2Edinburgh, Scotland
Beneath the streets of Edinburgh lies a network of historic underground vaults that offers a glimpse into a much darker side of the city’s past.
The vaults were created beneath the arches of the South Bridge in the 18th century. Over time, different communities used the spaces for workshops, storage and other activities, while some areas became associated with poverty and overcrowding.
Today, visitors can descend beneath Edinburgh’s historic streets and explore sections of these atmospheric chambers. It is not an underground city in the same sense as Derinkuyu, but it reveals how much of Edinburgh’s history exists below street level.
