Edinburgh in the late 18th, early 18th centuries was awash in legends. From ghosts and hauntings to grave robbers, to the mysterious doings which happened in the South Bridge Vaults (known more famously as the Edinburgh Vaults).
But none struck more fear in the inhabitants of Scotland’s capital than the stories of the Gadaichebairn, the so-called “Knave of Edinburgh”.
As you will see, the Gadaichebairn is somehow connected to all the previous tales mentioned. He was a spook, a child-stealer, a murderer, and had some strange connection to those mysterious chambers of the Vaults.
This piece is an exploration of gothic mystery and murder on the eve of the Industrial Revolution.