8 eerie tunnels and vaults hidden beneath Edinburgh's streets
The underbelly of Scotland's capital city is interwoven with a hidden patchwork of tunnels, chambers and passageways, some well-known, others abandoned and long forgotten.
By David McLean
Published 19th Oct 2020, 17:17 BST
Updated 19th Oct 2020, 18:32 BST
With Halloween fast approaching, we take a look at eight eerie tunnels and vaults hidden beneath Edinburgh’s streets.
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Drum Street in Gilmerton is home to the ‘subterranean chambers of a remarkable cave’ thought to have been inhabited up to 300 years ago. Situated around ten feet below the surface, the Cove consists of a 40-feet long passage with an unusual series of rooms and passages on each side. It became a tourist attraction in 2003. Photo: Phil Wilkinson
Built around 1821, the little-known Crawley Tunnel is actually an aqueduct that transported water from Glencorse Reservoir. It runs for about a mile from The Meadows to the Grassmarket and The Mound where it meets Princes Street. Photo: Photographer: Scott Louden
When the city's South Bridge was built in the 1780s, the architects incorporated a series of vaults into its 19 arches. Hidden from view beneath the bridge and hemmed in by buildings, the spooky vaults, which were at one time used to house taverns, cobblers and even a distillery, were eventually abandoned due to the lack of light and sanitation. Photo: Greg Macvean
Buried 100 feet beneath Corstorphine Hill lies a chilling remnant of the Cold War: a secret bunker equipped to house hundreds of state and military officials in the event of nuclear fallout. The 1950s-built bunker, one of the only surviving types in the UK, was used to receive intelligence from radar stations across Scotland. Photo: Ian Georgeson