The Underground Vaults
The Vaults remain untouched since they were abandoned in the early nineteenth century but beware…they are empty, but not unoccupied!
This eerie setting is home to dark, mysterious and often tragic apparitions whose ghostly presence leaves a lingering sense of immense sorrow and deprivation. Visitors have stumbled backwards in response to a malevolent lunge. Witnesses testify to the presence of the cobbler who labours industriously. A little boy, laughing playfully, has held visitors’ hands in his cold grasp as a brown dog with long, wiry hair runs between their legs.
Described by the BBC as ‘probably the most haunted place in Britain’ The Vaults never fail to fascinate and intrigue all who visit them.
Our dramatic historians bring the past to life with vivid accounts and rousing re-enactments. Stand as judge and jury as you witness the trial of Mary, Queen of Scots and decide her involvement in the murder of her second husband, Lord Darnley. Enjoy the company of the mischievous Meg Dodds, the hair-raising Hellfire Club and more!
Should you request a quiet whisky tasting, arousing piper's welcome, an entrancing night of magicians and tarot-card readers, Mercat Tours will ensure you are supplied with the best and most unique entertainment.
The Company
Director Des Brogan's professional career began in teaching. For twenty years his name was synonymous with best practice and his expertise was used nationally as changes were introduced in the classroom. 
Des' mantra is: 'History is a damn good story. What it needs is a damn good telling'. In 1985, with three colleagues, he founded Mercat Tours with the goal of introducing guided history and ghost tours in Edinburgh based on two constants: historical authenticity and dramatic presentation.
Today Mercat Tours is the acknowledged market leader for quality guided historical experiences in the city. It is now a limited company providing employment for fifteen permanent staff and sixty self employed guides. Its scheduled tours, which run throughout the year and across each day, are the backbone of the business. The company has continued to develop and now offers character re-enactments of actual and fictitious historical figures, helping to bring Edinburgh's past alive to today's generation with living history events having been devised for Duart Castle, Scone Palace, Dynamic Earth, The Royal College of Physicians to name but a few!
Mercat Tours is the only VisitScotland 5-Star walking tour company in Scotland and is a Scottish Thistle Award Winner for Cultural Tourism.