Edinburgh Vaults

[Crankyoldgit62]

Morning, myself and the missus went onto The Mercator tours and had an interesting time. I did take some photos but forgot to put my flash on!!!Anyway didn't feel any atmosphere but over heard a couple who saw something but clammed up when I nodded to them. We also had a family with a 7-8 year old girl, who freaked out in the first 10 minutes, why bring your child if the par ants know it was going to be a ghost tour?

 

[Reverend D]

One of the problems with the Vaults tour that I was on was the way the place was lit by candles - one person lifts a hand to scratch their nose and 15 feet away their hand casts a huge eerily twitching shadow on the opposite wall, which someone else sees as a sinister spectre surveying its site.

Sorry, got a bit carried away with the alliteration there!

 

[mrs_mose]

My Husband and I did the vaults tour when we were in Edinburgh a couple of years ago, and although we didn't see anything while we were down there I did have a weird experience where I suddenly got extremely hot, so hot my husband who was standing behind me could feel the heat coming off me, and I had sweat literally running down my face and back. It wasn't a warm day, and it wasn't a warm room - definitely weird. As soon as we moved on to the next area I felt fine again

 

[Bigphoot2]

One of the problems with the Vaults tour that I was on was the way the place was lit by candles - one person lifts a hand to scratch their nose and 15 feet away their hand casts a huge eerily twitching shadow on the opposite wall, which someone else sees as a sinister spectre surveying its site.

Sorry, got a bit carried away with the alliteration there!

I keep hearing that in Sean Connery's voice

 

[Reverend D]

I didn't feel anything strange in the Vaults, however I have been in a pub in Bread Street in Edinburgh where a trip to the toilet involved walking down several levels.

The toilet was your average pub cludgie, but after I'd been in for a few moments, I felt really uncomfortable- the silence seemed to press down on me and there was a strong feeling of 'I'm not alone in here' (I was the only person in there).

It was also absolutely freezing, although there's not necessarily anything odd about that- businesses don't tend to spend money heating rooms that people are in for a few minutes at a time.

Maybe it was just the cold and the eerie quietness, but I felt much more uneasy there than in the Vaults.

 

[Tempest63]

Interesting article about a maintenance man who works nights in the Edinburgh Vaults when everyone else has gone home. The article doesn’t detail how long he has worked there but he claims he has only left once to go home early due to unexplained phenomena.

I work alone at night in Edinburgh's dark and spooky vaults https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-63403618

And an accompanying short video.

'I work at night in Scotland's most haunted place' https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-63405610

 

[Who me]

Morning tempest63 I’ve just seen the same article.
Never never ever would I do that job unless I was supplied with clean underwear for free

 

[Tempest63]

Morning tempest63 I’ve just seen the same article.
Never never ever would I do that job unless I was supplied with clean underwear for free

When I was younger I would have tended to agree with you, but with age and a growing disbelief in most things paranormal I think I would be inclined to give it a go.
I also believe there is a bit of journalistic Licence involved here as well. In over 40 years in industry I have never seen a painter, decorator or maintenance man working in the dark. I’m sure there is plenty of lighting in the vaults for when the tourists have gone for the night.

 

[Carse]

When I was younger I would have tended to agree with you, but with age and a growing disbelief in most things paranormal I think I would be inclined to give it a go.
I also believe there is a bit of journalistic Licence involved here as well. In over 40 years in industry I have never seen a painter, decorator or maintenance man working in the dark. I’m sure there is plenty of lighting in the vaults for when the tourists have gone for the night.

I hope the following is also journalistic license otherwise the HSE Inspector needs to be taking a good look at the company’s lone working and fire risk assessments..

”With no phone reception due to the 75ft of stone between him and the street outside, he needs to be careful and have his wits about him.
"I don't have an escape plan should something happen. I need to think about that," he said.”

 

[Tempest63]

I hope the following is also journalistic license otherwise the HSE Inspector needs to be taking a good look at the company’s lone working and fire risk assessments..

”With no phone reception due to the 75ft of stone between him and the street outside, he needs to be careful and have his wits about him.
"I don't have an escape plan should something happen. I need to think about that," he said.”

I have been to the vaults a couple of times but don’t recall there being a worrying fire loading in the place; there will be smoke/heat detectors and call points to alert those “upstairs” should fire break out. But you are right about lone working and there should be some system or process in place to check on his well-being during the night. As he is a “night worker” he should be offered an appropriate medical/health assessment, regularly revisited, though he doesn’t have to agree to take it.
You would think that the proper risk assessments have been prepared but from experience I find that some places don’t do them.

 

[Victory]

I hope the following is also journalistic license otherwise the HSE Inspector needs to be taking a good look at the company’s lone working and fire risk assessments..

”With no phone reception due to the 75ft of stone between him and the street outside, he needs to be careful and have his wits about him.
"I don't have an escape plan should something happen. I need to think about that," he said.”

Exactly my reaction when I read the article.

What if he trips up and gets knocked unconscious?

I would install a wired phone system.

It rings once an hour, and if he does not answer it, then it rings again five minutes later.

If neither ring is answered, then it sounds a remote alarm at a local police station.