Aberdeenshire's Most Haunted

As we enter Autumn, we welcome nature’s spectacular transition. While the temperature starts to cool down, the colours in Scotland’s landscape start to warm up, creating some truly epic scenery. This time of year embraces the darkness, which means that the landscapes become a lot more dramatic with contrasting bursts of colour in the surrounding trees. 

This season also gets us in the Halloween spirit, so with that we wanted to discover some of Scotland’s spookiest places to explore and find out more about their ghostly residents and gruesome tales. 

With over 263 castles in Aberdeenshire, many of which are said to be haunted by their previous occupants and steeped in rich history, this makes a good starting point for seeking out haunted locations. Together with VisitAberdeenshire we want to share some of these places with you, and tell you the tales of their haunting past. 

Halloween, also known as ‘All Hallows Eve’, originates from the Celts who lived 2,000 years ago. They believed that on the night before the new year, which they celebrated on November 1st, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. So, on the night of October 31st they celebrated Samhain (pronounced sow-in), when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth.

NEW SLAINS CASTLE

If you head towards the coast, you will be able to find the remains of Slains Castle along the cliff tops in Cruden Bay. This castle is famously known as the inspiration for the setting of Bram Stoker’s novel, Dracula (1897), and today you can get up close and personal. With extreme caution, you can explore the ruins and wander around what would have once been the hallways and rooms. This is certainly an eerie place to be at this time of year where you can hear the waves crashing against the rocks beneath you, and the crows hovering above your head while looking out over the vast fields of crops that surround you. It is believed that the crumbling ruin isn’t completely abandoned, as it is said to be haunted by the ghost of Victor Hay, who was the 21st Earl of Errol and died in the 20th century. Sightings of WWII soldiers marching past and a horse and carriage have also been reported.

CASTLE FRASER

Castle Fraser is home to one of Scotland’s largest tower houses that was built between 1575 and 1636, by the 6th laird, Michael Fraser. It was home to the Fraser family for more than 400 years.

Over the years there have been numerous sightings of the ghost of a Princess who was staying at the castle. Her ending wasn’t met with a fairy tale but instead a gruesome death. She was murdered while she slept in the Green Room and her bloodied body was dragged down the stairs of the round tower. Her blood stained the staircase so badly that the stairs had to be covered with wooden panelling, which can still be seen today. 

Another ghost who resides in the castle belongs to Lady Blanche Drummond who died of consumption in 1874. Dressed in a long black gown, Lady Blanche Drummond has often been sighted roaming the grounds of the castle and wandering the staircases. 

Visitors to the castle and members of staff have reported hearing ghostly whispers, laughter, and music coming from the Great Hall. The kitchen staff have also reported hearing the sound of children laughing and singing, only to find that there were no children at the castle.

CRATHES CASTLE

Crathes Castle was built by Alexander Burnett in the 16th Century, where the Burnett family lived for over 350 years. The castle is made up of an intricate maze of turrets, towers, oak panels, and painted ceilings, many of which survive beautifully to this day. Surrounded by its very own luscious gardens teamed with a backdrop of breathtaking landscapes, you can wander around and soak it all in. 

Crathes Castle looks like it is straight out of a fairy tale but it comes with a dark twist. It is no secret that this castle is haunted by a ghost referred to as ‘The Green Lady’. A publication in 1900 described it as an ‘apparition of a lady dressed in green, with a child in her arms’. It is said that ‘The Green Lady’ was once a servant girl who worked in the castle who fell pregnant out of wedlock – by who we don’t know, but perhaps is the reason why ‘she fled the castle’. One hundred years later in the 1800s, workmen were repairing the castle and uncovered the skeletal remains of a woman and a child beneath the hearthstone of the fireplace.

BRAEMAR CASTLE

Braemar Castle is a 17th century castle built by the Earl of Mar in 1628 situated in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. Over the years it has been a hunting lodge, a fortress, garrison and family home. Home to the chiefs of Clan Farquharson, it is furnished with furniture, memorabilia and personal belongings of the Farquharson family. 

Braemar Castle is said to be haunted by a young blonde-haired woman who was a newlywed bride. She awoke early on the morning after her wedding night to find that her husband was nowhere to be seen. Starting to panic, she concluded that her new husband had deemed her an unsatisfactory lover and so she threw herself from the window of the marital chamber, where her life came to a gruesome end. 

As it happens, her husband had in fact been on an early-morning hunting trip and was distraught to return to the castle and find his bride had ended her life. Today it is thought that she appears to those who have recently been married, or when newlyweds are staying in the castle.

FYVIE CASTLE

Fyvie Castle is an 800 year old fortress located in the village of Fyvie near Turriff. Over the years the Castle was residence to a succession of clan families, consisting of Preston, Meldrum, Seton, Gordon and Leith. During the course, each clan had constructed a new tower to the castle, making it one of the largest and most magnificent castles in Scotland, with a total of 109 rooms. 

Within the walls of the castle, you will find an incredible collection of antiquities, armour and an impressive portrait collection adorning the walls. While walking the corridors and exploring the rooms, you can almost feel the presence of its past come alive. Perhaps the reason for this is that nowadays it is said that the only residents of the castle are the ghosts that haunt it.

There have been so many sightings and reports over the years that it is very hard to disagree that this castle is haunted. It is ranked amongst the most haunted castles in Britain and has appeared on the TV series ‘Most Haunted’.

Nine different ghosts have been recorded but the most popular occurrences are with ‘The Green Lady’, who is the ghost that communicates the most. She is even referred to as ‘head ghost’, who keeps the others in check. The Green Lady was once known as Lilias Drummond who was married to Alexander Seton. It is said that her husband cruelly held her captive in ‘The Chartered Room’ to punish her for failing to provide a son and heir. A rescue was attempted but failed and instead, Lilias was forced to watch her family members being killed and their body parts being flung past the window from the room in which she was held. Lilias eventually starved to death. This room is now referred to as ‘The Murder Room’.

Alexander Seton went on to remarry, and on the night of his wedding, ghostly screams were heard and scratching from outside the window of their marital bedchamber. When morning rose, they looked outside the window, where they found ‘Lilias Drummond’ scratched into the stone window sill. It can still be seen to this day.

On many of the paranormal nights that take place, the mediums have successfully communicated with her and during a conversation, The Green Lady made them aware of another ghost that lives in the castle called John Pollock, but he is not so friendly. 

Thankfully, the Green Lady told them not to worry as she wouldn’t let him harm anyone, which is where her title of ‘head ghost’ comes from. If you are brave enough and want to be in the presence of John you will find him in the library. This is also where his grisly death mask is on display, which shows the marks around his neck in which he was hung, the reason for his hanging being murder. 

Another ghost that can often be seen is Annie. She is a little girl who loves to play on the stairs. There are no files on record of a little girl called Annie or where she came from, but she has also made contact and when asked if she liked visitors to the castle, she responded “Yes, because I’ve got people to play with,” so be sure to say hello to Annie on your visit when you are climbing the stairs.