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Ghostly Goings On … places guaranteed to give you goose
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ONE MARY KING’S CLOSE, OLD EDINBURGH TOWN
The Real Mary Kings Close consists of a number of closes which were originally narrow streets with houses on either side, stretching up to seven stories high. The remnants of the closes are dark and ancient dwellings steeped in mystery where you are guided underground by one of the ‘characters form the past’ whose life touched Mary Kings Close. Your guide reveals dramatic episodes and extraordinary apparitions from the past, including ghost stories over 300 years old. These regular tours are not intended to frighten people, although some may dislike the dark, eerie atmosphere of the place. However, the special Ghost Tours at Halloween are a different matter!
TWO GLAMIS CASTLE, GLAMIS BY FORFAR, ANGUS
This was the childhood home of the late Queen Mother and could well be the most haunted house in the whole of Britain. There are ghosties aplenty here with everything from a praying lady to a screaming lady to a grey lady to a black boy. The ghosts are said to be either late Earl’s and Lord Provosts or their butlers and maids. The Castle has been a residence since 1372 and here in 1537 Lady Glamis (Janet Douglas) was accused of witchcraft and burnt at the stake.
On a more cheerful note the Strathmore Highland Games famously takes place here each year!
THREE ROSSLYN CHAPEL, ROSLIN, MIDLOTHIAN
This extraordinary building, on the outskirts of Edinburgh, was founded in 1446 by Sir William St Clair, third and last St Clair Prince of Orkney. Sir William died in 1484 and was buried in the unfinished Chapel, the larger building he had planned was never completed. Recently the trustees of Rosslyn Chapel have been forced to install a new entrance and triple the size of the car park in order to cope with the rush of visitors since the bestselling novel The da Vinci Code was published. Rosslyn Chapel features in the book because of its links with the ancient Knights Templar order and tails of the Holy Grail. Beneath the floor of the chapel is a massive underground vault which was sealed in 1690 and has never been opened. Obviously, there has been a lot of speculation as to what is inside the vault!
FOUR HOUSE OF DUN, MONTROSE, ANGUS
Here we are told the ‘Headless Huntsman’ roams the lanes and byways of Dun at night. Evidence indicates that people have lived here for 9,000 years, so who knows what sort of ‘presence’ you might feel as you walk around. The house sits in its own formal gardens with parkland and woodland beyond. You are free to explore the Victorian walled garden and wooded den before venturing further afield to the Monrose Basin Nature Reserve.
FIVE CULZEAN CASTLE, MAYBOLE, AYRESHIRE
There is reputed to be a ghostly piper here who had been searching the caves beneath the castle when he disappeared. The sound of his pipes are said to herald the announcement of a marriage and are said also to be heard on stormy nights. His ghostly apparition has been seen in the grounds of the castle too. Go to Piper’s Brae or near the ruined collegiate church for the most chance of a spooky encounter.
SIX FYVIE CASTLE, TURRIFF, ABERDEENSHIRE
Fyvie has a ghost known simply as the Green Lady. She is believed to be Lillias Drummond once the wife of the Earl of Dunfermline, who died in 1601. On the outside of the window sill of what is now the Drummond Room at the castle, is an inscription distinctly carved with fine lettering of her name. This it is said was carved by Lillias (after her death) on the first night of her husbands second marriage, while she looked through the window – some 50 feet above the ground! The inscription is still there and can be seen during a visit to the castle. The castle’s Green Lady ghost (on account of the green brocade dress she appears to be wearing) also carries a candle in its hand and emits a soft luminance. She has made her presence felt on many occasions, usually prior to a death in the resident family.
SEVEN HOUSE OF THE BINNS, LINLITHGOW
The House of the Binns is the family home of the Dalyells. The most famous member of the family was a professional soldier during the 17th century, Sir Tam Dalyell. It is his ghost that has been witnessed at The Binns, both in the house and in the grounds, sometimes described as riding a white horse up to the entrance of the house.
The famous story goes that Tam played cards with the Devil and won, leaving the Devil so furious that he threw the heavy marble table at Tam’s head. Tam ducked and the table sailed through the window of the house into the Sergeant’s Pond where it was eventually found in about 1885 (some 200 years after Tam’s death). The cards, goblet, spoon and table reportedly used in the game are all displayed in the house. His riding boots can also be seen here, but are said to vanish when his ghost has been seen riding around the grounds.
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