I'm not sure that "hokey" is the correct word here.

I'd like to take an evening walking tour in Edinburgh that focuses on ghost stories or other such spookiness without needing actors to shout or leap out at me or employ any other silly devices. Every tour I've read about so far seems to rely on this sort of thing.

Do you know of a company that doesn't? Surely the stories themselves can be creepy enough on their own?

Don't bother with "ghost" tours - Edinburgh has enough luridness without invoking ghosts

Try any of the non-Ghost Mercat tours

I think the "jumper outers" have been banned in Edinburgh pretty sure i read it in the local rag a while before Christmas. i will have a trawl through their website and see if I can find it.
or have a look yourself.
http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/

Don't remember the tour but we took one that had the requisite freak-out attempt but before that took us to a "museum" (the company's own curated collection) of creepy torture implements and that was both cool and . . . disconcerting.

Hmmm. Creepy torture implements. I wonder if I've given you all the wrong impression....

Thanks for your advice, all; I will check out both the Mercat Tours and The Scotsman. We're staying for four months; I'll have lots of time for walking tours.

4 months , you will qualify to vote in the Independence referendum.