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Explore the history of Magic, Occult, Fortune-telling, and the Scottish Witch Trials and the Devil.

Disclaimer: Some scenes and imagery displayed within the museum may be a bit shocking or sensitive to others. Please keep this into consideration before entry to the museum!

Come visit Scotland’s first

Museum of Magic, Fortune-Telling & Witchcraft

Taigh-tasgaidh na Draoidheachd, na Fiosachd is na Buidseachd

Sae, pairk yer brooms, git oot yer wands an’ cum in fae a Spell!

Video and photos are allowed in the museum. Food, drink, or big bags are permitted in the museum. Persons under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult.

About the Museum

The Museum was founded in February in 2023, and situated on one of the historical closes off the Royal Mile (Chalmers Close). The building is 19th century and built on the ruins of a 17th-century bishop’s cottage. My running joke is that Close itself is magical as it's not so visible from the street, and if you blink, you could miss it! Often, this can be tricky for visitors, but we say, “If you are determined to find the place, then the cloak of invisibility will lift!”.

The museum came about due to my 15 years of collecting objects associated with modern witchcraft, magic, occult, and fortune-telling. Also, through my interest and passion in bringing awareness of the European witch hunts here in Edinburgh. Most of the items came into my possession through my work online folklore research within Scotland under a Facebook group titled Scottish Cunning Ways and my previous business under the same name. As well as writing two books on these subjects and am in the process of doing a documentary on Scotland’s famous witch and wise woman- Isobel Gowdie (1662). The journey of the museum first began!

I would often get emails from people who had found or inherited items of a magical quality who did not want to keep the items nor wanted to throw them away. So they would contact me asking if I would respectfully take them off their hands and give them the care they deserved. Other items, being the geek of the witch scene, I would often purchase myself through private auctions.

Time had passed in surrounding my small tenant flat with these magical objects, some of which sadly had to be put into storage due to the lack of place. I had been fascinated with the Museum of Witchcraft and Magic in Cornwall since I was young. So, I felt not only was it time Scotland had its own Museum of its kind, but I wanted to share my love for these objects with the world to love them also! Since opening in February 2023, we have had so many people donate objects to the museum and become a part of the family of magical things.

We look forward to your visit!

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Come view our artifacts ranging from the 17th century and the modern era. Like the 19th-century African Cursing Doll seen on display at the museum.

“This effigy made of wood and cloth fibres struck with nails was found in an 18th-century cattle barn in Cheshire. It is suspected to have been made by a person to curse their slave masters.”

The Scottish Witch Trials 1590-1662

Scotland has a long history of Witchcraft, Magic & Folk Traditions

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Scotland was the third worst country in Europe for witch-hunting with over 3,000 people convicted between 1590-1662. Legends of witches and warlocks, Magic and the Second Second are spoken from the lips of the Scottish people still to this day.

The Scottish Witchcraft Acts were not as precise as in England which meant that in Scotland magical practitioners Known as Wise Women or Men at times convicted such as Isobel Gowdie (Auldrean, 1662) and Alexander Drummond (Auchterader, 1629).

As well, as having a rich magical heritage, Scotland has a long reputation for seers, diviners, and fortune-tellers such as Thomas the Rhymer, Braham the Seer, and the Macbeth witches themselves!