Ghostly Sightings In Scotland

Ghostly Monks

The Dryburgh Abbey Hotel is a four-star hotel in Scotland. Originally it was the Dryburgh Abbey and home to a Roman Catholic order of monks. It was founded in 1150 by the Lord of Lauderdale, As time went by the abbey fell into ruins that are now within the territory of the hotel.

The original Dryburgh Abbey House was also home to a young woman who began a love affair with a monk. When the other monks discovered the affair they decided to execute the monk. When the woman found out that he was dead she was so distraught that she jumped into the River Tweed. Guests at the hotel today have seen a woman wandering through the hotel and the grounds and has become known as The Grey Lady. Guests have also seen apparitions of monks chanting.

Most Haunted Castle

Glamis Castle dates from the 15th century and is thought to be one of the most haunted castles in the U.K. There are many unusual ghosts roaming about her with names like Jack the Runner. the Grey Lady, the White Lady, Earl Beardie, and the bloody-mouthed ghost. Not even looking for the spirits you can sense their presence as you enter the castle.

The stories about Glamis Castle are many and each brings shivers in the dark of night. One of the stories told is about a servant maid who unfortunately stumbles upon a horrid secret and threatened to tell about it. The Earl told his guards to cut out her tongue. She fought back and tried to escape running through the grounds but was caught and killed. Today her ghost roams about silently screaming and running still while blood runs from her mouth.

The castle has secret rooms and no one is sure how they were used. When the Oglivy Clan looked for shelter in the castle from the Lindsay Clan in 1486 the Earl was very helpful and took them to a secret room in his cellar. He did the hospitable thing or did he? by locking them in and walking away. It was weeks later when someone went down to unlock the door and discovered only one person barely alive who had cannibalized his family members to survive,

It could possibly be that during the 19th century one of the secret rooms became home to a deformed son. Protecting the family from shame he was made to spend his life in hiding and could only get some air upon the roof at night. Villagers would see him there and suddenly legend had it of the Monster of Glamis.

At night children have been frightened by the sight of an armoured knight leaning over their beds. He became known as Earl Beardie and is thought to be one of the early Lords of Glamis. He is remembered as not a very nice person and supposedly gambled with the devil, losing his soul. There are nights when his ghostly spirit can be heard behind closed doors cursing and rattling dice.

The lovely family chapel has a frescoed ceiling and wood panelling, It has been a calm haven except for the Grey Lady that walks about the chapel while others are saying prayers. She then disappears into a wall, Some think that she might be the spirit of Lady Janet Douglas who was charged with plotting the murder of James V of Scotland. Even though there seemed to be no evidence against her James V had her burned at the stake for witchcraft in 1517.

Many more ghostly apparitions await you at Glamis Castle so take a journey and say hello.

Glamis Castle is also the setting for "Macbeth" the play by Shakespeare. You can find the Macbeth Trail here with major scenes sculpted by artists from oak, Douglas fir and Noble fir trees that were grown on the estate,

Edinburgh Ghosts

Spookiest Street

The ghosts that roam The Royal Mile in Scotland's capital Edinburgh are particularly restless. Mary King's Close is known as "Scotland's Spookiest Street" and has many mysterious and dark lanes that lead off of The Royal Mile which is the street that takes people from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse. During the outbreak of the plague, Mary King's Close was bricked up and re-opened in modern times. Here spooky things happen and are seen as the ghost of a young girl roaming about. If you take a guided tour you'll get to see Greyfriars Cemetery and the place where the body-snatchers Burke and Hare first began digging up corpses for medical experiments.

Bobby the Ghost Dog

In the Old Town, you can hear the barking of Bobby, the spirit of a Skye terrier that has become known all through the city. Before his death the dog guarded his master's grave for 14 years and then passed away in 1872. Bobby is buried in Greyfriars Cemetery near his owner but he is barking still. There is a statue of Bobby on the corner of Candlemaker Row. People say that by rubbing the nose of the statue they get good luck. This fierce canine loyalty to his owner was written into a Disney movie in the 1960s.

Bloody MacKenzie

Exploring Greyfriars Kirkyard you'll find that it dates back to the 16th century, It is the final resting place of not only Bobby the ghost dog and is master but also of other infamous characters like Bloody MacKenzie. He was so named because this wealthy lord had the task of punishing hundreds of prisoners who would not change their religion. Locals say that the spirit of Bloody MacKenzie haunts the graveyard ever since his tomb was disturbed by a homeless man who broke into the graveyard at night. As soon as the homeless man put his hands on the grave of Bloody MacKenzie the floor opened up beneath him and he fell into a shallow grave with victims of the plague. Since that time Bloody MacKenzie is up and roaming about and strange tales are told. One is about a woman who was found unconscious with bruises about her neck and there are those who believe that he was responsible, continuing his evil deeds even after death.

Headless Drummer Boy

Edinburgh Castle has a dark history and is supposedly haunted by many ghosts among them a headless drummer boy. Apparently, when the castle was about to be under attack he appears as a warning sign. This apparition was first seen in 1650 before Oliver Cromwell and his English army attacked Edinburgh Castle. Today the castle is a major tourist attraction and the Royal Military Tattoo is held here annually. The castle is also home to the Scottish crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny, an ancient rock upon which the Kings of Scots were crowned.

Underground Passageways

Beneath the Old City in Edinburgh, there are many underground passageways. In the underground, the poorest people made their home as well as vagrants and undesirables like thieves. The tunnels are dark and have little ventilation. Some parts of these underground passageways can be visited at the base of the Royal Mile. There are ghost stories about Abandoned Annie who is the ghostly spirit of a little girl who grabs the hands of people in the darkness. A makeshift altar has been set up for Annie and upon it, you can find many toys, dolls, and money left by visitors. The council collects the money every year to donate to sick children.

The Da Vinci Code Site

In the village of Roslin, you'll find the 500-year-old Rosslyn Chapel that is said to be home to many ghostly spirits. Among them roams a lady known as the White Lady who appears before startled visitors.

Rosslyn Chapel became well-known from the novel and movie "The Da Vinci Code." Church services are still held here. The Sinclair family built the chapel in the 15th century and supposedly ghostly flames begin to flicker in the burial vault when a member of the Sinclair family is about to die.

The ghostly spirit of the apprentice who carved the Apprentice Pillar appears. The apprentice was murdered by his teacher and he is heard wandering through the chapel.

There are stories about spirits that are within the walls of the chapel and the surrounding area. Visitors here have reported odd happenings and apparitions that suddenly appear and then disappear. Motorists and people who have explored the area around Roslyn Castle have encountered a black knight on horseback. This ghostly spirit apparently thinks he is still in the Scotland he remembers from his time and is believed to have been killed in a battle from 1303. During the battle, Scottish Knights defeated an army of English soldiers.

These are just some of the places you could encounter ghostly spirits in Scotland. There are many more so if you're a ghost hunter or if you would just like to meet some spirits make a list of the places you would like to visit and perhaps one or two spirits might like to accompany you on your further travels.