<.=.9;=8.7 ?;@=6>8 69 2169/@=45 >?;=A?277694! .<<=;<=6.?694 45;>? 0@7?@=2 .91 <=2>29?694 .9 @90.99A 52=6?.42 2LJYBCFSI 5OLYIBTRFQ . ?IFRJR >TCMJSSFE GOQ SIF 1FHQFF OG <I1 BS SIF @NJUFQRJSX OG >S .NEQFVR '%&) 3TLL MFSBEBSB GOQ SIJR JSFM JR BUBJLBCLF JN =FRFBQDI->S.NEQFVR,3TLL?FWS BS, ISSP,$$QFRFBQDI"QFPORJSOQX#RS"BNEQFVR#BD#TK$ <LFBRF TRF SIJR JEFNSJGJFQ SO DJSF OQ LJNK SO SIJR JSFM, ISSP,$$IEL#IBNELF#NFS$&%%'($*+'' ?IJR JSFM JR PQOSFDSFE CX OQJHJNBL DOPXQJHIS Paranormal Tourism in Edinburgh Storytelling, Appropriating Ghost Culture and Presenting an Uncanny Heritage Elizabeth Holzhauser This thesis is submitted in partial fulfilment for the degree of PhD at the University of St Andrews Date of Submission 3 February 2015 DECLARATIONS 1. Candidate’s declarations: I, Elizabeth Holzhauser, hereby certify that this thesis, which is approximately 78,000 words in length, has been written by me, and that it is the record of work carried out by me, or principally by myself in collaboration with others as acknowledged, and that it has not been submitted in any previous application for a higher degree. I was admitted as a research student in September 2009 and as a candidate for the degree of PhD in September 2009; the higher study for which this is a record was carried out in the University of St Andrews between 2009 and 2014. Date ___________ Signature of Candidate ______________________________________ 2. Supervisor’s declaration: I hereby certify that the candidate has fulfilled the conditions of the Resolution and Regulations appropriate for the degree of PhD in the University of St Andrews and that the candidate is qualified to submit this thesis in application for that degree. Date ___________ Signature of Supervisor _______________________________________ 3. Permission for publication: (to be signed by both candidate and supervisor) In submitting this thesis to the University of St Andrews I understand that I am giving permission for it to be made available for use in accordance with the regulations of the University Library for the time being in force, subject to any copyright vested in the work not 1 being affected thereby. I also understand that the title and the abstract will be published, and that a copy of the work may be made and supplied to any bona fide library or research worker, that my thesis will be electronically accessible for personal or research use unless exempt by award of an embargo as requested below, and that the library has the right to migrate my thesis into new electronic forms as required to ensure continued access to the thesis. I have obtained any third- party copyright permissions that may be required in order to allow such access and migration, or have requested the appropriate embargo below. The following is an agreed request by candidate and supervisor regarding the publication of this thesis: Access to printed copy and electronic publication of thesis through the University of St Andrews. Date ___________ Signature of Candidate ____________________________ Date ____________ Signature of Supervisor ____________________________ 2 ABSTRACT The paranormal industry in Edinburgh has become a thriving niche within the country’s tourist market. While ghost walks have been explored in anthropology from the perspective of spectacle, this thesis investigates and analyses the cultural framework which has furthered the success of the industry. Namely, the ways in which the paranormal industry have appropriated the beliefs and practices of an overarching ghost culture: a community of believers, investigators, mediums, and all those who actively attempt to engage with the paranormal. The increased visibility of the paranormal within popular culture has spurred a wide interest in the unknown and unexplained. Ghost hunting television shows and the prevalence of ghost stories has inspired the desire for unique experiences, and for audiences to contextualise the supernatural within their own lives. The paranormal industry has grown to accommodate this intense, active enthusiasm for all things spectral, and belief has become a commodity. This burgeoning fascination in ghosts has become an important aspect of how Scotland is sold as a destination. While commercial paranormal industries exist in other cities around the world, the historical perception of Scotland as other has created a precedence for the connection between Scottish national identity and the spectral. This thesis further investigates the ways in which the tourist industry continues to solidify the connection between Scottish heritage and the paranormal. 