10 Of The Most Haunted Places In Scotland
There are hundreds of haunted places in Scotland, from ancient castles to ruined abbeys. With all the drama and tragedy this country has seen, it’s almost a surprise when somewhere doesn’t have a ghost!
Some people like to avoid spooky locations, either through fear or common sense. However, if you like to go ghost hunting, then this is for you.
With Halloween approaching, it’s time to look into some of the most haunted places in Scotland.
Glamis – The Most Haunted Castle In Scotland
There’s no better starting point for the most haunted places in Scotland than a spooky castle. Even though it looks pristine, Glamis is one of a few claiming to have more ghosts than any others. I’ve visited plenty of times and there’s no doubt it’s picked up some spooky spectres over the last 650 years.
There’s the little servant boy who likes to sit on a ledge and trip up those who pass by. His mischievous nature was what got him in this mess, sent to that naughty step one day and freezing there overnight!
In the chapel, the Grey lady sits quietly in the corner, not bothering anybody who doesn’t accidentally sit on her lap. She’s thought to be Janet Douglas, the lady of Glamis who was executed outside Edinburgh Castle in 1537.
Another ghostly lady roams the grounds, pleading for help and pointing to her mouth. The only problem is that she’s missing a tongue, with just blood spilling from her wound. We don’t know who she is, but I know I don’t want to bump into her!
My favourite of Glamis Castle’s ghost stories that is of Earl Beardie, a man who loved drinking and gambling, even on a Sunday. As the clock ticked past midnight one Saturday night, everybody else disappeared to bed. Beardie roared that he’d happily play on a Sunday, he’d play with the Devil, in fact he would play until doomsday itself!
That’s when a tall, dark stranger arrived to grant his wish. It was the Devil and the little room they were in had been blocked up. He was now trapped inside playing cards for eternity.
Listen carefully in the vaulted lower hall and you can still hear the sound of shuffling cards…
Cursed Grave of Seath Mor
You’d be forgiven for thinking that all of the most haunted places in Scotland are castles! However, in the old kirkyard at Rothiemurchus, you’ll find the grave of Seath Mòr Sgorfhiaclach or Great Shaw the Bucktoothed. He was Chief of Clan Shaw in the 14th century, a turbulent period when this fearsome warrior came into his own.
It’s said that his spirit wanders the area near the Doune of Rothiemurchus, challenging unsuspecting travellers to a fight. If those who are challenged panic and run, they’re never seen again. If they stand and prepare to fight however, Seath Mòr lets them leave in peace.
The cage isn’t a mortsafe (metal contraptions to protect graves from bodysnatchers), it was only put there in the 1980s to stop people from touching 5 stones that lie on top of the graveslab. Legend says they’re either cursed or protected by a creature known as the Bodach.
There are plenty of stories of people messing with the stones either out of ignorance or an attempt to prove the story was nonsense. Every one of them met with disaster or illness, even if all they had done was turn one of the stones a little.
In extreme cases, folk were stealing them to throw in the river for a laugh, which is why the cage was added by concerned locals. It’s a good thing they did otherwise who knows how many more people would have fallen victim to their own stupidity…
Inveraray Castle – A Portent Of Death
This version of Inveraray Castle, home to the Duke of Argyll, is barely 250 years old but one of its ghosts is even older. In 1644, the Marquis of Montrose, commander of Scotland’s royalist forces, attacked the old castle of Inveraray, forcing Argyll to flee his home. Most of the servants were simply left behind to fend for themselves and that included a young Irish harpist.
Unfortunately, Montrose’s army had a large Irish contingent and they were furious that one of their own worked for Argyll. With their blood up, they didn’t just murder the lad. They left his dismembered body on the bed. Once the Campbells returned to Inveraray, it was clear they weren’t alone with faint harp music coming from the room that the boy was killed in.
Many years later, that bed was moved to the present Inveraray Castle, into what’s known as the MacArthur Room. If the Campbells thought that escaping the old castle would remove the memory of what had happened, they were wrong. It seems that the harpist has followed the bed.
A strong feeling of dread fills the space and furniture has apparently been known to move around of its own accord. The ghost isn’t violent or aggressive in any way, but it has become a portent of death for the Campbells along with a phantom galley ship that sails along Loch Fyne.
When a member of the family is about to pass away, harp music can still be heard floating along the corridors of Inveraray Castle.
Edinburgh’s South Bridge Vaults
Scotland’s capital city is famous for its dark history and ghostly goings on. If there’s any one place more haunted than the rest then that has to be the South Bridge Vaults. It’s easy to forget when you’re at street level, but beneath your feet lie a warren of passages. South Bridge has 19 arches, all but one hidden by the surrounding buildings and these have become known a Edinburgh’s underground city.
