Haunted Britain and Ireland

by Derek Acorah

  The castle remained a ruin until it was rebuilt between 1912 and 1932 by Lieutenant Colonel John MacRae-Gilstrap. Today it is one of the most photographed buildings in Scotland and has been used as a location in many films.

  Eilean Donan Castle, Dornie, by Kyle of Lochalsh IV40 8DX; Tel: (01599) 555202; Fax: (01599) 555262; E-mail: info@eileandonancastle.com; Website: www.eileandonancastle.com. Castle and visitor centre open daily April–October; gift shop open all year.

  Ethie Castle

  Ethie Castle, near Arbroath, is a fourteenth-century sandstone fortress built by the abbot of Arbroath Abbey. It is said to be Scotland’s second oldest permanently inhabited castle.

  Probably the best-known person to have lived there was David Beaton, abbot of Arbroath. He moved into the castle in 1524, made many improvements to the property and he and his wife raised their seven children there. He sat in the Scottish parliament from 1525 and in 1539 was appointed Archbishop of St Andrews. He negotiated the marriages of King James V with the French court, but despite his services to the crown he was highly unpopular and on 29 May 1546 was murdered by Protestant reformers at St Andrews. After his death it is said that the monks of Arbroath hid their church vessels, plates and vestments away in the walls of the castle. Not long afterwards Beaton’s ghost was seen for the first time at Ethie. He is there still, dragging a gouty leg along the corridors. He is usually seen on a narrow staircase leading to a secret doorway in his former bedroom.

  The second ghost at Ethie is that of a child whose remains were found in a hidden room, together with a little wooden cart. He can be heard running across the room and pulling the cart along the floor. He may also be responsible for other strange events in the castle. When the current owners moved in, the pendulum of one of their clocks was broken off in the move and the winder key lost. Nevertheless, the hands of the clock have somehow been moved around to get the chimes to work.

  The final ghost at Ethie is a grey lady who walks in the walled garden. Her appearance is said to be a sign that the owner of the house is soon going to die.

  Ethie Castle, Inverkeilor, by Arbroath, Angus DD11 5SP; Tel: (01241) 830434; Fax: (01241) 830432; Website: www.ethiecastle.com

  Glen Coe

  Probably the most notorious massacre in Scotland took place on 13 February 1692, when a group of government soldiers led by men from the Campbell clan killed the MacIans, a sept of the MacDonalds, in Glen Coe, Argyll.

  In August 1691 King William III had offered a pardon to all the Highland clans who had risen against him if they would take an oath of allegiance before 1 January 1692. Alastair MacIan, twelfth chief of Glen Coe, not only left it to the last minute to take the oath but also went to the wrong place to do so and therefore missed the deadline. The government was delighted at the opportunity to make an example of the clan and sent two companies of soldiers, about 120 men, to Glen Coe, led by Captain Robert Campbell.

  Accepting the MacIans’ kind offer of hospitality, the soldiers stayed there for several days, but at 5 o’clock in the morning of 13 February, they brutally slaughtered 38 men, women and children of the clan in their beds, including Robert Campbell’s niece and her husband. Others died of exposure as they tried to escape across the snowy mountains.

  The massacre is said to be re-enacted every year on the anniversary. There have been numerous sightings of it and it has been reported that the screams and cries of the dying ring out across the glen. In Gaelic, Glen Coe means ‘Valley of Weeping’.

  Inverary Castle

  Inverary Castle, a squat grey turreted mansion on Loch Fyne, is the seat of the Dukes of Argyll. The original Campbell stronghold was burnt by the Marquis of Montrose in 1644 and the present castle was built by the third Duke in 1744. He also rebuilt the nearby town of Inverary at the same time. The castle was subsequently remodelled first by noted architects William and John Adam and then for the second time after a fire in 1877. It houses collections of paintings, tapestries and weapons, including Rob Roy MacGregor’s sporran and dirk handle.

