Cheryl Livingstone explains how she had a scream at one of the most popular attractions in Edinburgh
We had only been inside for less than a minute when we heard people screaming like their lives depended on it.
We were both instantly scared and weren’t afraid to show it. This was our first trip to Edinburgh Dungeons and we knew nothing about what we were signing ourselves up for.
Through the 80-minute journey, we discovered the mega-popular tourist attraction takes you on a trip through 1,000 years of Scotland’s horrible history.
You get to meet incredibly creepy characters such as the gruesome son and daughter of Sawney Bean, Scotland’s warrior hero William Wallace – or his head at least – and the murderous twosome Burke and Hare.
On our journey, we passed through the Caves of Galloway, plague-ravaged closes and a fearsome torture chamber.
Whether you are interested in the history or not, Edinburgh Dungeons is a fantastic day out. It definitely beats your typical sightseeing tour or museum outing.
As it involves audience anticipation and you walking through each set, we found that we really did get into it, despite initially thinking we were too “cool” to be scared.
I even found myself saying “I don’t want to get stuck at the back in case they get me”. Not words I expected to say during a trip to the capital. Every room we went into, I found myself constantly looking over my shoulder and watching for every dark corner and I realised that I was totally into the realism of it all.
It was really entertaining and a great laugh, especially having a giggle at how scared we were – but also the actors and the stories they were telling.
The actors are absolutely brilliant and do a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life – especially the daughter of Sawney Bean who made me actually shiver when she was creeping through the crowd and started smelling my husband.
The show also includes a couple of rides – I won’t spoil it for you, but let’s just say there was photographic evidence of our reaction to the last ride and I wanted it deleted instantly.
I heard lots about Edinburgh Dungeons before we went and it definitely deserves all the praise it was getting. It’s a fantastic idea for something a little bit different.
Fact box
The Edinburgh Dungeons, 31 Market Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1QB
www.thedungeons.com/edinburgh
0871 423 2250
Tickets cost £16.50/ £12.60 for children and there is discount if you book in advance online.