Going underground in Scotland

From underground vaults, caves, nuclear bunkers and even a power station under a mountain, if you are looking for a unique way to see Scotland, then this is the post for you.

Here are the best places to go underground in Scotland:

1. The Real Mary King’s Close – explore this historic underground street in Edinburgh
2. The Edinburgh Vaults – hear ghost tales in these spooky vaults
3. Glasgow Central Station tour – go underground in Scotland’s busiest station
4. The Museum of Lead Mining, Wanlockhead – a hidden gem in south Scotland
5. Cruachan Power Station – go inside the Hollow Mountain
6. St Margaret’s Cave, Dunfermline – a quirky spot hidden under a car park
7. Scotland’s secret bunkers – explore relics of the cold war near St Andrews, Skelmorlie and Barnton, Edinburgh
8. Scotland’s best caves – visit Smoo Cave, the Bone Caves and King’s Cave Arran

Scotland’s Underground Vaults

Scotland’s underground vaults are historic, often hidden spaces, originally used for storage, workshops, and taverns, many became abandoned due to overcrowding and poor conditions.

Today, they’re famous for their eerie atmosphere and attract visitors through ghost tours and historical exploration. Here are the best ones to visit.

1. The Real Mary King’s Close, Edinburgh

The Real Mary King’s Close is one of Edinburgh’s most unique places to visit. Hidden beneath Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, this underground street or ‘close’ dates all the way back to the 17th century and was once home to around 600 people, businesses, and markets.

The close takes its name from one of its most important residents, Mary King, a ‘merchant burgess’ with social standing who lived on the street. Mary was a fine cloth maker and dressmaker and had a shop on the Royal Mile.

The close wasn’t always underground and was once 7-storeys high tenements, like the rest of Edinburgh’s Old Town, but as time passed, the area became overcrowded and pretty grim, eventually being abandoned in the 19th century.

In 1763, the council demolished the tenements and erected the City Chambers over the close below.

Much of the close remains intact today and you can take a guided tour to get a peek into what life was like for the people who lived there.

From tales of disease and tragedy to stories of mystery and even some spooky happenings, it’s a fascinating place to visit.

> How to visit: The Real Mary King’s Close

2. The Edinburgh Vaults

South Bridge was constructed in the 18th century to connect the Old and New Towns over a steep valley, which now contains The Cowgate. Located beneath the bridge were 19 vaults and many buildings built beneath the bridge’s span.

The vaults once housed storage areas for the shops above. Initially thriving, the 120 ‘rooms’ within the vaults became unsanitary, and were eventually abandoned by the shops in the mid-19th century. 

Over time, the vaults became slum homes, taverns and home to many illegal activities including gin and whisky making, before finally being cleared out and blocked up.

The vaults were excavated in the 1980s and you can now visit the tunnels and rooms. The vaults have a reputation for being haunted – see what you think on a tour!

> How to visit:

• Take a ghost tour in the Blair Street Underground Vaults
• Auld Reekie Tours offers tours of the vaults, including historical and ghost tours. 
• Mercat Tours provides tours of the Blair Street Underground Vaults. 

3. The Glasgow Railway Tunnels, Central Station

Glasgow Central Station is the main railway hub in Glasgow, Scotland, opening in 1879. Known for its stunning architecture, it boasts a grand Victorian design and is one of the busiest stations in the UK.

The Glasgow Central Station and Railway Tunnels Tour offers a unique, behind-the-scenes exploration of the station’s subterranean world.

The tour includes a trip into the station’s vaults and disused platforms, such as the low-level platform beneath Argyle Street.

> How to visit: Glasgow Central Station

4. The Museum of Lead Mining, Wanlockhead

One of Scotland’s true hidden gems, take a journey into the Lowther Hills to hear about Scotland’s gold rush at The Museum of Lead Mining at Wanlockhead.

The museum sheds fascinating insight into life in Wanlockhead, including a section of accessible mine leading deep into the hillside. A tour is highly recommended.

The Lowther hills were home to both lead and gold, and the village was founded in 1860, by the Duke of Buccleuch who built a lead smelting plant. The village’s gold was some of Scotland’s purest, and the Scottish crown was made out of gold mined in Wanlockhead.

> How to visit – the Museum of Lead Mining is open 1st April until 30th September and tours run daily at 11:25, 12:25, 13:55, 14:55, 15:55 (mine only).

5. Cruachan Power Station – The Hollow Mountain

7. Underground bunkers of Scotland – cold war relics

Scotland’s underground bunkers, many dating back to the Cold War, were built to protect against potential nuclear threats.

Around 20 bunkers are scattered across the country and were designed for military and government use. You can visit:

The Secret Bunker near St Andrews

A Cold War-era nuclear command centre hidden 100 feet underground beneath a farmhouse. Built in 1951 as RAF Troywood, it was designed to house up to 300 personnel and serve as Scotland’s regional government headquarters in the event of a nuclear attack.

The facility spans 24,000 square feet over two levels, featuring radar rooms, dormitories, a BBC studio, and blast-proof doors. Decommissioned in 1993, it opened to the public in 1994 as a museum, offering a rare glimpse into Cold War history.

Visit Scotland’s Secret Bunker.