The bridge is said to be cursed after the first person to cross was a dead body in a hearse. Maybe that’s true, because before long water started to leak into the vaults. Legitimate businesses moved out which meant less reputable people moved in. Brothels, illicit whisky distilling, smuggled goods and maybe even smuggled bodies found a place down there.
The poorest of people lived here in the worst of conditions and their pain and trauma seems to have left an impression. There are ghostly children who hold unsuspecting parent’s hands. Other seemingly kind souls like the cobbler or the gentleman who just smile at passers by. Then there’s The Watcher.
This is a somewhat darker presence, known to get a little aggressive if he doesn’t like the look of a visitor. Some believe this is the same dark spirit known simply as “The Entity”, accidentally released by a witches coven who were renting a space in the vaults.
There have been unexplained faces, voices and malfunctions on tours of the South Bridge Vaults. If even half of them are real, then it’s easily one of the most haunted places in Scotland!
Huntly Castle – Grand Yet Ghostly
Huntly Castle was one of the most impressive homes in the country and it makes the list of most haunted places in Scotland due to a peculiar incident in the 16th century. The ghost story is straight from a book by Richard Bannatyne, written right after the event happened.
In 1578, the 5th Earl of Huntly suddenly collapsed during a game of football in the grounds of Huntly Castle. He was carried inside, vomiting black blood but didn’t survive for long. As his corpse was left in his chamber before burial, events took a supernatural turn.
Everybody started complaining of an icy chill in the rooms near the Earl’s body. One of the mourners was shivering in front of the fire, before mysteriously dropping down as if dead. Two more entered the Earl’s room and collapsed in the same way. When they woke up, all they remembered was a cold, dark feeling before they passed out.
The body was removed from the bedroom and transported to the chapel in preparation for burial. Just imagine the surprise of Huntly’s brother when he heard shuffling and scraping in the Earl’s locked bedroom above.
The group plucked up the courage to investigate and peered into the dark room. It’s empty. Now it’s getting dark, but the Earl’s brother slowly walks in and the noises start again, all around him. He beats a hasty retreat but returns armed with plenty of candles for one last look.
Before he could even step foot in the room, the candles start flickering at the doorway. The shuffling noises are louder than ever now. Whatever was hiding in the Earl’s bedroom clearly didn’t want disturbed and that was all the warning they needed to leave it alone!
Sandwood Bay – A Haunted Beach
While Sandwood Bay might be quiet and secluded, that hasn’t stopped this stretch of coastline from gaining a sinister reputation. This is a graveyard for shipwrecks, right next to the dangerous Cape Wrath, and almost definitely the most haunted beach in Scotland! Wrecks of Spanish galleons, Viking longboats and unfortunate merchants lurk beneath the sand.
This enormous loss of life has made the isolated area a hotspot for hauntings. Many who make the 4 mile hike decide to camp overnight at Sandwood, but those gathering driftwood for the fire have been startled by a disembodied voice. Sometimes oddly dressed figures, crying into their hands have been witnessed or the sound of ghostly horses heard galloping past.
Some visitors took shelter in an abandoned cottage before it became a roofless shell, later regretting their decision. They were visited by a spectral sailor, dressed in heavy boots, an old coat with brass buttons and a peaked hat. His footsteps could be heard crunching around the cottage in the darkness, followed by a loud knocking on the windows.
The sailor’s bearded face has even been seen peering through the glass. Anybody brave enough to investigate was met with an empty beach with no footprints left behind.
Kellie Castle – My Old Haunt
Kellie Castle doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it deserves, hidden away in a corner of Fife. The oldest tower dates to the 14th century and I was lucky enough to work here after leaving university!
Despite its beauty and history, the castle was eventually abandoned. The decorated ceilings were left to the owls and the great hall used by farmers to store their grain. Fortunately, Kellie Castle was given a second chance in the 19th century by the Lorimer family.
Professor James Lorimer fell in love with the romantic ruin and set about restoring it as the family summer home. What he hadn’t done, was check the place for ghosts first!
After working in Kellie Castle, I can testify that this is without a doubt one of the most haunted locations in Fife. When sitting alone in the ground floor shop waiting on a band for an evening event I was cowering from the, bumps, creaks and footsteps upstairs. That ties in with a housekeeper who clearly heard pacing above the Great Hall before the castle opened one day.
