Scottish Hauntings - Ghostly Women

The lawn Is pressed by unseen feet,

and ghosts return Gently at twilight, gently go at dawn,

The sad intangible who grieve and yearn....

T.S. ELIOT, To Walter de la Mare

White, blue, grey, green and even pink ones! Women who haunt come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Their reasons for haunting are as diverse as the locations they are found in. Indeed female ghosts are found all over the world and are one of the most common forms of paranormal manifestation - and Scotland is no exception. One other aspect that links these spirits is the power of the emotions before death. Could it be that these intense feelings are the reason they linger on the earthly plane?

They say that shadows of deceased ghosts

Do haunt the houses and the graves about,

Of such whose life's lamp went untimely out,

Delighting still in their forsaken hosts.

Joshua Sylvester

The female ghosts in the following stories certainly had their 'life's lamp' put out sooner that they would have wished.

Kittie Rankie - Abergeldie Castle, Ballater, Aberdeenshire:

Kittie was also known as 'French Kate' - her birthplace obviously being France. It was while Kittie was working as a castle servant that she fell foul of the lady of the house! This resulted in Kittie being charged and executed for witchcraft.

The stories about the castle state that when the lady of the house asked the question - 'Where is my husband?' Kittie replied that he was with another woman. This apparently sent the lady of the house into a rage and she took her anger out on poor Kittie. The dungeons of the castle was the area where Kittie was held both during her trial and before her execution. The execution took place on the hillside above the castle.

Kittie's ghost, a silent and sad figure, has been seen on the land surrounding the castle and near to the hill where she was executed. But she has also been seen in the cellars where the dungeons were located.

But Kittie is not always a silent ghost. Her spirit has been seen numerous times in the clock tower and the bell will toll whenever death or misfortune is about to strike the family.

Lady Anne Douglas - Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries and Galloway:

One of the most puzzling hauntings is that of Lady Anne Douglas. This apparition has been witnessed with her head severed. Yet there are no public records of an execution or of a murder. Many have suggested that she could have been the victim of a private execution that would be hidden from public scrutiny. If so what was the reason? Intriguingly another story associated with Drumlanrig has an area known as the 'bloody hallway'. Legend says that a murder took place here and that the blood stains remained no matter how often the floor was scrubbed. The identity of the victim is unknown but could we speculate that it might be Lady Anne? In addition it is unclear which Lady Anne maybe inferred here, but it could be from the period of the 17th century.

Spirit Screaming - Carleton Castle (ruins) Lendalfoot, Ayrshire:

The screaming of these spirits is not the work of one female ghost but several. They are thought to be the murdered wives of one lord who was insane. Each lady in turn was pushed off the nearby cliffs to her death. But in among the screams is sometimes heard one of a man. This is the lord who was himself pushed off the cliff by wife number eight! The mad lord is thought to be Sir John Cathcart - described as the Scottish Bluebeard. The wife who survived him was brave Mary Kennedy from Culzean Castle, who finding out his intention to murder her as he did his previous wives, managed to push him from the cliffs to his death.

Janet Dalrymple - Baldoon Castle, Bladnoch, Galloway:

Janet is said to haunt Baldoon Castle perhaps out of guilt or because of a love that she lost? Janet lived in the 17th century, the exact year is not clarified, one September - Janet was forced by her parents to abandon the man she loved in order to marry Sir David Dunbar of Baldoon. Janet had actually become betrothed to a penniless local man but was forced to renounce this vow.

On her wedding night, Janet became so distraught at the prospect of living with a man she could not love nor of seeing her true love again, she stabbed her new husband with a dirk (dagger). Her husband actually survived the attack but Janet died soon afterwards - some stories say that she threw her self from one of the tower windows. After these bloody events Sir David Dunbar would never divulge the full details of the happenings of his horrific wedding night. The ghost of Janet has been seen walking the grounds and within the castle on numerous occasions. Many witnesses have reported that she wears a white gown, possibly a wedding gown, that has blood stains on the front bodice.

Now it is the time of night

That the graves, all gaping wide,

In the church-way paths to glide...

William Shakespeare, "A Midsummer Night's Dream"

Lady Marion Carruthers, Comlongon Castle - Dumfries & Galloway.

