Edinburgh Halloween: The Vortex Tour of The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre to be held on Halloween

Ghosts, things that go bump in the night and an amorphous evil entity are just some of the inexplicable encounters that could await those brave enough to embark on a Halloween tour of Edinburgh’s most active psychic building later this month.

The Vortex Tour of The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre on October 31 will take intrepid spirit-hunters around the hot-spots of unexplained activity documented in a new book, The Vortex, by Centre founder, Ann Treherne.

A ghostly mischievous child, a legion of Roman soldiers, a man who fell to his death, a mysterious Victorian lady, brewer William McEwan and the creator of Sherlock Holmes are just some of the spirits to have manifested in the grand townhouse at 25 Palmerston Place.

The author explains, “The tour is one of the launch events for my new book, The Vortex, which gathers together the ghostly sightings and unexplained activities at the centre from when we acquired the building, through the renovation period right up to the present.

“Many spirits have been seen by tradesmen working in the building, visitors to the centre and those of us who have worked here, sometimes it feels like every area has some paranormal phenomena associated with it - it is certainly Edinburgh’s most psychically active building.”

Writer and broadcaster Liam Rudden will lead the walk, exploring the strange encounters around the building with Ms Treherne. As they follow in the footsteps of those who have already experienced the building’s unexplained and occasionally chilling activities, the pair will be joined by psychic mediums Ewan Irvine and Hazel Martin who will interact with any forces joining the evening’s event from the other side.

The Vortex is Ann’s second book and follows on from the success of her first, Arthur and Me, which revealed how the spirit of the creator of Sherlock Holmes led her and a small group of friends to find and transform the then derelict West End building into the grand space it is today, one where many have felt the presence of something beyond this realm.

In The Vortex, Ms Treherne records testimonies from tenants and visitors to the centre and offers an occasionally terrifying insight into who, or what, really inhabits the centre.

The Vortex Halloween Tour, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre, 25 Palmerston Place, 31 October 7pm-8.30pm, £5 for the tour alone / £15 with a copy of the book, www.arthurconandoylecentre.com/whatson/the-vortex-halloween-walking-tour/