10 spooky Edinburgh attractions make the top 20 scariest attractions in the UK and Ireland list

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A list of the top 20 scariest attractions in the UK and Ireland includes 10 spooky Edinburgh attractions.

Raleigh Realty researched over 200 UK and Ireland attractions to uncover the scariest location, perfect for those looking to celebrate this Halloween.

A “Scare Score” was given, using data available from Tripadvisor, revealing that the UK and Ireland’s spookiest attraction is The Real Mary King's Close in Edinburgh.

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The Real Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh has been named the scariest visitor attraction in the UK and Ireland.The Real Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh has been named the scariest visitor attraction in the UK and Ireland.
The Real Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh has been named the scariest visitor attraction in the UK and Ireland.

The Real Mary King's Close ranks first with a "scare score" of 1,711 out of 1,728. Located beneath the Royal Mile, it reveals the city's 16th-17th century struggles.

With 22,000 Tripadvisor reviews and a 4.5-star rating, it’s described as 'spooky' and 'eerie' over 3,000 times. Special Halloween events include Lantern Led Tours and True Crime Tours which run until October 31.

Second on the UK and Ireland scariest attractions list is The World Famous Underground Ghost Tour, also in Edinburgh, with a scare score of 1,683.5 out of 1,728. It takes visitors to haunted spots like Greyfriars Kirkyard and underground caverns, with 85 per cent of over 4,500 Tripadvisor reviewers giving it five stars.

The World Famous Underground Ghost Tour in Edinburgh came second in the list.The World Famous Underground Ghost Tour in Edinburgh came second in the list.
The World Famous Underground Ghost Tour in Edinburgh came second in the list. | Tripadvisor

The Edinburgh Dungeon ranks joint fifth on the UK and Ireland list, with a scare score of 1,656 out of 1,728. This live-action, thrill-filled experience has nearly 4,000 5-star reviews. Special Halloween event, 'The Monster of Glamis', runs until October 31 at the Market Place attraction.

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The other spooky Edinburgh attractions that made the top 20 include the Haunted Vaults Walking Tour, which came eighth with a score of 1629. The Small Group Ghostly Underground Vaults Tour was ninth with a score of 1499.

Edinburgh Dungeon on Market Street was fifth on the list.Edinburgh Dungeon on Market Street was fifth on the list.
Edinburgh Dungeon on Market Street was fifth on the list.

In 11th place was the Haunted Vaults and Graveyard Walking Tour with a score of 1578.5, followed by Edinburgh Castle in 16th place with 1502.5, and the Extreme Paranormal Underground Ghost Tour in 17th place with 1499.

In joint 19th place on the scariest attractions in the UK and Ireland were Edinburgh’s Darkside Walking Tour and the Tour of Terror, each with a score of 1496.5.

Other scary UK attractions on the top 20 list include the Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast which came third, Warwick Castle and Dungeon in fourth and the Tower of London was joint fifth with Edinburgh Dungeon.

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The list of the UK and Ireland's scariest Halloween attractions.The list of the UK and Ireland's scariest Halloween attractions.
The list of the UK and Ireland's scariest Halloween attractions. | Submitted

To create this study, Raleigh Realty first created a seed list from various different online sources. From this list, they cross-referenced each attraction via Tripadvisor and extracted data including total reviews, the number of 5-star reviews, and total mentions of words in 3-star reviews and above including ‘scary’, ‘scared’, ‘spooky’, ‘ghost’, ‘ghosts’, ‘haunted’, ‘haunting’, ‘frightened’, frightening’, ‘creepy’ and ‘eerie’.

This data, collected in September this year, was then turned into an index and ranked accordingly. 

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