We’ll be visiting Barnton Bunker on the 4th of May, 2024, for a ghost hunt. Want to come along? You’d be more than welcome. Here’s what you need to know.
Where
Barnton Bunker is a disused nuclear bunker located in Edinburgh. It was built in the 1940s, fell into disuse in the 1980s, and is currently being repaired and transformed into a museum.
During the Second World War some above-ground parts of the site were used as an RAF base. After the war, as the world edged into the Atomic Age, a three-storey underground bunker was added, housing a control centre which was used to watch for incoming Soviet aircraft during the Cold War.
In the 1960s it was designated a Regional Seat of Government. Should nuclear war have broken out, there was a brief period when the government of Scotland (along with a staff of approximately 400) would have taken shelter in the bunker to continue running the country as best they could.
The bunker is an incredibly spooky place, with remnants of many original features still present, including a recording studio, computer racks and old card file systems. Work to repair the bunker is ongoing, and it’s currently in a heavily-damaged but navigable condition.
When
We’ll be heading to Barnton Bunker on Saturday the 4th of May 2024, where we’ll have access to the site from 19:30. The ghost hunt could run until just after midnight, but you don’t have to stay to the end!
Transport
Getting to Barnton Bunker is pretty easy. It’s a short drive from Edinburgh city centre, and there’s a small amount of street parking and a gravel car park close to the entrance. You could also get a taxi from Haymarket train station – it’d be an approximately ten-minute ride.
If you’re unsure about transport, do let us know and we’ll see if we can arrange a lift.
Equipment and Activities
We have a range of equipment, and will try out a few different activities to see what kind of spooky experiences we can have. Our equipment includes: an EMF meter, sensor balls, various trigger objects, a REM pod, a cursed Furby, a laser grid, a digital EVP recorder, a ouija board and more.
If there’s anything particular you’d like to try, do let us know!
There’ll be a rest area above ground in the bunker complex where you can always take a break if you want. You don’t have to take part in any activity if you don’t feel like it.
Due to the nature of the bunker, we’ll be staying in small groups for the duration of the hunt. There are also a few health and safety notices to be aware of: things like wearing sensible shoes, taking care on stairways, and minding your head at all times. We’ll send along more details to anyone interested in going.
How to attend
Firstly, please join the society. This is a prerequisite for attending any ghost hunts. It’s free, and basically just means subscribing to our mailing list. More information here.
Then, if you’d like to come along, please drop us an email for more information. Do let us know if you’re thinking of driving, too (and if you’d be happy to give someone else a lift if so). Likewise, if you’d like to come but need transport to get there, do let us know.
We’ll send along more information, and make final arrangements a few days before the hunt.
Places are limited, and we’re expecting this to be a popular hunt, so if a lot of people want to come we’ll pick names out of a hat. If you get a place and then can’t come, please do let us know as far in advance as you can. Cheers!