Ghosts of Edinburgh Castle
Haunted Scottish Citadel Boasts a Bevy of Phantoms
The castle-fortress, built on volcanic rock, was initially the royal residence of David I, Scottish Prince and Earl of Huntingdon, in the 12th century. Edinburgh Castle has been involved in many historical conflicts from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 1300s to the Jacobite Rising in 1745.
In the late 1600s, the site became a military fort with a large garrison. It was the scene of tragedies and deaths, making it a great home for haunters.
Edinburg Castle Phantom Piper
Edinburgh has a hidden labyrinth of underground passageways including a series of secret tunnels leading from the castle to the Royal Mile.
When these tunnels were discovered several centuries ago, a piper was sent to explore them. He kept playing his instrument so his progress could be monitored by those above ground. About half way down to the Royal Mile, his piping suddenly stopped. A rescue party was sent to find him, but found no trace of the piper. People have heard spectral piping in the tunnels and the castle.
Ghost of Edinburgh's Headless Drummer
The phantom drummer, in the form of a headless boy, was first seen before Cromwell attacked the castle in 1650. His ghost is seen only when the castle will soon be assaulted. While there have been no recent sightings because the castle hasn’t been attacked, people have reportedly heard the beating of his ghostly drums.
Ghost Dogs and Other Specters of Edinburgh Castle
There is a cemetery for dogs on Edinburgh’s grounds. People have heard sounds of dogs barking and have, on occasion, sighted one of the canines that are said to haunt the graveyard.
Spectral people include a man wearing a leather apron, spirits of the Seven Years War’s French prisoners and colonial ones from the American Revolutionary War.
Edinburgh Castle’s Haunted Dungeons
People have encountered paranormal activity in these chambers where prisoners were incarcerated. Experients have reported an unseen presence tugging their clothes, sudden drops in temperature, seeing shadowy forms, being touched by something invisible, a feeling of being watched and sensing an unearthly presence.
Eerie Experience in Edinburgh’s South Bridge Vault
In 2001, a team of nine paranormal researchers explored the castle's chambers and secret passages. One was a young woman who was alone in investigating one of South Bridge’s chambers. She had a video camera to record what she saw, heard and/or felt.
She reported hearing breathing emanating from a corner of the room which increased in volume and thought she saw a flash of light in the corner, but didn't want to study it. The only hard evidence was some digital photographs that showed dense spots of light, strange mists and a green blob.
What are the Ghosts of Edinburgh Castle?
The specters would be classified as a haunting. In the 1980s, this term was used for ghosts that were witnessed that had no intelligence, like a videotape imprinted on time and space. Today, the word has a broader meaning that includes apparitions, intelligent ghosts, and poltergeists, as well as a haunting, so some use the term, residual haunting, to refer to this phenomenon.
Articles Related to Haunted Edinburgh Castle
People who liked this article might enjoy Ghosts of Three British Castles, along with Haunted Welsh Castles and The Ghosts of Windsor Castle.
Source:
Haunted Britain, Anthony D. Hippisley Coxe, (McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1973).
Edinburgh Castle Haunted by Ghostly Piper
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