3 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I have so many people to thank for making this dissertation possible. First and foremost, I wanted to thank the very kind and lovely people in the University of St Andrews Social Anthropology department for their encouragement. What an amazing experience it was to have so much support from students and staff, who challenged me to think through my thesis questions and objectives, and who recommended readings to inspire me. I would especially like to thank my supervisor, Stan Frankland, who has infinite patience. He has been invaluable during this process, with an insight into tourism and anthropology that is absolutely unparalleled. I could not be more grateful for his understanding and kindness over the years, during some of the most joyful and incredibly difficult times in my life. Thank you, thank you so much, for everything. I am indebted to the Scotland Saltire Scholarship programme for taking a chance on this research and helping me fund its initial months. It was difficult to move from the United States to Scotland to attend university, and the award I received inspired me and made me realise that this project was worth pursuing and taking the time to write about. To everyone who contributed to this research, namely the kind people at Mercat Tours, City of the Dead Tours, Auld Reekie Tours, Mary King’s Close as well as Chris, Douglas, Mary, Lenore, Danny, Ben, the patient folks I messaged at r/Paranormal, the Urbex forums, the Spiritualist church, and everyone else within the paranormal community who spoke with me to inspire this thesis: this work is for you. I hope I got everything right. 4 In my personal life, I would like to thank my mother, who helped me through the final stages of this thesis with her wisdom, support, and guidance. And my husband, for hugging me when I accomplished each chapter, and for hugging me again when things got difficult. I love you. 5 CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES 10 INTRODUCTION 11 A On Scottish Tourism and the Growth of Ghost Culture B Spiritualism, the Uncanny, and Ghost Belief in Edinburgh’s 14 Tourism Industry C Research Objective 17 D Thesis Inspiration Through Literature and Popular Culture 20 E About the Edinburgh Vaults: A Representative Microcosm of the 23 Commercial Paranormal Industry F Fieldwork: Ghost Hunting, Walks, and Medium Readings 25 G Fieldwork Complications 27 H Chapter Outlines 29 CHAPTER 1: 34 Ghosts in Scotland: Tourism History, the Scottish Brand, Victorian Spiritualism, and the Commercialisation of the Supernatural 1.1 The Start of Tourism and the Scottish Brand 38 1.2 The Historical Representation of Ghosts Through Literature and Media 43 1.3 The Start of the Ghost Hunt and the Commercial Exploitation 49 Of the Supernatural 1.4 The Rise of Victorian Spiritualism and Ghosts in Mainstream Culture 52 1.5 The Clash Between Spiritualist and Scientific Communities 54 1.6 The Phonograph: Recording Spirit Voices on the Other Side 59 6 1.7 Spirit Photography: The Photograph as Evidence of Spirits 62 1.8 Conclusion 66 CHAPTER 2: 68 Walking Tours: The Ghost Space, Tour Structure and Storytelling, Themes and Symbols 2.1 Assembling the Ghostly Landscape: The Nature of the “Ghost Space” 70 2.2 Tour Structure, Isolation, and the Benefit of Darkness 76 2.3 Ghost Tour Terminology, Ghost Types, and the Incorporation of the 85 Ghost Hunt for the Tourist Experience 2.4 The Ghosts on Edinburgh Tours: Similarities, Themes and Symbols 92 2.4.2 The Story of the Malevolent Spirit: Violence and Danger In the Safe Tourist Space, the Gendered Nature of Hauntings 2.4.2 The Story of the Mass Death: Suffering, Torture, and Murder 100 2.5 Conclusion 108 CHAPTER 3: 109 The Ghost Tour as Theatre: Setting the Stage, Death as a Spectacle, and Constructing Authenticity 3.1 Recreating Historical Edinburgh Through Macabre Scenes 112 3.2 The Edinburgh Mob: The Role of the Tourist and the Public 119 Spectacle of Torture Scenes 3.3 The Tourist Experience as a Rite of Passage 122 3.4 Perspectives on Authenticity 126 3.4.1 Discussions of Authenticity and How Paranormal Events Emphasise Authenticity of Emotion 3.4.2 Subverting Authenticity 131 7 3.4.3 Hauntings as a Form of Authenticity 133 3.5 The Desequestering of Death 135 3.6 Conclusion 139 CHAPTER 4: 140 The Mediumship: Spirit Communication and Creating a Ghostly Landscape 4.1 Spirit Communication with Lenore: Creating the Emotional Link Between 144 the Living and the Dead 4.2 On Vigils: Their Connection to Ancient Traditions and Sacred Time, 152 Liminal and Liminoid Experiences 4.3 A Vigil with Danny: Creating a Sensory Ghost Space 156 4.4 A Vigil with Mary: Sensory Landscapes, Shamanism, and Spirit Vessels 165 4.5 Conclusion 172 CHAPTER 5: 173 The Commercialisation of Ghost Hunting, and How Tourism Has Affected Scotland’s Ghost Culture 5.1 Sharing a Space with Tourists: How the Tourist Industry Has Impacted 175 Paranormal Investigation 5.2 Tourism in the Investigatory Space: Ghost Investigations and Ghost