Haunted Scotland?

Question

I'm doing a tourism project where I'm supposed to put together a travel package (including airfare and lodging) Feeling quirky, I thought I would do a haunted travel package and focus on the ghosts and supposed mythical creatures. My friends dad is a ghost hunter, so she suggested Scotland. If anyone out there knows any haunted hotels/resturants or sites to see, please let me know. (Ideally they would be reasonably close to one another...)

No insulting answers please :-)

Answer 1

Excellent idea! Scotland is full of myth and legend, and has many ghosts and strange creatures. It's not such a huge country, so you could base yourself in, say Edinburgh, and explore from there.

Here's a site for a walking ghost tour of Edinburgh:
http://www.viator.com/tours/Edinburgh/Evening-Walking-Tour-of-Edinburgh-Haunted-Underground-Experience/d739-293403UNDER
http://paranormal.about.com/library/weekly/aa042301a.htm
http://www.wyrdology.com/edinburgh/ghosts.html
Holyroodhouse is haunted; Mary, Queen of Scots lived there and witnessed, while pregnant, the murder of David Rizzio by her husband. Edinburgh itself has many stories to tell of magic and mystery - and Burke and Hare and such people.
http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474976822837

In the Highlands, Glen Coe is called the "Weeping Vale" on account of the murder of the MacDonalds by the Campbells in the 17th century. It is mysteriously atmospheric, brooding and beautiful. You have also the myths of the Lochs: Nessie, and Morag of Loch Morar.

Here is a site on haunted castles, including Glamis, the home of the late Queen Mother:
http://www.rampantscotland.com/features/haunted.htm (there is said to be a secret room there which once housed a "monster", a dreadful secret which is passed from father to heir)

There are myths of the Glens, the great valleys; Loch Etive has a strange presence, reported by many a lonely traveller. There are also stories of witches and the devil, and ghostly pipers.

I've focussed mainly on the Highlands here, which seem to abound in strange tales, perhaps because of its bloody history and rugged, lonely land. Don't forget the Fairy Flag of Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye, and the haunted, tragic battlefield of Culloden.

Cameron House by Loch Lomond (I think it's an hotel now) has a very interesting story. Inside is a room in which events have occurred which defy prosaic explanation. Objects have been seen in this room which in fact do not exist, despite their apparent solidity. On one occasion, a little boy saw a most vivid image of a doll's house, and rushed to tell his mother and nurse, who politely expressed astonishment. But the feigned surprise turned to genuine amazement when, two months later, the boy was given a doll's house for Christmas - and cried that it was exactly the same as the one he saw, and how did they know? This room is never identified to strangers, to prevent people anticipating apparitions and convincing themselves they have seen something.

There are a lot of useful sites on the net; perhaps a particular tour would suit, as well as the walking tours in town. Good luck!

Answer 2

Edinburgh's Old Town aside, in south-east Scotland there's Hermitage Castle near Newcastleton, Newark Tower near Selkirk, and the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel near St Boswells.
There are some good "Haunted Scotland" books available, which you should be able to source through Waterstones or WH Smith.

Answer 3

Well, Edinburgh has some great ghost walks. We went on one about ten years ago when we were there. Here's a link that, if you scroll down, gives some info on the actual places visited

http://www.stuckonscotland.co.uk/edinburgh/ghost-tours.html

And here's another with different info:
http://www.mercattours.com/scheduled-tours.asp

Answer 4

I cannot turn you on to a tour, but whoever you go with make sure that you go to Glamis. It is purported to be the most haunted site on the British Isles even though I have never seen anything of this sort on my visits.

Answer 5

If you would you can go to alaska to kennicott , it is a ghosttown.but i believe the summertime is best to go. Don't know about airfare,ect.just check online and see and let me know. Bonnie.