With the sad decline in the standards of mediumship the most important aspect is how good is a development teacher. This all important aspect cannot be emphasised enough. Not all great mediums make good teachers. Not all good teachers are great mediums. It is not good enough to study aspects of mediumship, throw that together with a few years experience and decide that you are able to teach to a sufficient level. Having knowledge and being able to pass it on are not necessarily the same thing.
Haunted Hotels are not just a Hollywood gimmick—many people believe a few real-life properties around the country play host to several long-term guests. Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there are many places that claim to have unexplained occurrences that can only be attributed to haunting lost souls. To many, going through such an event or testing one's bravado with the unknown is as exciting as riding a roller coaster or skydiving. If you happen to be that person, here is a list of haunted hotels in the United States where you can spend the night and try your luck at spotting a ghost. They all have a history of murder, suicide, accidental death, and past employees and guests that you may be fortunate enough to meet if you dare.
Generally regarded as one the most "spirited" hotels in America, The Stanley is better known for motivating Stephen King's The Shining after the author stayed there one winter’s night. In 1909, the hotel was initially built to house traveling, bourgeois city-folk and offered cars and servants to all their visitors. Today, many of their spirits still remain and guests have reported the sounds of untraceable piano music and maniacal laughs all over the hotel. These incidents are said to be the playful spirits of dead employees and guests.
The Malaga Inn is the only boutique inn of its kind and regarded as the most haunted hotel in Alabama. Built in 1862, this ancient property in the deep south is reminiscent of the Civil War era. It has 39 private rooms, Victorian furnishings and an outdoor courtyard. Initially, the two townhouses were constructed by two brothers-in-law as a wedding gift for the 2 sisters in the family—but that does not mean they ever left. Guests claim to have seen a ghostly lady figure in white, swinging chandeliers, lights that turn on by themselves and furniture that eerily moves on its own.
Bretton Woods, NH. Knock, knock. Who's there? at this resort, perhaps no one…whom you can see, in any case. The resident invisible resident here, Carolyn Stickney, is known to tap on doors and once inside your room (whether you invite her in or not) she has no qualms regarding borrowing your belongings. However, she is a Victorian lady through and through—all manners—and will return your belongings to precisely where she got them. Tip: Rumor has it that checking into Room 314 nets the best possibility of spotting the ‘Princess’, as she is known.
Asheville, NC. Back in the 1920s, a young woman either jumped or was pushed to her death from her 5th floor room. 545, to be specific. Virtually a century later, employees and guests still report her presence, mostly as a pink mist or as a woman in a flowing pink gown, thus her nickname, the Pink Lady. How do you like these apples? Tip: Allegedly, young children are extremely sensitive to spotting her, so if you really want a glimpse, you know who to let loose on her trail.
Cooperstown, NY. Sizeable resort + over a hundred years of history + no sinister sagas = a perfect breeding ground for a ghost neighborhood, and a friendly ghost community at that. Its former life was a winter school for girls and to this day, a giggling gaggle of girls continues to echo through the 3rd floor hallway, when absolutely no children are checked in at the hotel. (Warning: They may be laughing at you but they are young girls after all, so please do not take it personally.) The adults, nonetheless, do want you to take it personally. People have claimed hearing their name called, absolutely out of nowhere.
Hot Springs, VA. It's an unending story: In the most ancient wing of one of the oldest resorts in the country (built in 1766), a jilted woman committed suicide after her fiancé left on their wedding day and never came back. Since that sad day in the early 1900s, she has aimlessly wandered the 14th floor. Stopping guests as well as employees to ask for the time, she expects to catch the hour when her groom-to-be was meant to come back to her and that this time he'll be there.
Santa Fe, NM. This hotel's spectral highlight, a German known as Julia Staab, feels right at home here. Prior to becoming a resort, it was her residence, built by her merchant husband in 1882. After her 8th child died shortly after delivery, Frau Julia spun into a deep depression, ultimately holing up in her room, never to be seen in the flesh again after 1896. But, in wisps and wafts she is still ever present, most often in Suite 100, her former bedroom.
