A Ghostly History of Edinburgh Castle

Sometimes confused with The Lost Piper Boy, the tale of The Little Drummer Boy is similar in that it involves yet another apparition of a young boy playing a musical instrument. The Little Drummer Boy’s first sighting dates back to 1650.

It was the Edinburgh Castle guards that first spotted the young boy playing an old Scottish war tune on his drum while marching around the courtyard of the castle. The guards, curious as to why this boy was banging his drum around the castle, decided to investigate, and to their sheer terror, they discovered that the boy had no head! Too frightened to approach the boy, the guards let the drummer continue to beat his drum; he continued playing through the night and disappeared as morning approached.

The war tune that The Headless Drummer had been playing on his drum was thought to be a warning signal as that same year Oliver Cromwell and his army invaded Scotland and captured Edinburgh Castle. The Legend of The Headless Drummer states that if the drummer boy is seen again, then it is a sign that the castle will again be attacked.

There have not been any reported sightings of the drummer ghost for nearly 400 years, but it is said that after the staff leave the castle for the night, the drum’s faint ‘rat-a-tat-tat’ can still be heard.

If you ever happen to visit Edinburgh and find yourself near the castle after closing hours, listen out as you may hear the ‘rat-a-tat-tat’ for yourself!

The Grey Lady is another tragic story. This time of a ghost that is thought to mournfully roam the grand halls of the castle. This ghost is known as The Grey Lady. Many believe that the Gray Lady is Janet Douglas, Lady of Glamis.

King James V of Scotland held a grudge against the whole Douglas family because Archibald Douglas (the 6th Earl of Angus) had James imprisoned in his younger years. James held a grudge for his earlier imprisonment and, as a result, hated the whole Douglas family.

James took his anger out on the whole Douglas family. Lady Glamis was a victim of James’s anger and accused her of trying to poison him through witchcraft. James had difficulty finding evidence to support his accusation, so her servants and friends were tortured until the required evidence was found.

Janet Douglas was burned at the stake in front of Edinburgh Castle on 17th July 1537. Not long after her execution, there were some reports of a weeping grey lady seen walking through the castle halls.

Some believe that the weeping Grey Lady could be Marie de Guise – the mother of Mary Queen of Scots who died June 1560. Her body was kept in Edinburgh castle for a number of months and witness said they witnessed her walking through the halls of Edinburgh Castle after June 1560.

The castle dungeons are said to be the most haunted area of the castle, so maybe on a visit you will have some magical spooky encounters!

The Dung Man/Unluckiest Prisoner

He tried to escape the castle dungeons in a dung cart, expecting a soft landing, but he was instead thrown over the castle’s walls and did not survive.

The Ghost of the Napoleonic Wars

Not much is known about the Napoleonic ghosts. Still, many construction workers refuse to work alone in the dungeons, as the ghost prisoners are said to harass the workers carrying out renovations.

Be sure to check your photos in the dungeons as it has been reported that strange blue orbs can appear above people’s heads in the photographs. If this happens in your photos in this area of the castle and nowhere else, then maybe it is not a camera issue and one of the dungeon ghosts was standing next to you!

If you look carefully at the ancient wooden doors, you can see the graffiti written by American and French prisoners who were held in the castle’s underground vaults centuries ago.