West Port — Uncover the Body Snatchers' Secret

Your investigation begins at West Port, the western gateway to Edinburgh's Old Town. Built in 1672-1673 as part of post-Cromwellian fortifications, it was demolished in 1786 to improve access to Grassmarket. The current arch, erected in 1958, marks the exact location of the original. It was here, near Tanner's Close, that William Burke rented rooms in 1828, making this area the starting point for the crimes that would shake Edinburgh and the Lothians. This emblematic site is the first clue to the ripple effect of the Burke and Hare murders, which left their mark on this part of the Old Town Edinburgh UNESCO 1995.

Continue towards Grassmarket, a historic market documented as early as 1315. This vast space, approximately 200 meters long and lined with 17th and 18th-century buildings, served as a public execution site until the 19th century. Around 400 witches were executed here between 1479 and 1724, the last in 1724. The inverted heart-shaped paving stone on the ground commemorates these hangings, including that of deserters in 1815. The Grassmarket Historic Market is a key location on the Royal Mile Walking Tour, where shadows of the past linger, providing a chilling backdrop to the actions of William Hare and his accomplices.

Your path then leads you to Cowgate, a narrow 16th-century street in the Old Town, formerly the main route for cattle entering Edinburgh. The distinctive vaulted arches, built between 1785 and 1820, connect the upper and lower Old Town along this approximately 1 km thoroughfare. It was here, in 1828, that the first body linked to Burke and Hare was discovered, showing injuries consistent with their methods. This discovery was the point of no return, signaling that the problem of 'resurrectionists' had taken a far more sinister turn. Cowgate, connecting Grassmarket to Holyrood via pedestrian tunnels, is an essential link in the Burke and Hare Murders Trail.

The investigation takes you to the Surgeons' Hall Museums, a Greek Revival building constructed in 1832 by William Playfair. It was here that Robert Knox, the eminent anatomist at the University of Edinburgh, purchased 16 bodies supplied by Burke and Hare between November 1827 and January 1828. The main facade, 36 meters wide with its 6 Ionic columns standing 12 meters tall, conceals museums housing 3000 anatomical specimens from Knox's era. These collections offer a window into 19th-century anatomical practice and the insatiable demand for bodies that fueled the macabre trade of grave robbers and murderers in Edinburgh and the Lothians.

Finally, your journey concludes near the Old College of the University of Edinburgh, founded in 1582. The current buildings, designed by Robert Adam between 1789 and 1827, house the Faculty of Medicine where Robert Knox taught anatomy since 1820. Its elliptical inner courtyard, Scotland's largest university courtyard (100m x 70m), testifies to the institution's importance. The Knox Auditorium, built in 1828 just after the Burke-Hare scandal, serves as a permanent reminder of this dark period. You leave Edinburgh with an understanding of an era where science and destitution intersected in terrifying ways, leaving indelible marks on the heritage of Old Town Edinburgh Category A Listed Buildings.