  The castle is haunted by the Harper of Inverary. According to one story he was hanged by Montrose’s men, but according to another he was killed in a castle siege. Either way he has been seen in several parts of the castle, always wearing the Campbell tartan, and his music has often been heard. He seems to be a friendly ghost, but rarely appears to men for some reason.

  The castle was also once the scene of a strange vision. On 10 July 1758 Sir William Bart, a doctor, was walking with a friend and a servant in the grounds of the castle when suddenly they all saw a battle taking place in the sky. A Highland regiment was attacking a fort defended by French troops. They were soon beaten back and withdrew, leaving a large number of dead. Later Sir William learned that on that very day a British force of 15,000 men had attacked the French fort of Ticonderoga in Canada and had been forced to retreat, leaving behind 1,994 dead. The 42nd Regiment Black Watch had lost 300 men.

  It is said that before the death of each Duke of Argyll a ghostly galley with three men on board, similar to the ship on the Campbells’ coat of arms, is seen moving up the loch and then disappearing inland.

  Inverary Castle, Inverary, Argyll PA32 8XG; Tel: (01499) 302203. Open Saturday–Thursday April–October, daily July and August.

  The Salutation Hotel

  The Salutation Hotel in the centre of the historic city of Perth has been welcoming visitors since 1699 and continues to do so today. The hotel offers modern facilities for conferences and seminars, a banqueting suite for weddings, parties and other special events, a restaurant with traditional Scottish and à la carte menus and a bar with a range of beers, wine and spirits, including malt whiskies.

  The ghost of Bonnie Prince Charlie himself is said to enjoy the famed hospitality of the hotel. After landing on the Outer Hebridean island of Eriskay in July 1745, he raised his standard at Loch Shiel on 19 August and, after some initial reluctance, several Highland clans joined him in his campaign for the British crown. The Jacobite army marched across Scotland and reached Perth early in September. The prince made the Salutation Hotel his headquarters and the room where he slept is still used as a bedroom. After visiting Scone, where many of his ancestors had been crowned, he moved south to march on London, an ill-fated campaign which eventually came to grief at Culloden (see page 249).

  The Salutation Hotel,34 South Street, Perth, Tayside PH2 8PH; Tel: (01738) 630066; Fax: (01738) 633598. There is a public car park next to the hotel.

  DEREK’S TIP

  Always thank the spirits after a successful investigation. A little gratitude goes a long way – even in the world beyond.

  Sandwood Bay

  Sandwood Bay is one of the most northerly sandy beaches in Scotland. Backed by huge sand dunes and a loch and flanked by cliffs to the north and Am Buachaille, a magnificent sea stack, to the south, it faces north-west and is a spectacular stretch of coastline.

  The bay was said to be a haunt of mermaids until the nineteenth century. It is still reputed to be haunted by the ghost of a sailor who died when a Polish ship went down in the bay. A bearded man wearing sea boots, a sailor’s cap and a brass-buttoned tunic has often been seen on the beach.

  The nearby Sandwood Loch and ruined Sandwood Cottage are said to be haunted by the ghost of an Australian who used to visit the area. His heavy footsteps can still be heard. The cottage has also been the scene of other strange phenomena. One couple who spent the night there woke to find the ruins shaking and heard the sound of a wild horse stamping on them.

  This sounds much like the Scottish water horse of folklore, a dangerous shape-shifting entity often in the form of a horse. Whatever the causes of these bizarre events, Sandwood Bay is definitely a focus for strange and unexplained sightings.

  Sandwood Bay, Nr Cape Wrath, Sutherland. The nearest approach by public road is at Blairmore, a few miles north-west of Kinlochbervie. There is a car park there. Go through the gate opposite. The track to Sandwood Bay is four miles long and well signpost
ed.

  DEREK’S TIP

  It is a good idea to make a rough sketch of the location before starting any investigation. Noting the number and position of rooms will provide you with an easy reference.

  Skaill House

  Skaill House is a large mansion lying close to the shore not far from Skara Brae on Orkney. It was built on the site of a Pictish burial ground, which may have something to do with the many ghost stories associated with the house. Visitors and residents alike have reported strange experiences, including ghostly footsteps and unseen people sitting down on beds.

