Not all the ghosts of Fyvie Castle in Scotland should be feared, but some certainly should be, says CALLUM CAMPBELL
Fyvie in Aberdeenshire is a small, unassuming village. Bordering it, however, is Fyvie Castle, a stunning piece of architecture that has a bloody history as intriguing as its architecture.
Many sources state that the earliest parts of the castle were built by William the Lion in 1211 and from here it passed into many hands such as Robert the Bruce and the families of Preston, Meldrum, Seton, Gordon and Leith. It stayed in the Leith Family until it was sold to the National Trust in 1984.
Fyvie Castle boasts many hauntings, staff report nine separate ghosts in the building, although only a few have much information of note.
Horror of Fvyie Castle’s Green Lady
One ghost, the Green Lady, has an especially horrific background. It is said she was Alexander Seton’s wife, Lilias Drummond, who was imprisoned by Seton after failing to provide him with an heir.
A rescue was attempted, however, this led to Lilias having to witness her family being murdered in front of her very eyes and then watching their dismembered boby parts thrown out of the window. After living a life of misery and horror she died an agonising death at the hands of starvation.
After Lilas’ death, Seton was perfectly happy to marry another young lass but understandably Lilas was not too happy about this.
Their wedding night was interrupted by ethereal screeching and screaming and in the morning it was found that Lilias Drummond had been scratched into the stone windowsill.
Now, Lilias still roams the halls of Fyvie Castle and is followed by the scent of roses. She has stated she does not wish to harm anyone and acts as a leader for the ghosts of Fyvie in conversations with mediums.
John Pollock, out for blood
This is shown in her dealings with another ghost, John Pollock. While Lilias does not want to hurt anyone, John is out for blood and Lilias is perpetually trying to stop him.
He haunts the library where his death mask is displayed. It details marks around his neck which are meant to represent his death by strangulation, he was hanged on murder charges.
Many ghost-sensitive people feel very worried and fearful around the library and some even state they feel nauseous and refuse to enter.
Some other notable spectres of Fyvie Castle are Annie, a little girl that plays on the stairs and an unknown man that smells of cigar smoke.
Even if we exclude the phantoms, the castle is still affected by not one, but two curses!
Curses of Fyvie Castle
The first curse is of an unknown origin but it’s effects are well documented. There is a sealed up dungeon underneath the Charter Room at Fyvie and it is warned that if it is to be opened the Laird of Fyvie will die and his wife will begin to lose her sight.
In the two occurrences this warning has been ignored both things happened.
The second curse was instituted by a man named Thomas the Rhymer. He requested shelter at the castle but was denied. In annoyance, he cursed that castle so that unless three bricks that fell into the river during construction were retrieved the Castle would never have a first born heir.
One of these bricks is in the Charter Room and one was built into the foundation. The other remains in the river and as a consequence Fyvie has never had a first-born heir.
In conclusion, Fyvie Castle is a ghostly place but it reminds us that not all ghosts are to be feared but some certainly should be.
Have you been to Fyvie Castle? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below!
Watch Fyvie Castle Video
CALLUM CAMPBELL is a determined writer who lives in Blantyre, Scotland, and enjoys reading, writing about the supernatural, weightlifting and cycling.