San Francisco, Ca. Not all ghosts will leave you cold. Miss Mary Lake, former headmistress of the school for girls that opened here in 1890, has been known to take care of guests who stay in her former office, Room 410, just as she really did for her pupils several generations ago. Many have revealed that their clothes were unpacked for them while others have woken up at night to find their blankets tucked nicely around them.
Presidential alert: The customary inaugural ball at the Mayflower began while Calvin Coolidge was in office; however he missed the grand event due to his son's untimely death a fortnight earlier. To make up for the lost occasion, he apparently returns to the site yearly on the anniversary of the ball. But Silent Cal mainly remains just that in his eternal phase. The only hints of his presence are flickering lights in the Grand Ballroom at 10pm, which would have announced the ball's guests of honor back in 1925. And an elevator that will not budge from the 8th floor (the location of his holding room) until 10:15pm, which is exactly the time that he planned to make his grand entrance.
Keuka Park, NY. It's uncertain whether this one should be chalked up as local folklore. However, there are many who believe there is a phantom lady, decked out in white, wandering the property. Similar to any ghost worth his/her weightlessness, she is also highly skilled at keeping us mere mortals in the dark. No one actually knows who she is or where she came from. It’s probably better this way. Tip: If you need a vacation from waiting for the lady in white to appear, refocus your paranormal energies on nearby Spook Hill.
Salem, Ma. There has been great controversy over this supposed haunted hotel and questions still remain as to whether it is truly haunted and who is haunting it. Perhaps because of Salem’s local history, many people automatically assume it’s haunted. Nevertheless, this hotel has a rich history and some storytellers suggest that the entire sixth floor is haunted, with guests reportedly hearing unusual noises and seeing a ghostly woman wandering along the hallways.
Have you had an experience of a haunted hotel that you would like to share, then please send it to us so we can add it to this list. We may even feature your story in Paranormal Daily News. Contact us through the PDN Submissions Page. We look forward to hearing from you.
Over the past month and a half, I’ve been researching Dr Barry Taff’s career and his poltergeist cases, and having conversations with him to write an article. Imagine my surprise when Ben Radford, writing for the Skeptical Inquirer, published a criticism of Dr Taff’s most famous poltergeist case, known as The Entity.
Image: Dr Barry Taff, barrytaff.net
While there was certainly an air of synchronicity about it for me, the likely reason for Radford’s timing was the Skeptical Inquirer going for the Halloween theme. Regardless, I was already familiar with the case and the sources that Radford was using to draw his conclusions. It happened in 1974. That’s almost 50 years ago. Quite a few people associated with this case have shuffled off their mortal coil and the world has changed dramatically in the meantime. Rebuttals are necessarily long, so bear with me.
The only original sources of information about The Entity that we have at this point are Dr Taff’s blog posts, his book and, of course, Barryhimself,f as well as some interviews and shows that made it online. His source material is not online. It’s in a storage unit in a small town south of Los Angeles, CA. In his book he has reprinted the scientific article published in the PSI Journal of Investigative Psychical Research. That report is not online either. The easiest way to access it is to read his book, Aliens Above, Ghosts Below, which is only available in paperback.
The only sources of photos from The Entity case are online. This is problematic for research because forensic examination of photos from that era requires that you possess the original negatives. Or in the case of Polaroids, that you possess the original photo. In addition to that, the expertise surrounding these cameras is nearly gone. At the time of the investigation, there were experts who used these cameras regularly and were familiar with their quirks, strengths and limitations in a way that no present – day hobbyist can possibly match.
It’s not a case, in other words, that lends itself to easy re-examination, let alone drawing new conclusions. Any such attempt should be met with extreme skepticism. You have to evaluate the case according to the era in which it took place. Radford was four at the time. (I was fifteen.)
The Entity case centered around Doris Bither, a woman who was living in Culver City, CA, in a small, rundown house with her three sons. The movie and the sensationalism surrounding the case involved her unsubstantiated claim to have been raped by three ghosts. When Dr Taff was first approached with this story, he dismissed it as fantasy and as he put it to me: “When people lie about paranormal phenomena, they tend to be whoppers.” He only followed up on the case after neighbors of Bither reported unusual things happening next door.
