The ruins of Baldun Castle are located near the town of Bladnock in Scotland. The ruins of the once luxurious castle are covered with ivy and look abandoned. However, if you find yourself in these places, you will immediately feel the heaviness in your heart, because the ghost of Janet Dalrymple does not leave the territory of the castle she hates and watches you.
A sad story is connected with this castle. In the mid-1600s, Janet, the eldest daughter of James Dalrymple, was engaged to David Dunbar. As it was then supposed, the marriage was arranged by the parents, but Janet's heart belonged to another. She loved Archibald, but his family did not even have a penny.
And Janet's parents did not consider the poor young man as a groom. They forbade him to communicate, and also announced that their daughter would marry David. Janet did not argue, the wedding took place in the church on a hot summer day, the girl said to the brothers that she did not want to be with this man. It is reported that Janet's hands were icy at that moment, despite the heat, and she walked to the altar, like on a scaffold.
On the same evening, the girl is found in a semi-insane state in the wedding chambers, while her husband was lying on the threshold with bloody wounds on his body from a knife. No one fully understood what happened that evening after the wedding. There are several versions of the events of that day. According to one of them, the bride attacked David because she did not want to live with him. According to the second, he was wounded by a jealous Archibald. The locals also talk about the intrigues of the devil, who almost killed Dunbar and drove Janet to madness. It is known that after a couple of weeks Janet was found dead, the girl committed suicide, never regaining consciousness after what happened.
Walter Scott heard about this story when he was still a child and described his version of events in his book, The Lammermoor Bride. He wrote that the bride was found in the corner of the chimney, her white nightgown was stained with blood, she was muttering something and she was completely insane.
David Dunbar quickly recovered from his injuries, but he did not talk about the events of the terrible night. Over time, he married the daughter of the Earl of Eglinton and eventually died after falling from a horse in 1682. Archibald remained a loner, not daring to betray his love, and died in 1685.
The events of that fateful night forever left an imprint on Baldun Castle. On several occasions, visitors have claimed to have seen the ghost of poor Janet wandering the ruins, usually on the anniversary of her death, September 12. She still wears a blood-stained nightgown, while looking down sadly as if she is full of deep regret. Is it a burden of guilt or a longing for lost love? Perhaps only the ghost of Janet knows the exact answer, but she is not going to tell anyone about it yet.
GUSAKOVA IRINA
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