10 Haunted castles in Scotland

Perched on dramatic cliffs overlooking the North Sea and Bass Rock, Tantallon Castle has witnessed centuries of battles and sieges. Visitors have reported mysterious figures appearing in photographs taken within the castle ruins, adding to its reputation as one of Scotland’s eeriest historic sites. Tantallon Castle is currently temporarily closed. Check the website for the latest updates before planning your visit. 

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Tantallon Castle sits near the seaside town of North Berwick in East Lothian. While in the area you can visit the Scottish Seabird Centre which offers boat trips to the immense Bass Rock, explore sandy beaches or discover the other atmospheric ruin of Direlton Castle which has its own “Green Lady”. 

Often nicknamed “the ship that never sailed” because of its distinctive shape, Blackness Castle has served as a fortress, royal residence and prison. Its dark past has inspired stories of ghostly presences lingering within the castle’s stone corridors. Legend has it that a phantom knight in armour guards the prison tower, occasionally leaping out on visitors and giving them a fright. 

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Located on the shores of the Firth of Forth in the Lothians, the castle is close to Linlithgow Palace, the birthplace of Mary Queen of Scots. Visitors can also explore Linlithgow’s historic town centre and enjoy scenic walks around Linlithgow Loch. 

A favourite residence of the Stewart kings, Falkland Palace is known for its beautiful Renaissance architecture and historic gardens. Alongside its royal past, visitors and staff have occasionally reported unexplained footsteps and mysterious sightings within the palace rooms – especially the Tapestry Gallery for a taste of the supernatural. It’s haunted by the ghost of a lady emitting a grey glow, mourning her dead solider beloved, who rode off into battle never to return.    

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The idyllic village of Falkland in Fife is famed for being an Outlander filming location and is also close to the Lomond Hills Regional Park where you’ll find scenic walking routes and sweeping views.  

The foreboding Hermitage Castle was built in the 13th century to control access to the border between Scotland and England. The castle was later dubbed the ‘guardhouse to the bloodiest valley in Britain’. Monolithic stone walls and few windows give this building a sinister aspect with tales of occult rituals and heinous torture unfolding side. No wonder restless spirits are said to reside within…  

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Explore nearby abbeys in Jedburgh and Melrose, visit charming market towns such as Hawick, or enjoy walking routes through the rolling hills of the Scottish Borders and Berwickshire coastline. 

In the year 1644, as civil war raged throughout Britain, Inveraray castle was ransacked and burned. The brutal attack saw many lose their lives including the castle’s harp player – and to this day many attest that they have heard ethereal harp music in the castle library.  Despite this grim fate, piper is far from a menacing presence, with those who have encountered him describing a charming spook with impeccable manners.

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The picturesque town of Inveraray in Argyll sits on the shores of Loch Fyne. Visitors can explore Inveraray Jail, stroll along the waterfront or use the town as a base to discover more of the surrounding Highlands and islands. 

The former 17th century mansion house of Skaill has been the source of countless reports of poltergeist activity, ranging from disembodied footsteps late at night to peculiar sights, doors opening and closing of their own accord, and objects moving by themselves. Could the culprit be the spirit of Bishop George Graham forever watching over the treasure he hid on the premises, or could it have more ancient roots in the Norse burial ground unearthed beneath the floorboards in the 1990s? Pay a visit and decide for yourself.   

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Skaill House sits on the west coast of Orkney, close to some of Scotland’s most remarkable prehistoric sites including the neolithic village of Skara Brae, the Ring of Brodgar and the Standing Stones of Stenness. 

Few castles in Scotland have as many ghost stories attached to them as Fyvie Castle. The most famous is the spirit of Dame Lilias Drummond or “Green Lady”. Imprisoned in the castle by her husband in the 16th century, her green-clad spirit has been seen wandering the corridors and grand staircase ever since. Visitors and staff have reported strange footsteps echoing through the halls and mysterious sounds in empty rooms. Could the Green Lady still be searching for justice centuries later?  

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Fyvie Castle lies along the Aberdeenshire Castle Trail, which links several impressive castles across the region. Visitors can also explore nearby Haddo House. 

Few castles in Scotland feel quite as atmospheric as Balvenie Castle. One of Scotland’s oldest stone castles, it’s witnessed centuries of intrigue and conflict, including occupation by Mary, Queen of Scots. Visitors have long described an eerie stillness within its cavernous shell, with reports of unexplained sounds and shadowy figures – including a white lady and horses – glimpsed in the castle’s towers and courtyards after dusk. Is it simply the atmosphere of a powerful medieval stronghold, or could echoes of the past still linger here?  

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Balvenie Castle sits close to the whisky town of Dufftown in Moray Speyside, one of Scotland’s most famous whisky regions, and the Cairngorms National Park. 

Long before it became the stronghold of Clan Campbell, the fortress was known as ‘Castle Gloom’, a name thought to reflect the deep gorges and shadowy ravines surrounding the site. Local legend tells of the daughter of a Pictish king imprisoned in the ancient fort on which the castle now stands, after promising her hand in marriage to a lowly commoner. Her tragic story is said to have inspired the name of the Burn of Sorrow, which cascades like tears down the glen on either side of the castle.  

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Campbell Castle is close to many scenic walking routes in found in the Loch Lomond, Trossachs, Stirling & Forth Valley region which takes in the Ochil Hills and Dollar Glen.

Scotland has no shortage of tragic maiden ghost stories, but the Green Lady of Huntingtower Castle among the most enduring. The Green Lady in question is said to be the spirit of Lady Barbara Stewart. According to legend, she fell in love with a man her family disapproved of and was imprisoned in one of the castle towers. When their secret meetings were discovered, she attempted a desperate escape by leaping from the tower window, falling to her death. In fact, the two towers were later connected by a building to prevent such an escape from ever happening again. Her apparition is said to be either an omen of immending death or good fortune, depending on the witness.

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Located just outside of Perth, make your way afterwards to Scone Palace, the traditional crowning place of Scotland's kings berfore heading to the stunning Perth Museum to see the original Stone of Destiny.