When the hangman fails, history gets juicy.
This week on Loreplay, host Dayna Pereira dives into the true, twisted, and totally unbelievable 18th-century story of Maggie Dickson — the Scottish fishwife who was hanged… and then walked away alive.
From the gallows of Edinburgh’s Grassmarket to the birth of her legend as “Half-Hangit Maggie,” this episode blends dark history with gallows humor (literally). You’ll learn how a young woman’s secret, a botched execution, and a very loose understanding of “death” turned her into one of Scotland’s most enduring folk heroines.
Was it divine intervention? A medical fluke? Or just the universe saying, “Not today, Satan”? Grab a pint and find out why this ghost story isn’t about death at all — it’s about defiance.
Tune in to Loreplay — where haunted gets hot and bothered with history, and the dead don’t always stay quiet.
Primary Historical References
- “The Trial and Execution of Margaret Dickson” – The Scots Magazine, 1724 archives
- National Records of Scotland: Criminal Trials and Sentences, Edinburgh, 1723-1724
- Edinburgh Grassmarket Historical Society, “Public Executions and Folklore of the Gallows” (local history publication, 2019)
- Old Edinburgh Tales by Robert Chambers (1858)
- Scottish Criminal Cases: The Curious Case of Half-Hangit Maggie, BBC Scotland History Archives, 2017
- The Scotsman – “How Half-Hangit Maggie Survived the Gallows,” May 2020 feature
- VisitScotland.com — “Maggie Dickson’s Pub, Grassmarket”
Supplementary Reading & Tourism Sources
- Edinburgh City Archives: Grassmarket Gallows Map (18th-century execution records)
- Haunted Edinburgh by J.A. Brooks (Amberley Publishing, 2015)
- The Ghosts of Scotland by Peter Underwood (Borgo Press, 1992)
- Oral folklore interviews collected by The School of Scottish Studies Archives, University of Edinburgh
Music & Sound Credits (if applicable)
- Ambient market sounds and gallows atmosphere: Epidemic Sound
- Historical reenactment voice clips: Public domain / Creative Commons
🔗 LINKS
🎧 Listen to all episodes at loreplaypod.com
📸 Follow @LoreplayPod on Instagram & TikTok
🍺 Visit Maggie Dickson’s Pub, Grassmarket, Edinburgh — and toast to the woman who refused to stay dead.
What is Loreplay?
Dayna Pereira is the sarcastic solo host of Loreplay, serving up paranormal stories, haunted history, creepy folklore, and weird legends with a playful twist. Equal parts storyteller and skeptic, she blends dark humor, spooky vibes, and a love for the bizarre into binge-worthy episodes for fans of ghost stories, urban legends, and true crime with a paranormal twist.