Fyvie Castle Hotel
Fyvie Castle, Fyvie, Turriff, Aberdeenshire, AB53 8JS
Historic castle property with self-catering holiday accommodation in Preston Tower
Fyvie Castle harbours one of Scotland's most extensive collections of spectral residents, with documented encounters spanning centuries. The Green Lady - identified as Lilias Drummond - dominates the castle's supernatural reputation. Lilias was the first wife of Alexander Seton, Lord Fyvie, and her story forms the tragic centrepiece of Fyvie's haunting. Lilias died around 1601 under circumstances that remain disputed. Some accounts state she starved to death after being imprisoned by her husband, who grew impatient for a male heir she could not provide. Others suggest she died of a broken heart after Alexander began pursuing Grizel Leslie, whom he married shortly after Lilias's death. The wedding night brought the first manifestation - Seton and his new bride woke to find Lilias's name carved into the stone windowsill of their bedchamber from the outside. The inscription "D. LILIAS DRUMMOND" remains visible today on the Charter Room's window ledge, positioned high on the castle wall where no living person could have reached it. The Green Lady appears in shimmering green satin, accompanied by the unmistakable scent of roses. Staff and visitors report her presence throughout the castle, particularly near the Charter Room. Temperature drops precede her appearances, and howling sounds echo through the night when she walks. Lady Meldrum, the Grey Lady, predates the Green Lady by several centuries. This 13th-century apparition frequents the castle grounds and the shores of the loch, where she has been observed near the boat house. Her identity remains less documented than Lilias's, though her presence has been reported consistently over generations. A child ghost named Annie plays on the main staircase, her laughter and footsteps heard by visitors ascending to the upper floors. Another infant spirit makes itself known through crying that emanates from within the walls of the Morning Room - explained by the discovery of a child's skeleton bricked up in a chimney during renovation work. The circumstances surrounding this hidden burial remain unknown. The library holds a particularly oppressive atmosphere, attributed to John Pollock. Pollock was a murderer who was hanged for his crime, and his death mask remains on display within the room. Sensitive visitors report overwhelming nausea and dread when entering this space. A phantom trumpeter provides musical accompaniment to the castle's hauntings, with trumpet music heard despite no visible musician. Visitors have also encountered a cigar-smoking male figure whose identity has never been established.
Spirits: Lilias Drummond (the Green Lady), Lady Meldrum (the Grey Lady)...