  According to one story, a man called Ubby constructed a little island in the middle of the nearby Skaill Loch by repeatedly rowing out into the loch and dumping stones overboard. Eventually he died on the island and legend has it that his ghost came to Skaill House and has haunted it ever since.

  Though many paranormal phenomena have been reported at the house, there has only been one actual sighting of a ghost there. Early one morning the cleaners were in the courtyard when one of them looked up and saw a woman with a shawl over her head standing at the door to one of the apartments. They assumed that the people staying there were still there and left, thinking that they would clean that apartment later. But the guests had already left and the building had been empty at the time.

  Skaill House, Breckness Estate, Sandwick, Orkney KW16 3LR; Tel: (01856) 841815; Fax: (01856) 841885

  Swallow Thainstone House

  During my last theatre tour whilst appearing in Aberdeen I stayed at the Swallow Thainstone House hotel. As we arrived at the hotel it was snowing heavily. The old house looked beautiful under its blanket of snow. As we were welcomed in to the hotel and were shown up to our rooms I was psychically aware of the warmth of the atmosphere. I knew nothing of the history of the building, but it was obvious to me that at one time it had been the home of some rather wealthy people.

  That night, after the show, I retired to bed, but in the early hours of the morning I was awoken by movement around the bedroom. I could see clairvoyantly that there was the spirit of a young woman dressed in a very old-fashioned riding habit standing by the window of the room looking out over the snow-covered gardens. She stood gazing wistfully out and then started to move back across the room. As she reached the centre she gradually faded from my sight before disappearing completely.

  The following morning I was sitting on my own having coffee in the downstairs lounge. The manageress walked in and stopped to have a chat with me. She asked me whether I had sensed anything in the hotel. ‘It’s haunted, you know, Derek,’ she said. She proceeded to tell me the story of a terrible riding accident that had taken place in the grounds. The daughter of the family who once lived there had been out riding when her horse stumbled and fell, crushing her beneath its weight. She passed to spirit in the house as a result of her injuries.

  ‘Ah! So that’s who paid me a visit last night,’ I said. ‘And I suppose that the room I’m staying in was once her bedroom?’

  ‘Well, we just couldn’t resist it now, could we?’ she replied, laughing.

  Swallow Thainstone House, Inverurie, Grampian AB51 5NT; Tel: (01467) 621643

  The Tay Bridge

  The first railway bridge over the River Tay in Dundee was designed by Thomas Bouch and was officially opened on 26 September 1877. It had taken 6 years to build and 10 million bricks, 2 million rivets, 87,000 cubic feet of timber and 15,000 casks of cement. Queen Victoria crossed it in the summer of 1879 and knighted Thomas Bouch soon afterwards.

  Everything went well at first, but on 28 December 1879 there was a storm so fierce that the engineers were worried that the structure would be weakened. They tried to alert the railway authorities to the danger, but it was too late and a train had already started to cross the bridge. It collapsed under the weight and the train plunged into the river. Seventy-nine people were killed.

  Speculation is still rife concerning the exact cause of the disaster, but it brought about a countrywide review of bridge safety. Thomas Bouch died shortly afterwards, a broken man. A new, modified Tay Bridge was built parallel to the original bridge, using undamaged girders from the first bridge. It was completed in 1885.

  Many people claim to have seen a ghost train at the site of the old bridge on the anniversary of the disaster and to have heard people screaming.

  The Lowlands

  Baldoon Castle, Dumfries and Galloway

  Brodick Castle, Isle of Arran

  Comlongon Castle, Dumfries

  Dalmarnock Road Bridge, Glasgow

  Dryburgh Abbey Country House Hotel, St Boswells

  The Globe Inn, Dumfries

  Jedburgh Castle Jail and Museum

  The Last Drop Tavern, Edinburgh

  Melrose Abbey

  The Pavilion Theatre, Glasgow

  The Royal Mile, Edinburgh

  Spedlin’s Tower, Dumfries and Galloway

  The Theatre Royal, Glasgow

  Thirlestane Castle, Lauder

  And so to the Lowlands and the gentler Scottish landscape – but there is nothing gentle in the history of this part of the country. From the Ayrshire coast to Glasgow and on to Edinburgh where the Devil is said to have walked, the paranormal investigator will be spoiled for choice as far as locations for a ghost hunt are concerned.