When Kellie was still a private home, a guest of the Lorimers fled the castle in the night. She awoke to find the heavy presence of a body lying next to her but nobody to be seen. No matter how much they pleaded, she would never stay again.
The only ghost that we can name is Anne Erskine. She either fell or was pushed from a high window in the oldest tower. Her ghost, or sometimes just a pair of shoes, has been spotted running up and down the staircase.
Kellie Castle might feel like a home, but I’m not sure I would be brave enough to live in it.
Culloden Moor – A Haunted Battlefield
If ghosts are often left behind due to trauma and violence, then it’s no surprise that battlefields like Culloden would be amongst the most haunted places in Scotland. This wasn’t the largest battle Scotland has ever seen, nor did it have the highest casualties. However, it might just be the most tragic.
On the 16th April 1746, the Jacobite rising led by Bonnie Prince Charlie ended in disaster here. Things didn’t look good, with 9000 government soldiers led by the Duke of Cumberland facing around 5000 tired and hungry Jacobites. The first action was an artillery exchange, but the boggy moorland soaked up most of the damage.
Then the Jacobites carried out their usual fearsome Highland Charge. They would race towards the enemy, fire a single volley before rushing in with sword and dirk swinging. It had won them every battle so far.
However, the government army had been expecting it. Their cannons switched to canister shot – packs of hundreds of balls that spread out from the barrel and shredded lines of soldiers. Clan chiefs charging at the front of their men were some of the first to fall, destroying both morale and leadership. The Jacobites fought bravely, but it was nowhere near enough.
It was the last battle on British soil, but some claim that it still rages once a year on Culloden’s anniversary. Musket fire crackles, wounded soldiers cry out in Gaelic and metal clashes on metal, but nothing can be seen. Occasionally, a ghostly soldier has been seen wandering in Highland dress muttering the same word over and over – defeated.
Fyvie Castle – A Ghostly Carving
Aberdeenshire is blessed, although that might be the wrong word, with plenty of haunted castles. The elegant Fyvie castle is another that vies for the title with Glamis of most haunted castle in Scotland.
Built in the 13th century, Fyvie is said to have been cursed by legendary prophet, Thomas the Rhymer after the castle gates slammed shut in his face. That curse has given the castle a rocky history, collecting ghosts along the way.
The Green Lady was Lilias Drummond when alive, married to the cruel Alexander Seton. All he wanted was an heir to pass his wealth onto, losing patience after Lilias gave birth to several daughters but no sons.
Alexander locked Lilias away in Fyvie while he looked for a new, younger wife. Her family attempted a rescue, but were cut down and thrown from the ramparts before her eyes. Poor Lilias soon died in that room and her husband wasted no time in replacing her.
After his wedding, instead of the happy couple consummating their marriage, they were kept awake all night by a strange scratching and wailing from outside the walls. It seems as if poor Lilias repaid her husband by wasting no time in haunting Fyvie Castle!
In the morning, on the window ledge outside, the name D (for Dame) LILIES DRUMMOND was found etched into the stone. It’s still there for Fyvie’s visitors to see out the window and so is Lilias, her presence only given away by the faint scent of rose petal perfume.
White Wife Of Unst
To round off this list of the most haunted locations in Scotland, we’re going as far north as possible. At the far tip of Shetland sits the island of Unst and alongside the main road sits a terrifying statue. This gruesome figure is known as The White Wife and the statue marks the spot where she often appears.
It’s a story so old that there’s no definitive version and everybody seems to have their own theory. She may have been a young woman, just trying to make her way to the village of Uyeasound. Robbed and killed, she’s still trying to finish that fateful journey.
Some believe that she was married with a child, living in a croft near the Loch of Watlee. Her husband turned out to be a terrible character and after years of abuse, she drowned herself in the loch. Her soul is tormented with the guilt of leaving her son behind.
That’s why the White Wife likes to appear in the passenger seat of men driving alone down this road. She’s still determined to find her son after all these years and there have been plenty of instances of the spirit appearing to locals driving past. I’m told that after a conversation with them even the most sceptical of people would believe it was true.
Seeing this white statue by the road in the dark is terrifying if you aren’t expecting it. As far as I know, the real White Wife didn’t visit as I drove past but then again, I didn’t risk looking next to me.
If you’d like to visit some of Scotland’s most haunted locations with an experienced guide, then send me a message now about booking a Scotland’s Stories tour!
If you’re still in the mood for spooky stories of haunted places in Scotland, listen to The Baobhan Sith.
1 Comment
Margaret Small · November 27, 2023 at 12:57 am
I love seeing the places you visit, and the tales about their pasts! Ghosts included!