Glamis Castle is renowned as being one of the most haunted castles in Scotland. A mischievous servant boy tripping up guests, a gambler playing cards for all eternity, a tongue-less woman and a Grey Lady are all rumoured to be very long-term residents of the castle, which will be holding Haunted Tours on 29/30 October.
There are several recent accounts of a ghostly pilot being seen at the original, World War 1 barracks at Montrose Air Station Heritage Centre, while Edzell Castle is said to be haunted by the wife of a 15th century earl, David Ogilvy. Apparently, Lady Ogilvy was mistakenly buried alive but somehow escaped her premature burial, only to perish at the gate of the castle while waiting for someone to answer her calls for help – and she’s still waiting…
Halfway between Arbroath and Auchmithie, in the aptly-named Forbidden Cave, a ghostly piper can sometimes be heard playing his last song. The story is that the piper sought shelter on his way back from playing at a wedding – never to be seen again. Unless of course, you’re brave enough to enter The Forbidden Cave!
On the roads around Brechin, where Hallowe’en in the City will take place on October 29, ghost hunters should look out for a black coach drawn by black horses. According to local legend, a former laird of Kinnaird Castle was condemned to ride in this coach for all eternity as a punishment for his evil ways and dastardly deeds.
Surprisingly, there are no reports of witches haunting Forfar, the Angus town where, in the seventeenth century, a terrible witch hunt resulted in the torture and execution of several local women. “It’s quite strange that there are no ghost stories linked to the Forfar Witches,” admitted Fiona Scharlau, Senior Archivist at the Angus Archives and host of ANGUSalive’s highly-popular Witches Walks through the streets of Forfar. “The witches were executed in the Victoria Street area, near to where the old windmill was situated.
“During my time at Angus Archives, I’ve been told many local ghost stories, including quite a few about Restenneth Priory, which lies behind the modern Angus Archives building on the outskirts of Forfar. I’ve never seen anything untoward there but I’ve noticed that when I go to the Priory on my own, even on a warm and sunny day, it’s cold and unwelcoming, while if I’m with a group, the atmosphere is completely different.
“There are lots of spine-chilling tales connected to Angus,” continued Fiona. “Many of these ghost stories have been passed from generation to generation of local families, ensuring they continue to add to the rich heritage of the fascinating – if sometimes slightly spooky - county of Angus.”
For more information about places to go and things to do in Angus, including accommodation, visit www.visitangus.com.
Angus Council
Angus Council works to create strong secure communities, an enterprising workforce, and sustainable development over the range of public services for which it has responsibility. We are a customer and citizen focused organisation and work to deliver accessible, effective and efficient services for the county\'s population.
