GREGOR STEWART continues his series looking at the Most Haunted Scottish Castles with spooky Kellie Castle, Fife
Kellie Castle, near Pittenweem, Fife, dates back to the 14th Century, although it is possible an earlier building stood on the site.
The Oliphant family took over the land in 1360 and their descendants lived there until 1797, when the 7th Earl died with no direct descendants.
Ownership of the castle passed to distant relatives, who neither occupied nor maintained the building, allowing it to fall into a state of serious disrepair.
In 1878, however, the castle it was saved by the Professor of Law at Edinburgh University, James Lorimer, who restored the it, making it the family home until 1970 when it was purchased by the National Trust for Scotland and opened as a visitor centre.
Two spirits haunt Kellie Castle
The castle is reported to be haunted by two spirits.
James Lorimer is said to haunt one of the castle corridors where he is seen in a seated position.
Anne Erskine, who it is said fell to her death from one of the castle windows, is claimed to haunt one of the spiral staircases.
Her spirit is rarely seen, but footsteps are heard on the staircase, while reports of a pair of red shoes being seen running up the stairs have been made.
Tell us about your experiences at Kellie Castle in the comments!
So… I was on a tour of Kellie Castle today 11/06/2023, and when we were in the Earl’s bedroom I started to feel really dizzy and nauseated and had to get out of the room in a hurry. I felt like there was a malevolent presence there. The tour guide said that I wasn’t the first person to have felt the same way. When we went for a cup of tea after the tour we spoke to some of the other volunteers. All the women we spoke to said they tried to avoid spending too much time in the room as it made them feel uncomfortable.
I came home and did some research, and wasn’t surprised by what I found. I believe that the malevolent presence is still there despite the supposed exorcism. Also one of the families had converted to Catholicism. There are all sorts of catholic statues and paintings. There is even a dedicated chapel. Obviously this presence must have been so strong for the family to want to have an exorcism performed.
‘Kellie Castle, FifeKellie Castle’s crow-stepped gables and fairytale stone tower hide a multitude of frightening secrets. The Fife site’s oldest tower is said to be haunted by the spirit of Anne Erskine, who died when she fell from an upstairs window. The ghost of Professor James Lorimer, who began the restoration of the castle in 1878, has also been seen. They are among the friendlier spirits, but one malevolent presence required an exorcism.’
(Taken from https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/10-of-scotlands-spookiest-forgotten-ghost-stories-1404681)
The rest of the tour of the castle went without any further malevolent presence. In fact the blue bedroom had a friendly presence, despite the creepy dolls in the tower playrooms.
Definitely worth a wee adventure… If you are brave enough!