You can read about the case on Dr Taff’s blog.
This article is focused on the skeptical reconning of The Entity case and Radford’s portrayal of Dr Barry Taff as an opportunist exploiting a mentally vulnerable woman and doing shoddy work that he then promoted as proof that something paranormal was happening.
Before I get into the details of what is wrong with this attempt to re-write the history of a decades old poltergeist case, it’s important to understand why Radford would go to the trouble of smearing the name of a septuagenarian about a case that happened well before Radford even learned to read.
Radford is deputy editor for the Skeptical Inquirer and research fellow for the Center for Inquiry, which is part of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, which used to be known as the Committee for Skeptical Investigations of Claims of the Paranormal.
It’s an organization built around complete denial of the paranormal as well as actively opposing pretty much every type of holistic medicine you care to name, whether it’s a crusade against chiropractors, or an assault on acupuncture. They have even declared war on Santa Claus. This weird mindset is reflected in Radford’s work.
His bio on the Center for Inquiry describes him as “one of the world’s few science-based paranormal investigators.” That’s a bit of a whopper. His efforts do not compare favorably with actual scientists studying these phenomena. World renowned Dr Barry Taff, PhD, for instance, has done 4,579 investigations over 50 years. Lloyd Auerbach, M.S. in parapsychology, has done field work for 32 years and has affiliations with numerous scientific organizations and presents his cases at scientific conferences. Dr William Roll was also active in several scientific organizations, spent 20 years working on investigations and wrote many scientific papers on the subject.
Poltergeist cases, such as The Entity are extremely rare. True scientific research involves following up on hundreds or in Dr Taff’s case, thousands of leads, most of which are dead ends. They are often time – consuming and boring, where researchers unsuccessfully attempt to get phenomena to occur. As Dr Taff put it,
“If poltergeist phenomena were completely fictional, we would have nothing to talk about. If it were completely common, we would also have nothing to talk about.”
It’s only because it’s very difficult, but not entirely impossible to investigate, that there is room for discussion and controversy.
If you’re curious about the actual science of poltergeists, here is a relatively short document that will get you up to date on the real research.
Because Radford has never found anything paranormal to the best of my knowledge, he has learned nothing of the phenomena and has nothing of interest to report from his own investigations. He’s not affiliated with any organizations that take the phenomena seriously nor has he advanced the field in any way. His only goal appears to be debunking all of it and painting everyone involved as either deluded or opportunists.
I have little doubt that his mind was made up well before he did any research. With the Skeptical Inquirer, it was undoubtedly just a question of what negative spin to put on The Entity case, not whether it was a good idea.
It is so predictable that the moment I knew that the Skeptical Inquirer article existed, I was 99.9% certain that it would be negative. Getting the opinions of atheist materialists about a subject with obvious spiritual implications is like asking Christian evangelicals about evolution. You are not going to get an objective review.
Radford’s article mostly takes the facts of The Entity case and then interprets them in the most negative way possible. It gives him the cover of not lying, while presenting his own beliefs as objective analysis.
He first paints Bither as a troubled woman. That’s correct. He also paints her as an alcoholic and drug user. There seems to be a bit of debate on that point, coming from her middle son, but as she did drink and use drugs — it’s a matter of how much. Radford sets up his point that:
“the introduction of psychics, paranormal investigators, and other self-styled ghost hunters escalated—and arguably exacerbated—Bither’s situation. Where a trained psychologist or social worker might have seen a troubled woman needing help, Taff and Gaynor saw a golden opportunity to research a real haunting.”
I suppose that if you believe that none of it is real and that these investigations just prey on vulnerable people and exploit them, then Radford’s speculations might make sense. But when the phenomena are real, as was obviously the case, then it’s an entirely different story.
Bither reached out to Dr Barry Taff because she needed someone to take her seriously, and she found one of the few people who were familiar with this extremely rare situation and would handle it professionally. She needed someone to say “you’re not crazy, this is really happening.” According to Dr Taff, she turned down requests for her to seek medical assistance anyway.
