In Pure Spirit

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Mary King’s Ghost Fest 2009

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The fifth Mary King’s Ghost Fest runs from May 8th to May 17th and features a number of famous ghost hunters. Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe and Steve Parsons from Most Haunted will be headlining the investigations.

The Close – or narrow street in Edinburgh, Scotland – is named after Mary King who lived above one until she died in 1644. The ‘Real Mary King’s Close” was built over in 1853. This act, however, helped preserve the ancient street and today it can be accessed as a small underground capsule of houses, history and strangely dark shadows.

The 2009 Mary King’s Ghost Fest is not restricted to the Real Mary King’s Close and features over a dozen locations in Edinburgh.

Mary King’s Ghost Fest locations

  1. The Real Mary King’s Close
  2. Blair Street Vaults (run by Mercat Tours)
  3. Camera Obscura
  4. City of Dead Tours
  5. National Library of Scotland
  6. Canons Gait Pub
  7. Waverley Bridge (run by Horrible Histories)
  8. Scottish Mining Museum
  9. Malmaison Hotel (run by North West Spirit Seekers)
  10. The Scotsman Screening Room
  11. Gilmerton Cove
  12. South Niddry Street Vaults
  13. Edinburgh School of Parapsychology
  14. Celtic Lodge
  15. Vogire House
  16. The Museum of Edinburgh
  17. The Peoples Story
  18. The Beehive Inn
  19. The Rowan Tree

Travelling to Edinburgh and Ghost Fest 2009

The Real Mary King’s Close is only a few minutes walk from Waverly Station. In 2008 many ghost hunters arrived in Edinburgh by train*.

Arranging Ghost Tours

Fancy going on a ghost tour yourself or sending some friends on one? Both Black Hart and Mercat offer ticketed tours. You can also buy a ghost tour ticket from Buyagift*.

In Pure Spirit

Have you attended the Mary King’s Ghost Fest before? What did you make of the week of ghost-hunting?

If you go in 2009 then we’d love to know what you thought of the events.

Disclaimer: Links marked with a star(*) are revenue links.

Picture Credit: Emran Yousof.

Pendle Witch Camp replaces Shamania for 2009

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Summer solstice in Pendle this year will feature the Pendle Witch Camp but not a Shamania Festival.

Image by Gyrus via Flickr

The Pendle Witch Camp is due to be held in the field adjacent to last year’s event. Last year the events took place at Brown House Farm which is just off Giburn Old Road and this year it will be at Blacko.

The Pendle Witch Camp in 2009 will be significantly quieter than the Shamania festival of 2008. There will be no activities which require Pendle Council granting a license although organisers have not yet suggested they were facing difficulties in obtaining licenses.

There will be neither amplified music nor around-the-clock events but the Witch Camp will feature acoustic music and it is expected many of the attendees of the three-day event will remain active throughout the night.

This year the Pendle Witch Camp will run over the weekend of June 19th to the 22nd. Solstice this year will be at 5:45am on the 21st.

Adrian Lord, who will be helping to coordinate the Pendle Witch Camp, also announced that Shamania will enter suspended animation until 2010 at the earliest.

Writing on the Shamania website, he noted; “Having organised 3 Shamania Festivals, each one being slightly bigger and wetter, than its predecessor; I’m looking forward to a year without all the responsibility and hoping to do some dancing myself.”

In Pure Spirit

Have you been to either Shamania or the Pendle Witch Camp before? What was it like? Would you recommend it?

Do you think Pendle Council may have been reluctant to grant licenses this year?

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