  The most fascinating locations that I have investigated in this area of the country have been the extensive vaults which lie beneath the Old Town of Edinburgh. All manner of paranormal activity is to be experienced here – and don’t forget that it was in this place that the infamous body snatchers Burke and Hare plied their trade.

  Baldoon Castle

  Baldoon Castle in Bladnoch, not far from Wigtown, was built in the early sixteenth century. It was owned by the Dunbars of Westfield from 1530 to 1800, but is now a ruin.

  In the mid-seventeenth century the castle was owned by Sir David Dunbar. His son and heir was also called David and it was arranged that he would marry Janet, the eldest daughter of Sir James Dalrymple, a local landowner. She was in love with Archibald, third Lord Rutherford, but as he was practically penniless, her parents persuaded her to marry David instead. They were married in the kirk of Old Luce, two miles from Carsecleugh Castle, the home of the Dalrymples.

  On the wedding night, however, the servants were alarmed by hideous screaming coming from the bridal chamber. When they finally broke the door down they found the bridegroom lying across the threshold, badly wounded and covered in blood, and Janet, also covered in blood, cowering in a corner. She never recovered her senses and died insane a few weeks later, on 12 September 1669. Her husband survived, but would never talk about what had happened.

  There are several theories as to what had taken place. Some people think Janet attacked her bridegroom, while others think that he attacked her and she stabbed him in self-defence. Another theory is that Archibald hid in the room, attacked David and then escaped through the window. According to local legend, the Devil himself did it.

  David later married a daughter of the seventh Earl of Eglinton and died in 1682 after falling off his horse. Archibald never married and died in 1685. Sir Walter Scott used the story in his novel The Bride of Lammermuir.

  Every year on the anniversary of her death Janet’s ghost wanders the ruins of the castle, still screaming and covered in blood.

  Baldoon Castle, Bladnoch, Nr Wigtown, Wigtownshire, Dumfries and Galloway

  Brodick Castle

  Brodick Castle stands at the foot of Goatfell mountain, two miles north of Brodick, the main port on the Isle of Arran. The name Brodick comes from the Norse for ‘broad bay’. The place on which the castle now stands may have been the site of a Viking fort. Parts of the castle date back to the thirteenth century, though most of the original castle, built by the Stewarts, was destroyed in 1406 by the English. The first Duke of Hamilton was executed by Oliver Cromwell in the mid-seventeenth century and Cromwell placed a garrison of 80 soldiers in the castle. They restored part of it an
d later, in the nineteenth century, it was extensively renovated.

  The older part of the castle is said to be haunted by a Grey Lady. She is said to be the ghost of a Cromwellian servant girl. The captain of the guard had an affair with her and when she was found to be expecting his child, she was dismissed from service at the castle. Her family lived at Corrie, just a few miles from Brodick. When they heard of her plight they disowned their daughter. She drowned herself in the sea at the Wine Port, a red sandstone quay at the entrance to Brodick Castle. Her ghost haunts the lower corridor, kitchen and turnpike stairs which lead to the East Tower and battlements. She has been seen standing over staff scrubbing floors, as if in conversation with them, but the workers never see her.

  Another ghost, that of a man, has appeared in the library, and it is said that a white hart is seen in the grounds of the castle whenever the clan chief of the Hamiltons is about to die.

  Brodick Castle, Brodick, Isle of Arran KA27 8HY; Tel: (01770) 302202; Fax: (01770) 302312; Website: brodickcastle@nts.org.uk

  The castle is open daily April–October. The gardens and country park are open daily all year round. There is a licensed restaurant and souvenir shop and the castle may be hired for weddings and other functions.