The Town Below The Ground: Edinburgh's Legendary Underground City [Paperback]

As a lifelong Edinburgh resident I've heard stories of the underground city all my life, and the emergence of this book offered the promise of a full and final explanation of what's really there and what isn't. However, aside from a reasonably interesting general history of old Edinburgh, the book is astonishingly lacking in facts of any kind. It's all conjecture, rumour and myth. At least fifty percent of the book is merely a series of fables and ghost stories with absolutely no descernable facts or evidence to either back them up or dismiss them.

If someone's going to bother writing a book on the underground city, wouldn't you expect them to have something to TELL? Not so Jan-Andrew Henderson. For him the gathering together of a few myths and legends was enough. No solid research, maps, plans or diagrams, descriptions of exactly what remains of the underground city; No reports of excavations, eyewitness accounts; no rummaging through old property plans or title deeds to discover reports of mysterious doorways in lost cellars that seem to lead nowhere. None of this.

If you're really interested in learning about the underground city you'd be better off saving your money, and instead paying a visit to one of Edinburgh's many pubs in the old town, where you'll encounter characters who can tell you much more about it than anything in this book.

Part one is more historical, telling us about how and why Edinburgh is built like it is and why people were forced to live underground. It has some interesting maps and drawings of the old buildings and streets which help paint the picture of what the Old Town looked like in the 18th century. It also keeps the reader gripped (and laughing) by describing in detail why it was wise not to look up when someone shouted gardy loo from a 8 storey building! I also have to mention the brilliant chapter on the worst poet in Scotland. This had me in stitches and I had to buy McGonnagal's work after reading the bits Henderson put in.

Part 2 is why most people would buy the book-the ghost stories. There are various tales from the underground vaults. Some humerous and some strange. Like the Witches coven who had been granted permission to worship in one of the vaults but got more than they bargained for. And of course, the McKenzie Poltergeist. This book doesn't try to argue for the existance of ghosts...but it makes a damn scary read.

I topped off my reading of this book by going on a tour of old Edinburgh run by Jan-Andrew Henderson's company, Blackhart. It lived up to my expectations and is a must-do in Edinburgh. Get this book and get yerself on his tours. Brilliant!