South Bridge Underground Vaults
Located in Edinburgh, Scotland, South Bridge was originally built in 1785. It contains 19 arches that go across the entire Cowgate Ravine, connecting the center of the city to the flat and underdeveloped portion of the city that was needed for growth. During Medieval Times, people had to be as close to the castle as possible to ensure their protection from invading armies, but as time went on this was no longer of a major concern. The open arches of the bridge were then sealed in, and people began to use the enclosed arches as workshops, storage facilities, and even as homes.
The living conditions there as one could imagine were horrible, but the poor people had no other choice. The construction of the bridge wasn’t even waterproof, therefore when it rained the people living there were always soaked from the water coming down through the cracks. When the Irish Potato Famine took place from 1845 to 1847, many of the Irish citizens migrated into Scotland. Most of them lived in the vaults due to their lack of money and skills. In the later half of the 19th century, murders, fights, and gambling would often be occurring on a daily basis.
By the beginning of the 20th century, due to the amount of crime in the vaults, they were sealed off. The vaults remained sealed into the 1980s, when they were discovered by a private land owner. Sections of the vaults were then again opened up to the public, but this time for the use of walking tours. There are many spirits that seem to haunt the vaults. There are many spirits of children still there, including that of a young boy named Jack, who is believed to have died during the bridge’s construction. People have also reported hearing the sound of children laughter in the distance.
The most evil spirit of the South Bridge goes by the name of Mr. Boots. If any visitor that feels threatened, than it is attributed to this spirit. The ghost is described as having knee-length boots, with rough pants, and a dirty ruffled white shirt. He is unshaven and his breath has a very bad smell. The odor of his breath is so strong that many people report smelling it. On some tours, Mr. Boots is seen by some of the visitors on the tour standing in the back, but then he quickly vanishes.
(Source: Belanger, Jeff. Encyclopedia of Haunted Places. 2005.)
