Scottish Ghosts (Waverley Scottish Classics)

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The pair have a long history of interest in the supernatural, with Yvonne, a former nurse explaining that her time spent working in one of Scotland's notoriously haunted hospitals strenghtening her belief in the afterlife after hearing and seeing some strange things on the wards. Garbed in green, her face concealed by a hood, she wanders Balgonie castle and has been seen many times in recent years. But, as is so often the case in Scottish history, victory was short lived. The following year Edward 1st mustered a huge fighting force and, on 12th July 1298, he routed the Scots at Falkirk. It nestles in quiet seclusion, almost lost amidst tranquil countryside, and to delve into its rambling ruins is to walk in the footsteps of Kings and Queens, not to mention a rich array of historical and legendary figures from Scotland’s past.

Written records of the vaults are few and far between, so it is unknown when they were shut down, but it is believed to have been sometime in the mid-19th Century. Working for the National Trust for Scotland has afforded me some unique opportunities, most notably being able to access the parts of properties that visitors are unable to visit – the doors marked ‘No Entry’ or ‘Staff Only’. Immersing myself on a daily basis in so much history is an absolute joy, although my experiences are perhaps not always fully appreciated by my friends and acquaintances. During conversations the subject of work invariably comes up. When I say I work in a castle there will always be one or two inevitable follow-up questions … David added: "One thing I'll never forget about the Discovery is all of the electricity on the boat was switched off - including the circuits and we were in the captains cabin and the light in the middle of the room turned on by itself, it was incredible." Sitting atop the column is a sculpture of a hand holding a large dagger and around it are seven severed heads. Such was the shortage of accommodation that soon new residents came to live in Mary King’s Close and, by 1685, it had become common knowledge that spirits from the plague year were still there!His ghost now wanders the castle, a malevolent spectre whose nebulous meanderings are often accompanied by the heart-rending sobs of children echoing along the crumbling corridors. Gaelic folklore, meanwhile, identifies it as Each Uisge, one of the terrifying water- horses that are said to haunt many of the Highland Lochs. The tragedy appears to have left an indelible stain on the psychic fabric of Leith Hall and his ghost has been both sensed and seen at several locations. One day his discontented eye fixed upon one wife’s relatives, a young woman named Grizel Leslie. She was more than welcoming of his Lordships advances and, very soon, the two were enjoying a passionate affair. It all began on 25th September, 1663 when Alexander MacDonald, the young Chief of Keppoch and his brother Ranald, were stabbed to death by rivals within their clan.

I will leave it up to readers to make their own minds up as to the veracity of the stories, but personally I’d like to draw on another quote from a very well-known film … I ain’t afraid of no ghost. The dazzling white walls of Traquair House rise majestically from the rolling countryside that surrounds it and to cross its threshold is to find yourself wandering through passages and corridors where time stands still. Killiecrankie, a name derived from Gaelic and meaning "wood of aspens," is a tranquil oasis, set amidst dramatic and spectacular scenery. Despite the fact that the whole situation seems like a setup for the kind of horror movie the protagonist is not going to survive, the family’s decision to be up-front about the job’s challenges paid off. They received over 3,000 queries from fearless nannies and ultimately found the person who they felt was perfect for the job. Thus, with one act of union, peace and prosperity could be maintained while Edwards ambition to unite the two countries could be satisfied.

Corryvreckan Whirlpool 

Sheila added that it isn't all scary stuff, she said "On a nicer note at Inveraray three of us walked into the Women’s Prison and all heard a few bars of a woman singing what sounded like a lullaby." Culloden Battlefield The Provost Lordship in Glasgow, which is the oldest house in Glasgow, we thought would have been absolutely jumping but it was flat all night, nothing happened.