And that may have been due to her very legitimate fear of being labeled as a crazy person. I wasn’t there and I don’t know for sure, but it would be consistent with other people I’ve encountered. Relying on medical professionals when it comes to the paranormal can be a huge gamble. At the very least they can assume you’re spinning a tale and at the worst they can assume that you’re having a psychotic episode and involuntarily commit you.
There are very few safe people to turn to and Dr Taff was one of them. Radford’s conclusion here is based on his ignorance of what people actually go through when they experience extreme paranormal phenomena. So, on to the next thing.
Why did Dr Taff introduce seances? If you are going to observe the phenomena, you can either wait around in the hope that it randomly happens or you can try to trigger it. For The Entity case, Dr Taff chose the latter course. It’s something Radford would know if he had any familiarity with the subject.
Radford didn’t have access to the original notes, yet he felt confident in saying that the case “was never competently investigated” as though he had some supernatural power of Omnipotent Skeptical Insight.™
And how about this gem: “There is curiously little independent corroboration of the allegedly extraordinary events, and we are forced to rely extensively (if not exclusively) on secondary sources.” Yeah, that happens after 47 years. Not only was there no Internet back then, the personal computer had only just been invented. A lot of people involved have either died or tracking them down is not worth the effort.
According to Radford, “Taff is still capitalizing on his involvement in the famous case through media interviews and books.” That’s news to me. Taff wrote one book and the case is one chapter of it. The media interviews about the case are long gone and in fact, he’s been on the brink of homelessness due to medical issues and accrued debt from not being able to work, barely surviving financially on social security and relying on charity and housing assistance.
Radford then moves on to write: “. . . had many of the phenomena typically associated with ghost reports: cold spots; odd, subjective sensations; a bad smell; and so on. The pair claimed to have experienced some unexplained phenomena, for example, “suddenly the cabinet door swung open. A frying pan flew out of the cabinet, following a curved path to the floor over 2.5 feet away, hitting with quite a thud.” Sadly and predictably, none of this was documented.”
“Sadly.” It’s one of those words that skeptics overuse to profess their fake disappointment that something didn’t live up to their Obviously Superior Skeptical Standards.™ Radford’s claim that none of this was documented is rather idiotic in my opinion. Of course, it was documented. Taff wrote down what happened. That’s how Radford knows about it. It. Was. Documented.
Otherwise, what on earth does Radford expect from Dr Taff? In 1974, the technology wasn’t there to film everything continuously. Capturing any photo at all is one of the more remarkable things about the case. The criticism is complete nonsense. In addition to that, this is an investigation, not an experimental trial. Investigations are about writing up observations and providing other types of documentation when possible. That’s exactly what Dr Taff did.
This is where scientifically minded people diverge from debunking skeptics like Radford. If you are going to seriously evaluate this report of poltergeist activity, you compare it to other poltergeist reports. The skeptical conceit that investigative researchers like Dr Barry Taff must either be lying or deluded is not how you do science, it’s just emotionally charged bias.
Records of poltergeist cases go as far back as 530 AD with more complete documentation dating back as far as 1526, in a monastery in France. Perhaps since Radford is so fond of old cases he can criticize the reporting of the nuns who lived 700 years ago.
It’s an incredibly rare phenomenon, but the other side of this is that it’s so remarkable that when it happened, people documented it. And we have enough of those cases throughout history that we can see similarities in the reports.
There is only so much evidence that you can dismiss as insane before the dismissal itself becomes the insanity.
If you are going to go about this scientifically, you should measure this case against all the others and add it to the database if it seems reasonable by those standards. The Entity certainly falls within the boundaries of other poltergeist cases and that’s how it should be judged.
In a separate article, a skeptic photography hobbyist, Kenny Biddle, criticizes the photos. The Entity photos were vetted by an expert of the time, Adrian Vance, editor of the West Coast edition of Popular Photography. In keeping with the skeptic tradition of interpreting everything in the worst way possible, he uses a quote from Vance and turns it on its head.
“As for Vance giving his opinion on whether the photo shows an apparition, he merely writes, “it now appears (to them) that they had some success” (Vance 1976). This does not appear to be an enthusiastic endorsement of the photo’s authenticity as depicting some unknown energy.”
