The South Bridge Vaults form a series of chambers beneath nineteen arches of Edinburgh's South Bridge and were used for accomodation, taverns and traders for about 30 years into the early 1800's until the cold, damp and poor ventilation eventually forced even the poorest occupants to leave
Burke & Hare are believed to have used the vaults to to hide the bodies of their murder victims before selling the corpses for medical experiments
Work on The South Bridge began in 1785 to join High Street and the University of Edinburgh and as work progressed; tenemant building enclosed the arches forming an area for habition and industry