Mary Queen of Scots took her first tentative steps down the stairway as the sun rose over Fotheringhay Castle sometime between 7 and 8 in the morning of the 8th of February 1587. But Mary was a queen, and she would meet her fate with the dignity of her office. A deadly hush would have [...]
Perhaps nowhere in the world has as many tales of hauntings as Scotland's Haunted Highlands. The Landscape and Scotland's Haunted Highlands There is a haunting quality to the Highlands of Scotland which conjure up images of kilted clansmen appearing out of the mist. The ruins of abandoned cottages are remnants of a way of life [...]
The martyrdom of George Wishart at St Andrews on the 1st of March 1546 has a déjà vu feel to it. Only eighteen years prior to this, Patrick Hamilton had a similar fate at the hands of a Catholic Beaton in the town, once said to hold the relics of Scotland’s Patron Saint. George Wishart [...]
Perhaps one of the most magical places on Earth, Spooky Scotland investigates haunted Skye. The mention of Skye conjures up images of rugged landscapes, picturesque villages and medieval castles. It is a land overflowing with myths and legends, with tales of faeries and giants and lochs which are home to ferocious Kelpies. It is a [...]
As evening descended on Holyrood Palace, 9th Match 1566, a band of assassins burst into the chambers of the heavily pregnant Mary Queen of Scots and, before her eyes, brutally murdered David Rizzio, her secretary. His blood still stains the floor where he was slain, and his ghost is said to haunt the 16th Century [...]
Eilean Donan lies in one of the most scenic spots in Scotland. Built on an island, where Loch Duich, Long Long and Loch Alsh meet, it was once the site of an Iron Age vitrified fort, built by the Picts. It takes its name from a Gaelic Priest, Saint Donnán of Eigg who lived around [...]
Cawdor Castle is one of the Highland's haunted castles. Immortalised by Shakespeare in his play ‘Macbeth’, built around a holly tree and haunted by an apparition said to be the ghost of an heiress once kidnapped by one of the most powerful families in Scotland, Cawdor Castle lies in a peaceful location which belies its [...]
Betrayals and Besiege at Ardvreck Castle! Nestled between the shores of Loch Assynt and the looming peaks of the Quinag, Ardvreck Castle (Caisteal Àrd Bhric in Gaelic) in the Scottish Highlands was once home to the MacLeods of Assynt. It is an achingly beautiful part of Scotland with mountain faces of sheer rock and bleak [...]