Stay in a (haunted) Castle

Culzean Castle, Scotland

Was famously a filming location for the 1973 chiller The Wicker Man. The setting is pure theatre, propped atop a cliff and overlooking a craggy coastline. On stormy nights, it is said that you can hear a ghostly piper, his figure wandering the grounds beside the ruined church !  And led by expert guides, discover the secrets, stories and legends surrounding this magnificent 18th-century masterpiece, perched high above the Ayrshire cliffs.

Ballygally Castle, Northern Ireland

This castle sits serenely on the Causeway Coast. You may recognise the area if you are a Game of Thrones fan, but the real drama of this location lies in the building. Lady Isobella Shaw is the friendly ghost in residence; she fell to her death from a window after being locked in a room and by her husband. Now she has a habit of playfully knocking on the doors, then disappearing. There’s also “The Ghost Room” in a corner turret of the castle.

Dalhousie Castle, Scotland

Dating from the 13th century, Dalhousie Castle is very old and very haunted. Sir Alexander Ramsay is the best-known ghost; he starved to death here in 1342. He is sometimes spotted roaming the halls and moving objects, which may explain the sound of footsteps at night. Luckily there is a spa in which to unwind if the paranormal gets too much.

Oakley Court, England

If the gothic appearance of Oakley Court seems scarily familiar, that’s because it is. Many a famous Hammer horror film was made here, including The Curse of Frankenstein and Brides of Dracula. Off screen the hotel is just as creepy, with a historical reputation for being “evil”. Most famously, a certain Penelope Gallerneault witnessed figures wearing sinister hoods pacing around the grounds. Shortly afterwards her two children drowned.