It is sad and ironic that this tragic story should take place so near to Gretna Green - the historic area where lovers get married. Scotland's more relaxed laws and the special licence of the blacksmiths meant that young lovers, especially from England, would journey to Gretna Green before anxious or angry relatives could stop them. It is now a very popular destination for love and marriage. However, many years prior to Gretna's popularity, a young woman lived at the nearby castle of Comlongon. Lady Marion Carruthers had inherited great wealth and lands on the death of her father. Her father had also arranged a marriage for his daughter just prior to his death. The would-be husband was Sir James Douglas. Lady Marion detested him and refused to marry him. Her exasperated uncle locked her in the tower of comlongon hoping to change her mind. Finally a decree came from the Court that stated Lady Marion had been betrothed to Douglas and was committed to marriage. Some accounts suggest that the decree came from Mary Queen of Scots herself.

The story then states that on hearing this news the distressed and distraught Lady Marion jumped from the window of the tower in which she was kept. An historical account of the time recorded the following:

“On the 25th, September 1570, Lady Marion Carruthers did willfully take her own life by leaping from the lookout tower of Comlongon Castle where she was being held captive and did break her head and bones.”

Because of the decree of suicide Lady Marion did not receive a Christian burial.

However, a few years after the tragic death of this young woman strong rumours, especially from the local people who new Lady Marion well, were abroad that Lady Marion was murdered. It was suggested that some of Douglas's men entered the tower where Marion was and when she still refused to marry Sir James, was thrown from the window. There is also a legend that survives to this day that on the area of grass where Marion fell, no flowers have ever grown there.

Her ghost has been seen on numerous occasions at the castle. A lady dressed in a long green gown and crying is thought to be that of Lady Marion. It is believed that either her spirit is restless because she was not buried in consecrated ground. But could her spirit be restless because it was not suicide but murder?

And what about Douglas? Well, because he had been legally betrothed to Lady Marion, by the laws of the time, he automatically inherited all her wealth and lands.

Marion Ogilvie - Claypotts Castle, Dundee

The spirit of a 'white lady' has been seen on numerous occasions at the castle. Frequently the apparition has been seen at one of the windows and witnesses have also observed that the spirit seems to be waving her hand or sometimes a hankerchief. This spirit is frequently believed to be that of Marion Ogilvie.

In the 16th century Marion Ogilvie was the mistress of Cardinal Beaton - who was murdered in St. Andrews on 29th May, 1546. However, it's unclear why the 'white lady' ghost is said to be that of Marion as Claypotts didn't exist until much later in the century. It is possible that another lady called 'Marion' haunts the castle and the date of 29th May is again significant due to a separate ghost and anniversary haunting..

In 1601 Claypotts Castle was bought by the Grahams and later owned by John Graham of Claverhouse, Viscount Dundee. His most famous name however is 'Bonnie Dundee' but also 'bluidy (bloody) Clavers' by his enemies. The castle was also the focus of rumours about diabolic ritual and demonic orgies lead by John Graham. Graham was killed at the battle of Killiecrankie in 1689 and his spirit is also said to return to the castle on 29th May. So could the 'White Lady' be a former wife or mistress of John Graham? Or perhaps an unwilling participant in evil rituals and is crying out for help?

Lady Jean Drummond - Newton Castle, Blairgowrie, Perthshire.

The castle dates back to at least the 14th century. The main ghost said to haunt here is Lady Jean Drummond. Her story relates to a man that she loved very much and initially the signs were hopeful that he felt the same way. However, he was soon seen in the company of another lady and Lady Jean became distraught. She is said to have dressed herself in the finest silk gowns, braided pearls into her hair and did everything to make herself more attractive, but all to no good. It was if her former lover did not even notice her. She apparently became withdrawn and could be seen and heard sitting in the castle tower singing sad love songs. When her ghost is encountered it is usually the singing that is first noticed. Her spirit is also seen wandering sadly around different areas of the castle.

But legend tells of another aspect to this story. This second account states that Lady Jean won her lover back by seeking the help of a local witch. She was instructed to dress in the witching colour of green and all would be well. The legend states that this was successful and Lady Jean finally wed her beloved. However, it is said that she died on her wedding night - her soul having been abducted by dark forces. Legend also states that her gravestone is said to turn around three times on Halloween night.

There is no doubt that the majority of our female ghosts are heartbroken women. Life was not kind to them and the emotional stress of their predicaments has perhaps lead to them being trapped or compelled to re-visit the earthly plane.

Much of their stories have also been lost in time and so legends grow up around them. Could it be that they long to tell their own story, the truth, rather than hearsay? We will probably never know. But we can hope that at least one day, they may find the peace and happiness that so alluded them in life.