Dalhousie Castle

In honor of Halloween, I'll make my best attempt to re-tell my ghostly experience....

Eric's brother decided for the ultimate fairly tale wedding. They planned for years to get married in Scotland, sending out 'save the date' cards to everyone. We marked it on our calendar, thinking that it would be a long shot to make it all the way to Scotland for their wedding in a castle. As time came nearer, it appeared that we would be able to join them in Scotland for their wedding. We decided that we would take two weeks and make a fabulous vacation out of it. Eric's grandparents and mom joined us. I planned all the details of the trip, from the multiple plane trips, to the hotels, to the private tours. We were all very excited and really looking forward to the experiences we'd have in Ireland and Scotland.

We spent the first week exploring Southern Ireland. It was a beautiful country, probably my favorite country I've been to.

We flew to Scotland and checked in at Dalhousie Castle in Bonnyrigg Scotland, just outside Edinburgh. Dalhousie Castle is a 13th century fortress. I didn't know quite what to expect of a castle, but it was quite awesome. Each of our rooms were different. Our room was a warm orange color. There was a bathroom and a bed area. There was also a sitting area. Some castles have round turrets at the corners. Our room was a corner room, so it had the round area which had been turned into a sitting area. This area used to house a spiral staircase, providing access to all floors of the castle.

The wedding was beautiful, kilts and everything. On the wedding night we went to Edinburgh, skipping out on a ghost tour that the rest of the wedding party was participating in (I'm not a fan of scary things at all). We hoped to do laundry, but didn't find an open laundromat. We went back to the castle, and joined the wedding party (whose ghost tour didn't work out). Ryan, Eric's brother, had talked with Peter, one of the employees. Peter arranged to give us a tour of the castle. The tour started out in the library, where Peter shared some of the castle history. The castle is supposed to be haunted by Lady Catherine who starved herself, among other people and animals.

We all followed each other around the castle, as Peter points out differnet secret passages. We each take a turn going halfway down some secret basement stairs. I've never said that I believe in ghosts. I've also never said that I don't believe in ghosts. I just don't want to mess with that type of stuff because it scares me. So, throughout the tour, I just kind of brush off any hauting stories that Peter shares, thinking it's all made up. The history of the castle is one of war and bloodshed.

As the tour winds down, Eric and I climb the massive crooked stairs to our room. We were tired after a long day, and went to sleep. During the middle of the night, I awoke suddenly. Something didn't feel right in the room. I'm afraid to open my eyes. Over in the corner of the room, near the sitting area, I feel that there is something over there. It was not a pleasant feeling at all. I wake up Eric, panicking. I was terrified. I felt something evil and I was scared. Eric just laughed at me and told me that I was thinking of the tour and that I was imagining things. I opened my eyes, expecting to see two red eyes looking back at me. I didn't see anything through the darkness. I still felt something, something that to this day gives me chills and makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck any time I think of it. Eric puts his arm around me, trying to comfort me. I started crying. I really felt something in that room and was incredibly afraid. Somehow I managed to go back to sleep. In the morning I refused to go to that area of the room. I had left some of my toiletries in that area and did not want to get them. I made Eric get them out of the room so we could pack up and leave the castle, which I was eager to do.

I never saw or heard anything ghost-like at the castle. There were times that I felt like I wasn't alone eventhough there wasn't anyone around (when I was getting a massage at the spa and when I was in the bathroom). When I got home I did some research regarding the castle. There are many haunting accounts. There was one lady who described an experience quite similar to mine. A website wrote of how there are accounts of a ghost who would wander the turrets. I will always believe that I felt one of the ghosts of Dalhousie Castle.