Ghosts of Craigmillar Castle
Craigmillar Castle, built in the 14th century by Simon de Preston on Edinburgh's southeastern edge, once held John Stewart, younger brother of King James III. Accused of witchcraft, John died mysteriously in his bath in Canongate, and the Prestons were implicated in his death.
Later, in the mid-16th century, Craigmillar was burned by English troops under Edward Seymour during the Rough Wooing, after the English had ravaged Edinburgh.
Mary, Queen of Scots, stayed at Craigmillar Castle several times. There, her advisors plotted to murder her husband, Lord Darnley.
Today, Craigmillar Castle stands as a romantic ruin with maze-like hallways, dark corridors, and hidden chambers, making it a perfect backdrop for a ghost or two.
The castle's eerie atmosphere persists into more modern times. In the 1930s, construction on the nearby Niddrie Mains housing estate must have disturbed an earlier resting place. Soon after construction began, witnesses reported encountering something otherworldly.
One such encounter occurred in 1934. Witnesses reported seeing a menacing figure gliding over the fields and lanes in the shadow of the castle. It wore a long, dark blue hooded cloak and long hair over its forehead, blocking its face from full view. It also wore riding boots with spurs, which jangled. It was said to gleam menacingly as it approached people. The figure was seen gliding towards the castle before vanishing inside. It was reportedly last seen on a side street leading to the castle, but no further sightings have been reported since the 1930s.
Locals conducted ghost hunts to capture evidence of a ghost or lay the spirit to rest. During one such occasion, a ghost hunter claimed to see a shadowy figure around the ruins, then disappear through an old doorway and retreat into the dark recesses of the castle.
Another ghostly presence reported is the White Lady, most often near stairways in the castle. Witnesses describe her as a silent or sorrowful figure, sometimes identified as Lady Marion or Marion of Dalpeddar, a noblewoman who experienced a tragic love affair and was imprisoned at Craigmillar. She entered the castle around 1590 and, according to local legend, was never seen again.
In addition to the White Lady, some visitors have seen the ghost of a soldier or a man in military dress heading towards the castle gates before vanishing.
Overall, local folklore tells of eerie sounds echoing in the corridors, shadowy apparitions drifting through the ruins, and an unsettling sense of unrest, all tied to the castle's uneasy history. Supporting these tales, a skeleton was discovered walled up in the castle in 1813, though its identity remained unknown.
