Every year on October 20, history takes on a different atmosphere in Dundee as visitors gather for the famous Talana Ghost Walk, an experience that combines local history, battlefield stories and the legends surrounding one of the town’s most significant landmarks.

Held on the anniversary of the Battle of Talana Hill on October 20, 1899, the guided walk offers participants an opportunity to revisit the events that marked the beginning of the Anglo-Boer War.

As dusk settles over the landscape, walkers make their way up the historic hill, following a route illuminated by lanterns and lights. Against the evening sky, Talana’s rugged slopes and battlefield surroundings provide a fitting backdrop for stories of courage, conflict and the people whose lives were shaped by the war.

Walking through history

The Talana Ghost Walk is more than a spooky evening outing. It is an opportunity to connect with Dundee’s rich heritage and explore the stories associated with the battlefield, where British and Boer forces clashed in the opening battle of the war.

The experience blends historical accounts with local legends, inviting participants to listen closely, discover forgotten details and imagine the events that unfolded on the hill more than a century ago.

Past ‘Ghost Walkers’ have claimed to see Colonel Gunning, who fell at the battle, in full uniform standing next to a tree adjacent to the graveyard. Others maintain that they heard and smelt horses while on the hill. Still others say for them its just a fun walk as they feel or see ‘nothing ghostly’.

Why don’t you come along and experience it for youself?

Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable walking shoes, bring a torch and arrive with a curious mind. The advertised starting time is 17:15.

Will the hill reveal its secrets?

For those taking part in the annual walk, the setting offers a chance to experience the battlefield beyond the pages of a history book.

Whether drawn by the historical significance of the site or intrigued by the ghost stories and local legends, visitors are invited to walk the hill, listen to its stories and become part of Dundee’s living heritage.

As the Ghost Walk’s invitation puts it: “Walk. Listen. Discover. The past comes to life.”

HAVE YOUR SAY: Like our Facebook page, follow us on Instagram and on our Whats Up Channel https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb6TezkADTOJIPNmvO3u or email us at dundee.courier@caxton.co.za.