~ Spooky October #3 ~
According to The Scotsman Magazine (11 August 2014), the five most haunted castles in Scotland are:
- Meggernie Castle (Perthshire)
- Ethie Castle (nr Arbroath)
- Sanquhar Castle (Dumfries)
- Duntrune Castle (Argyll)
- Barcaldine Castle (Argyll)
For more on these, read the article here: http://www.scotsman.com/heritage/people-places/five-of-the-most-haunted-castles-in-scotland-1-3505914
I mentioned six castles, but have only listed five. That’s because I want to tell you about a truly spooky experience I had in Elcho Castle, Perthshire.
I visited here in September 2004, while on holiday. Elcho was probably the fourth castle I’d visited during that week.
Elcho was mostly empty inside, and in a good state of repair. It was a warm and sunny early autumn day, and the building felt peaceful and calm. Rising from the main floor space were four winding staircases, one of which—according to the information brochure—led to a roofwalk. I visited with my husband, our young son and his friend, and I left them pottering about while I explored the staircases. The first three were fine, and I left the roofwalk-access one until last. I wanted to check how safe the roofwalk was, before I took the children up there.
Half-way up, the staircase widened into a spacious, sun-filled landing, but as soon as I set foot on it I froze. It was as though I’d walked into a wall of icy fog. It looked bright and sunny, but the temperature dropped unbearably. If that wasn’t bad enough, I had the distinct impression of something squeezing me around the chest, tightening and forcing the air out of my lungs.
I broke free and managed to step back. Just two steps down, the temperature leapt back to normal. My heart was still racing. I took a deep breath. My lungs worked again.
Needless to say, I made my way back downstairs. When I caught up with my husband a few minutes later, I suggested he take a look for himself, without telling him what I experienced. He came back shortly after, looking pale and shaken. Yes, he agreed, when we swapped notes. That was WEIRD.
We asked the castle guide if the place was haunted, and she told us there were rumours of a white lady. According to legend, the woman was terribly burned when her dress caught fire, and she died a few days later. This was nowhere near the staircase, though, and so I’m not convinced they are connected.
Unfortunately this was before the days of digital cameras and hundreds of images, and the 35mm shots I took didn’t show anything untoward.
If you’d like to visit a haunted Scottish castle, or watch footage or paranormal investigators doing their thing, you should check out this site: http://haunted-scotland.co.uk/
There is footage of their findings in Elcho Castle, and it’s worth a look: http://haunted-scotland.co.uk/elcho-castle-2/
Do you have any stories about Scottish castles? Have you ever experienced anything you couldn’t explain with science? I’d love to hear from you.
Image of Elcho staircase courtesy of Pinterest: https://nz.pinterest.com/pin/412783122079519314/
Sofia Grey 