Halloween: Six most haunted castles in Scotland with spooky tales from the past

Centuries of battles, executions, family feuds and unexplained deaths have left many of the country’s great strongholds with stories of residents who, according to folkloreat least, never quite left.

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Scotland’s castles have witnessed centuries of betrayal, imprisonment, mystery and conflict, so it is perhaps no surprise that some have acquired a darker reputation and become the focus for local folklore.

From phantom pipers beneath ancient fortresses to Green Ladies seen drifting through candlelit rooms, many of the country’s best-known castles are associated with chilling tales of unexplained footsteps, apparitions and voices from the past.

Here are six of Scotland’s most haunted castles – and the stories that continue to follow them.

Glamis Castle, Angus

If one Scottish castle deserves the title of the country’s most haunted, Glamis has perhaps the strongest claim. The spectacular Angus castle has centuries of stories surrounding secret rooms, mysterious figures and supernatural visitors. Its best-known apparition is the Grey Lady, traditionally identified as Janet Douglas, Lady Glamis. She was convicted of treason following what Glamis Castle describes as false accusations that she had plotted to poison James V and was burned at the stake on Castle Hill in Edinburgh in 1537. Legend says her figure can still be seen in the castle chapel. Then there is Earl Beardie, who according to folklore was condemned to play cards with the Devil for eternity, while another enduring Glamis legend tells of a hidden room and the mysterious “Monster of Glamis”. It is a collection of stories which has helped make Glamis one of Scotland’s most celebrated haunted castles.
Glamis

Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh

Towering over the capital from Castle Rock, Edinburgh Castle has witnessed sieges, imprisonment, executions and warfare across centuries. It has also gathered an impressive collection of ghosts. Perhaps the most famous is the phantom piper, said to have disappeared while exploring tunnels beneath the castle. The sound of his pipes is still, according to legend, occasionally heard underground. Historic Environment Scotland also records stories of a mysterious headless drummer and even a ghostly dog wandering the fortress. With some form of occupation on Castle Rock stretching back to the Late Bronze Age and surviving castle buildings dating from the 12th century onwards, few places in Scotland have had quite as long to acquire their supernatural reputation.
Edinburgh Castle

Stirling Castle, Stirling

One of Scotland’s most important royal castles is said to have several supernatural residents, including Black, Pink and Green Ladies. The best known is the Green Lady. One version of the story claims she was a Highland servant of Mary, Queen of Scots who became convinced disaster would befall the queen. The servant supposedly attempted to stay awake to protect Mary but fell asleep and accidentally set fire to the bed curtains with a candle. Mary escaped, while the young woman is said to have died in the blaze. There really was a fire in the queen’s rooms in September 1561, although Historic Environment Scotland says there is no written evidence confirming the existence of the servant or her death. Her ghost nevertheless became part of Stirling folklore, with the Green Lady reportedly seen moving through the castle.
Stirling Castle

Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire

The 800-year-old Aberdeenshire castle is most closely associated with the Green Lady, traditionally identified as Lilias Drummond. Legend claims she was starved by her husband, Alexander Seton, after failing to provide him with a male heir. After Seton remarried, the story goes, the name “D. Lilias Drummond” mysteriously appeared carved into a window ledge. The inscription can still be seen by visitors. People have also reported sudden drops in temperature and the unexplained smell of roses when the Green Lady is supposedly nearby. Fyvie even has the Curse of the Weeping Stones, traditionally blamed for misfortune suffered by families who lived at the castle.
Fyvie Castle

Crathes Castle, Aberdeenshire

Another Aberdeenshire castle comes with another Green Lady – and one of Scotland’s most persistent ghost stories. The apparition at 16th-century Crathes Castle is described as a young woman in green, sometimes seen close to the fireplace and apparently carrying a baby. The National Trust for Scotland says that during renovations in the 19th century, the bones of a child were discovered beneath the hearthstone. Even Queen Victoria is traditionally counted among those said to have witnessed the mysterious figure. Visitors and staff have since reported cold spots, strange sensations and sightings in what has become known as the Green Lady’s Room. The identity of the woman remains unknown.
Crathes

Culzean Castle, Ayrshire