We enter what appears to be the ground floor of a tenement block on South Bridge. But we go down, not up, into the underground catacombs to meet our host, Minging Annie, described to us as a 400-year-old cursed hag who hates kids. In truth, she’s a perfectly personable young woman for whom a more congruous backstory could easily be written but, anyway. The location is the star, dripping with atmosphere and, well, drips, from the sandstone above. Annie shows us around and tells some short, spooky tales. It’s pretty mild, albeit a couple of tinier audience members did get spooked to the point of leaving early which, come to think of it, probably constitutes a recommendation for five to ten year-olds.

City Of Edinburgh Tours @ Old Police Box, until 26 Aug.
tw rating 3/5 | [Bruce Blacklaw]