Scotland’s ‘top haunted houses’ including historic castle home to ‘monster’

The ‘top haunted houses to visit in Scotland’ have been named by a popular travel magazine.

While summer is usually seen as a time of sunshine and beaches, there are plenty of mysterious and spooky spots in Scotland worth a visit all throughout the year. Not to mention, we are likely to get more than a few days of dark skies and rain over the coming months.

For those keen to head to some of Scotland’s more hair-raising sites, website DRIFT Travel has revealed the country’s “top haunted houses” that are open to the public. Whether you want to feel your hairs stand on end or are just interested in Scottish history, they are all well worth checking out.

One of the “haunted” destinations singled out by DRIFT is Glamis Castle in Angus, which the website describes as having “many ghostly encounters due to its scary history and mind-boggling tales that have aroused interest”. The historic castle, which dates back to the 14th century and is the home of the Earl of Strathmore and Kinghorne, was once the inspiration for William Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

The most famous spooky tale associated with Glamis Castle is that of ‘The Monster of Glamis’, a “malformed and misshaped” child said to have been born inside. According to legend, the poor boy was sequestered to a section of the castle that was sealed away behind bricks after his death.

Given this tragic and sinister tale, it is not surprising that Glamis Castle has earned a reputation for being haunted. With around nine spirits believed to inhabit the castle in total — including the ghost of Lady Glamis herself — there have been many reports of unexplained happenings over the years, including sudden bangs and wailing moans.

The building is open to the public, with visitors being able to walk its historic narrow corridors. If you feel a strange presence around you, it might just be the The Monster of Glamis.

Elsewhere, another eerie destination in Scotland you can visit according to DRIFT Travel is Skelmorlie Aisle in the Ayrshire town of Largs. The remains of an old church that was torn down in 1802, the site has long been a supposed hotspot for paranormal activity.

The aisle, which contains the original church’s mausoleum, is said to be haunted by ghosts not able to find peace in the afterlife. Visitors to the site, which is open to the public so long as you are accompanied by a guide from Largs Museum, have reported hearing strange sounds and feeling chills while walking around.

DRIFT Travel adds: “When you enter the old doorway of the Skelmorlie Aisle, you can almost imagine the sense of history smothering you, with the air echoing with the solemn presence of something otherworldly.”

The full list of the ‘top haunted houses to visit in Scotland’ can be found on the DRIFT Travel website.

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