Scotland is said to be the most populous country with ghosts, witches, demons and other supernatural beings. And its ancient land is simply teeming with ancient castles, which are naturally overflowing with a variety of ghosts. If you want to see for yourself, be sure to visit the top ten most popular Scottish castles.
1. Stirling Castle
This castle is an hour's drive from Glasgow and Edinburgh, so getting to it will not be difficult. Stirling even has special excursions led by expert ghost guides. Who has not been seen in this castle: the Blue Lady, the Pink Lady, the Black Lady, the White Lady and the darkest Green Lady, which is an omen of all kinds of misfortune and even death. It is believed that the Pink Lady can be felt by the scent of roses that she leaves behind, and the Black Lady is a nun, meeting with whom you risk not living until morning. The ladies of the castle are accompanied by a flying monk named Brother Damian and a terrible ghost hanged in the castle dungeon. Plus about 30 quieter castle ghosts, each with its own heartbreaking story of the devil or witches.
2. Edinburgh Castle
Time magazine named this 12th century military fortress one of the 10 most visited places on earth. The castle is also famous for its otherworldly inhabitants. First, it is Lady Janet Douglas, constantly wandering through the corridors, accused of witchcraft and burned alive at the stake. Secondly, this is a headless drummer, observed in the castle walls since the mid-17th century. Third, these are ghost dogs from a nearby dog graveyard. In 2001, 240 volunteers were recruited for a 10-day paranormal investigation at the castle. More than half of them experienced unexplained sudden changes in temperature, observed incomprehensible shadows, and felt touches on their faces and clothes.
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3. Castle Glamis
The castle is located in the Scottish region of Angus, and the most mysterious in it is the so-called Duncan's hall. It is in it, according to the plot of Shakespeare, that Macbeth kills King Duncan. According to legend, there is a secret room in Glamis, supposedly hidden deep inside the castle. The story goes that one of the owners of the castle played cards in this room on Saturday with the devil, and as a result, he stayed in it forever. Ghosts did not pass the attention of the castle. Within its walls, human screams and the sound of a hammer are periodically heard. Visitors saw both an old woman quickly dissolving into the air, and a ghost in armor wandering through the guest rooms.
4. Dantrun Castle
This 12th century castle in County Argyll was once a family stronghold for the MacDougall clan and is considered "the oldest permanently inhabited castle in Scotland." It was later captured by the Campbell clan and sold to the Malcolm family in 1762. The most famous ghost of Dantrun is the armless bagpiper, who allegedly saved the owners of the castle by notifying them of an ambush, for which he was killed by the attackers. The story of the piper has long been considered a myth, although many visitors confidently declared that they heard his music. At the beginning of the 20th century, during the reconstruction of the castle, the remains of a skeleton without brushes were discovered and then reburied. Apart from the music, guests of the castle also claim to have seen the arbitrary movement of furniture and smaller objects.
5. Balmoral Castle
The royal family's favorite Scottish residence, Balmoral Castle, is located in County Aberdeen. It was acquired by Prince Albert in 1852 for his wife, Queen Victoria. Actually, little remains of the original castle after the global reconstruction carried out by the prince in 1856. The only reminder of the old castle is the stone placed where its front door was. The most notable ghost in Balmoral is John Brown, Queen Victoria's servant and companion. Evil tongues claimed that the queen was even in love with him. They say that his ghost, silently roaming the corridors of Balmoral, was somehow seen by the now living Elizabeth II during her stay in the castle.
6. Castle Crates
Crates Castle (County Aberdeen) was the ancestral home of the famous Scottish family Burnett from the late 16th century until the family donated the castle and its lands to the National Trust for Scotland in 1951. The main part of the castle has six floors. His most famous ghost is the Lady in Green, who is often seen in the castle tower. She moves around the room to take the child's ghost with her, and then disappears into the fireplace. During renovations in the 18th century, skeletons of an unknown woman and a child were found under the floor by the fireplace, but even after their burial, their ghosts still visit the tower.
7. Meggerney Castle
Meggerney Castle (Perth) was built at the end of the 17th century. During the 19th century, the adjacent garden areas were ennobled, and now it is surrounded by stunning pine plantations. Meggerney is home to a rather funny and flirty ghost called the White Lady. She is not ashamed of anyone and willingly shows herself up, flirting with male visitors along the way. The White Lady is a unique ghost, as she has two parts: the lower part in a voluminous skirt wanders the lower floors of the castle, and the upper half materializes on the upper floors, especially on the stairs. According to legend, this lady was killed and cut in half by her jealous husband, the head of the Minis clan, because the lady does not appear entirely, but only in her half parts.
8. Birkwood Castle
This is not quite a typical Scottish castle in Lanarkshire, but very popular and actively visited as it is famous for its countless ghosts. The Gothic mansion Birkwood was built in 1860 as a residential building, but later became a hospital for mentally handicapped children. The hospital was closed in 2002, and in 2014 the building was turned into a luxury hotel and residential complex. When the workers were engaged in its reconstruction, one wall collapsed absolutely unexpectedly. Paranormal researchers considered the case to be a riot of angry ghosts, protesting against their eviction. Which of them can be found in Birkwood, what can you hear and even feel? These are ghost children roaming the halls; boy Michael, who fell from a spiral staircase; the doctor who died in the hospital, now constantly looking out of the windows;a weeping girl and echoes of her singing from various castle rooms; the smell of cigar smoke and distinct footsteps; power surges and other electrical noise.
9. Eileen Donan Castle
This ancient structure from the 13th century is perhaps the most recognizable Scottish castle thanks to the Highlander movie. Eileen Donan was erected by the MacKenzie and Macri clan on a tidal island as a defense against the Vikings. It was destroyed by the English government in 1719 and remained in ruins until 1911. The complete restoration of the castle was completed in 1932. Eileen Donan is home to two ghosts.
One of them is a Spanish soldier who helped the Jacobites defend the castle and was killed in battle. Visitors often noticed the appearance of a decapitated soldier in Spanish uniform, carrying his head in his hand. Another ghost wandering around the castle's bedroom is known as Lady Mary, and is even believed to be the spirit of Mary Stuart herself.
10. Drumlanrig Castle
The 17th century castle in County Dumfries is the ancestral home of the Dukes of Buckle and Queensberry and boasts some pretty unique ghosts. The elegant Lady Anne Douglas in white robes is often seen here, in one hand she has a beautiful fan, and in the other - her own head. The ghost of a monkey resides in the yellow room of the castle, and the ghost of a dog that looks like a shepherd runs around all the castle rooms.