwhile, Glamis Castle has received 2,166 reviews on Tripadvisor. Betway states that 11.7 per cent of these reviews include a keyword related to scariness.
Read on for the full list of the 10 scariest locations to visit in the UK this Halloween.
The scariest UK locations to visit this Halloween
- Chillingham Castle, Northumberland
- Berry Pomeroy Castle, Devon
- Bodmin Jail, Cornwall
- Ballygally Castle, Larne
- Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh
- Clink Prison Museum, London
- Glamis Castle, Angus
- St Leonards Church, Hampshire
- The Dark Hedges, County Antrim
- Gwrych Castle, North Wales