Halloween in Scotland

Autumn in Scotland is a wonderful time of year. The scenery becomes more majestic with the season's change and its golden hues. This time of year gears us up for winter, and let’s not forget our age-old favourite event, Halloween!

Come and visit in October and see the spookier side of Scotland. Pumpkins and turnip lanterns adorn our windows, skeletons hang from our porches, and eerie creatures creep in the shadows – watch out! 

Today we share everything we know about Halloween and some exciting events you can attend to immerse yourself in the spooky season. Whether you're on a romantic break, a solo adventure or a family break, there is something for everyone when it comes to Halloween days out in Scotland.

Skip to:

• The best place to celebrate Halloween in Scotland
• Facts about Halloween in Scotland
• Halloween traditions in Scotland
• Halloween spiritual beliefs in Scotland
• Halloween events in Scotland
• Halloween activities in Scotland

Where is the best place to celebrate Halloween in Scotland?

The Highlands are rich in history, so there will be no shortage of places to visit with a haunting past. With churches, historic villages, eerie moorlands, and ancient battlefields, there are many spooky places for Halloween fun.

For a city vibe, visit Edinburgh. With Halloween displays around every corner, the city will get you in the spirit. Hunt down a spooky tour, explore the historic cobbled streets, visit Greyfriars Graveyard, take a tour around the underground vaults, visit Edinburgh Castle, or dress up with the locals on All Hallows' Eve – all will give you a thrill!

Facts about Halloween in Scotland

Here are some facts about Halloween in Scotland that you can share with the children when they ask about the festival.

Halloween traditions in Scotland 

The Scots are known for their traditions, and this goes for Halloween too. Here are some Halloween traditions in Scotland that you can embrace if you happen to be visiting.

Carving neep lanterns

The Scottish term for turnip is ‘neep’ and these are traditionally what the Scots carved out rather than the pumpkin we all use today. Scots would harvest their neeps, carve them out, cut a scary face into the skin, and place a candle inside to light them. They would then place these around the entrance of their house or in windows to ward off evil spirits. The Scots still do this today. They are also known as ‘tumshie lanterns.’

Guising 

In Scotland, people call the well-known act of ‘trick or treating’ as ‘guising’. This comes from the costumes and disguises worn by children on Halloween. Traditionally, parents would dress up their children to disguise them from the roaming spirits and prevent them from being stolen. 

We celebrate this by dressing up and knocking on neighbours’ doors to play tricks or tell jokes for treats.

Spiritual beliefs

Over the centuries, some bizarre Halloween rituals have been carried out in Scotland. Here are two of our favourites:

Nut burning

Couples would use the light of the bonfire and each would place a nut in its flames. If the nut hissed, it meant that the relationship would face a challenge. If it burned quietly, this represented harmony, and the couple was proclaimed a great match.

Pulling up stalks

This fortune-telling method was for those wanting to know the height and shape of their future love. All they would need was a field of kale, a dark night, and then they would pull up a stalk of kale with their eyes shut. The shape and length of the stalk they pulled up would indicate what they would look like.

Halloween events in Scotland

Halloween is not an event you want to miss, and luckily the Scots love this time of year, so there will be events wherever you are staying. But, if you are stuck for things to do, here are some Halloween events in Scotland to think about. 

Samhuinn Fire Festival Parade

This is the perfect Pagan event for celebrating the origins of Scotland's Halloween 'Samhuinn'. Hosted by the Beltane Fire Society, this performance celebrates the Celtic New Year and the beginning of winter. With hundreds of performers donning spectacular tribal costumes, this is an exciting visual experience that takes part in the old town of Edinburgh. Expect fires, acrobatics, and interactive performances under the moonlight and experience the tribal Pagan atmosphere of the Celts. This is a family-friendly event, but expect it to run past bedtime.

Ghosts of Glamis 

Glamis Castle opens its doors to adults who are looking for a thrilling and spooktacular time this Halloween. With a spookier tour than usual planned, you can expect terrifying storytelling as you tour around the castle at nighttime. The tour guide will take you into parts of the castle never seen before and you are advised to keep your eyes peeled for unwanted visitors creeping within the shadows. Guided tours last 40 minutes.

If you have children who like to get into the spooky spirit, the castle also hosts 30-minute ghost tours which offer a gentler approach to ghostly storytelling. These are being held on the 26 and 27 October and cost £5 per child. Children under 4 go free. 

A Spooky Night with Derek McGillivray

Also known as 'A Happy Medium', Derek McGillivray is a medium and spiritualist who is hosting an intimate event where you can come and experience the art of angel card readings, past life regression, and mediumship. This is the perfect event for those who have a curiosity about the afterlife or for those who want to be a little spooked this Halloween. You might even be volunteering as part of the show!

Halloween activities in Scotland

Throughout Scotland, you can find fun Halloween events that will thrill you all; from pumpkin picking and ghost tours to Halloween parties and haunted houses. Whether you are looking to be scared silly or simply dabble in the festival, there are plenty of activities for all when it comes to Halloween in Scotland. 

The best Halloween activity for families

Turnip carving for Halloween in Scotland is great fun for the whole family and excitingly, the very first neep patch is being opened in Chaterhault Country Park this October (2024). This is to celebrate the old Scot’s tradition of carving tumshie lanterns.

What makes carving turnip and pumpkin lanterns even more fun is the act of going to pick them yourselves. There are lots of farms around Scotland that nurture pumpkin patches and open the doors in October for you to take the family and pick your very own pumpkin. This is both fun and educational for all – children can then pick them, carve them, and also make soup from all the remains. 

Here are some other locations in Scotland where you can visit pumpkin patches with the children: 

The best dog-friendly Halloween activity in Scotland

Did you know that you can take your dog to the cinema with you when you visit the Grosvenor Picture Theatre in Glasgow? And what better way to get into the Halloween spirit than with a scary movie? Take your pooch to a showing of either The Lost Boys or American Warewolf in London and cuddle up for comfort whilst you scream your way through these iconic horrors. This is a great way to spend an evening and a lovely way to make seasonal memories with your fluffy friend.

The best Halloween ghost tour in Scotland

Go on a journey with Mercat Tours around old town Edinburgh with your dark-charactered guide and listen to the jaw-dropping stories of murder and treason. Go into the dungeons and vaults to feel the presence of ghostly spirits and learn all about the torture chambers and the gruelling apparatus used on their unfortunate victims. Or book a storytelling session and enjoy harrowing ghost stories.

Book ahead to get a space on their Halloween Ghosts and Ghouls tour. This is a fantastic way to learn about the darker side of a city’s history and the troublesome residents that used to cause terror and chaos. 

Map of Halloween events across Scotland

Explore our map below and find all our favourite halloween activities, events and hot spots across Scotland.

Stay in Scotland this Halloween

We hope you have enjoyed this guide to Halloween in Scotland. If you haven’t been scared out of coming to visit during Halloween, then why not have a look at our self-catering cottages for a place to stay? Dotted all over Scotland, we have plenty to pick from.