6 - Ghostly happenings in Scotland ? are you brave enough to visit?

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Heading off to romantic and spooky Scotland for Valentine's Day is ideal. Close to home, and a stunning country to explore, Scotland is renowned for its ghosts. Book a room at one of its lavish haunted castles and hold onto your loved one as you hear the floorboards creak under an invisible footstep, wait as figures appear out of nowhere on the castles' grand staircases or in the castle ball room. Throughout the ages, there have been many ghostly sightings in Scotland. The massacred soldiers at Culloden Battlefield, strange occurrences at historic houses and castles, tales of treachery and eerie apparitions told throughout the years - these are the stories which become the magical myths of Scotland's ghostly past. The following selection of haunted hotels and ghostly locations to visit will provide you the opportunity for some ghost hunting. There are also some organised walks to hear these stories as you walk around the haunted streets in the search of phantoms, witches and ghostly spirits. Stay in a beautiful Scottish Castle and go hunting for paranormal activity ? not for the faint-hearted. Here are a few suggestions: Dalhousie Castle Cockpen Road, Bonnyrigg, near Edinburgh EH19 3JB Tel: 01875 820153 Fax: 01875 821936 www.dalhousiecastle.co.uk Dalhousie, an 800 year old castle, is said to be haunted by the Grey Lady (Lady Catherine). She was the mistress of one of the Ramsays. The jealous wife of the unfaithful Ramsay imprisoned the Grey Lady in a turret. The ghost has been blamed for strange noises heard on occasion in the castle, such as the rustling of her grey dress on the floor, and has been sighted on the stairs and in the dungeons. Swallow Thainstone House Hotel and Country Club Thainstone Estate, Inverurie, Aberdeenshire AB51 5NT Tel: 01467 621643 www.swallowhotels.com This estate is haunted by a 'Green Lady' who was the daughter of the former owner of the house and was killed in a riding accident. She is called the 'Green Lady' because she wore a green cloak when out riding. Pets at the hotel will not enter one of the bedrooms in which things move around of their own accord. The house was also the home of James Wilson, who signed the American Declaration of Independence in Maine. Members of the 'Most Haunted' T.V programme visited the hotel in February 2005 and apparently were ?visited' in the bedrooms. Inveraray Castle Inveraray, Argyll Tel: 01499 302203 www.inveraray-castle.com The Green Library has long been said to be haunted, which is supported by a loud crashing sound that is often heard there. Another ghostly occurrence at Inveraray is The Harbinger, which is said to appear just before the death of a Campbell chief. It has also been said that when the passing of a Campbell chief is near, ravens will come to Inveraray and circle the castle. Another ghost at Inveraray is of a harpist. In 1644, the Marquis of Montrose drove the Duke of Argyll from Inveraray, and upon entering the castle found the Duke's harpist and ordered his execution. The ghostly figure of the harpist is said to be wearing the tartan of the Campbells and playing the harp. He is also associated with the noise of scattering books in the library. Learmonth Gardens, Edinburgh This was once the home of Sir Alexander Hay Seton. He and his wife visited Egypt in 1936, and his wife took back with her a bone she found in a tomb. A poltergeist then haunted the house, destroying rooms and eventually the bone itself was broken into five parts during one particularly stormy wrecking. Sir Alexander was convinced that the bone was cursed, and certainly he had very bad luck, with both his first and second marriages ending in divorce. He eventually had the bone exorcised, and then completely burned, but even so, he became depressed and felt that the curse would always continue. He remarried for a third time, and on his honeymoon had a premonition that he would die in six months. He died seven months later. Edinburgh Walking Tours There are many companies in the city who specialise in historical and haunted walking tours: Auld Reekie Tours Tel: 0131 557 4700 www.auldreekietours.co.uk Cadies and Witchery Tours Tel: 0131 225 6745 www.witcherytours.com City of the Dead Graveyard Tours Tel 0131 225 9044 www.blackhart.uk.com Mercat Walking Tours Tel 0131 225 5445 www.mercattours.com For full details about ghostly happenings in Scotland, contact the Scottish Tourist Office, Visit Scotland

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