With over three decades of experience in the paranormal between them, they are keen to share their passion with others at these popular nighttime events. But in 1970, the house became a hotel and the new proprietors set about overturning the restrictive clause. Sara and David's brother Mark were doing an investigation in one of the cells in the Women's Jail when something poked her arm quite forcefully, to the point that she was convinced it must have been Mark. Craigievar Castle, Aberdeenshire The history steeped walls of Meldrum House sit peaceably amidst glorious surroundings of woodland and parkland. Another rendition of the glaistig legend is that she was once a mortal noblewoman, to whom a " fairy" nature had been given [9] or who was cursed with the goat's legs and immortality, and since has been known as "The Green Lady". She might either be benign, watching over houses and looking after the weak mind, or appear as a vengeful ghost. In some tales she was murdered in a green dress, and then stuffed unceremoniously up the chimney by a servant. [10] It is said that her footsteps can still be heard as she walks the castle in sadness. [11] In most tales she would continue to look after the house, upholding household duties, such as washing dishes and sweeping the floor. [7] She might be heard moving around furniture at night. If she becomes offended by the servants or the tenants she is known to play pranks on them. Such Green Lady myths have been associated with a number of locations in Scotland, including Ardnacallich, Dunollie Castle, Loch Fyne, Muchalls Castle, and in Wales at Caerphilly. A similar tale (" Ocean Born Mary") has been told in Henniker, New Hampshire. [12]You were probably aware of coming into this article that Scotland has a lot of castles. Furthermore, most of them are said to be haunted. Stirling Castle is no different. The best-known spectre here is that of the "Green Lady," thought to be Dame Lilias Drummond, wife of the Alexander Seton, owner of the Castle in the early 17th century. Tech consultant Roy said that the jail is where he ended up with one gent, who was a sceptic, in floods of tears, after he and his wife were left alone in one cell famously said to be haunted by an angry male spirit. It was with the opening of a main road along the north shore of the loch in 1933, that the modern interest in Nessie began.

Spynie Palace is one of Scotland’s eeriest and most haunted buildings, yet it possesses an atmosphere that both captivates and engrosses. Neglected by her husband, Dame Lilias retired to their house in Fife where she became ill and died on 8th May 1601. She was barely cold in her grave before Alexander Seton had married Grizel and brought her to live at Fyvie Castle. Lighthouses are isolated and scary places. Scottish castles are famously haunted. When you combine the two, you get Kinnaird Head. [7] This beautiful lighthouse has been serving Scotland since 1787, and it was built on the remaining structure of a 15th-century castle. Naturally, this means that Kinnaird Head has its very own ghost story. Plundering the bodies of their vanquished enemies, the victorious Scots came across that of the hated English Treasurer, Hugh Cressingham. They promptly flayed the skin from his corpse and fashioned it into a belt for Wallace’s sword.

The Gorbals Vampire 

Wallace was a national hero as he moved on to capture Dundee and drive the English forces further and further south until, by October 1297, not one English soldier remained in Scotland. Vestiges of Scotland's stormy past are to be found all over the country and nowhere is it more apparent than in the haunted, ruined castles of Scotland. On a Halloween event at Holmwood in Glasgow, three of the crew were dressed as nuns but Yvonne explained it seemed the spirits didn't like that. Douglas was much respected in Scotland on account of his victories against the English. However, when King David 11 made Sir Alexander Ramsay sheriff of Teviotdale, the ruthless and envious Douglas lured the unfortunate Ramsay to Hermitage and imprisoned him in a "frightful pit or Dungeon, apparently airless and devoid of sanitation." Here he was starved to death, and his ghostly groans have echoed down the centuries ever since. Culzean Castle is steeped in some wonderful and occasionally bloody history, and there are bound to be a few stories of paranormal goings-on. As it happens, Culzean has its fair share of ghost stories. Depending on who you ask, some will say there are five ghosts, although the general consensus (and by that I mean Wikipedia) is that there are seven. Some naysayers claim that the whole thing is a load of hokum and people are just feeding into their own fears of the unknown. They’ve read stories about the ghosts, so they’re more likely to convince themselves they’ve seen or heard something that wasn’t there to begin with – but it’s not really my place to say.