It was the photographer’s job to merely rule out artifacts as an explanation, not vet the pictures as paranormal. And that’s exactly what he did. And our skeptical hobbyist goes on to criticize the original photos because the poster board wasn’t up. He got his timeline wrong. The poster board came later after Dr Taff and others realized that there was something to photograph. It’s another pointless and inaccurate criticism.
And he goes on to compare this:
To this:
And forgets to include this:
The images look nothing alike. The hair artifact in the first picture isn’t uniformly illuminated like in The Entity pictures and it has well-defined edges, which the entity anomalies do not. In the second picture, the light is interacting with the curtain and there are two of them. It makes the claim of hair outright impossible.
Another thing I’d like to point out is that the aspect ratio of that picture is different from an SX-70; the photo is overexposed and the hair looks like a digital artifact. The picture could have been cropped, but it seems to be digital. I am not certain of this, but if that’s the case, then this is an outright dishonest comparison.
So there you have it. Bad skepticism. A couple of guys with no feel for the subject or any clue as to how to properly assess a poltergeist investigation have taken a decades old case launched into an over-the-top biased assessment of it. Sadly, (see what I did there?) all Radford and Biddle have shown is ignorance and bias.
The Roswell Mill sits at the edge of Vickery Creek. A short drive north of Atlanta, it is part of the trail network in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. At its entrance, visitors can cross a covered bridge, leading them deeper into the trail where you are thrust into a forest of lush ferns and greenery.
A Mother’s Day trip to the mill’s location was right up my alley. Like most historical places in Georgia, it’s nestled amongst trees right off of a busy road. A hidden waterfall and scenic trail located right in the center of downtown Roswell, it’s the perfect day trip for an easy hike. And, of course, it’s haunted.
Over the years, nearby residents have reported hearing clanking noises as if metal were banging against metal. And blood-curdling screams are often reported coming from the area when no one is around. With no occupational safety measures during the days of its operation, workers were often injured, some as severe as having their limbs torn from their bodies. Could these be their sounds of agony echoing through the woods?
The site is stunning, and it was the ideal location to build the mill as the natural water source provided the power needed to operate it. With a waterfall not far from the old machine shop, the soothing ambiance and tropical-like scenery make the sight a fun and relaxing destination for all to visit. And if you're lucky, you may even have a paranormal experience.
Built, in 1839, like most places in the metro Atlanta area, it witnessed the horrors and tragedy of the Civil War. Constructed to be a cotton mill, it was one of many mills that lined Vickery Creek. Numerous buildings once sat along the water's edge, where they housed workers of the mill. Today, the only original building standing is the old machine shop.
During the war, all men capable of fighting were sent off to battle, leaving the women and children behind. The women of Roswell took over running the mill in order to earn a living while the men were off fighting. Many of whom brought their children along to work beside them as there were no other options for childcare during that time. The children were used as laborers and put to work just as long and hard as the adults. Because of their small and nimble fingers, the children were used to fix broken pieces of thread when they snapped in the machines. They would run between the working parts of the moving machinery, tie broken threads together and rush back out. You can only imagine the number of injuries that took place.
Union soldiers eventually took the city of Roswell. General William T. Sherman instructed his men to burn the buildings of the mill when it was discovered that the workers were manufacturing the grey uniforms for the Confederate army. In an attempt to claim neutrality, a French worker of the mill flew a French flag above the roof. But the attempt failed, and the Union army burned all of the buildings to the ground. Some residents tried to hide within the buildings when General Sherman charged all remaining workers with treason. Some reports say that it is likely there were fatalities during those fires from people trapped inside. In the end, over 400 women and children were rounded up, arrested, and put on box car trains to the North.
General Sherman received substantial backlash and outrage from the North, and the prisoners were never tried for treason. Though many had already died on the journey, and those who survived were never able to return home to Georgia.
Today, it is not uncommon for visitors to glimpse apparitions of women and children roaming the grounds along the water's edge, or to hear screams coming from the boarded-up machine shop. Could these be the lost souls who were forced from their homes, returning to finish their work? Could the flowing waters of the creek be fueling the haunting, providing the energy needed for spirits to manifest? Or are these the residual haunts from wounded mill workers who suffered within its walls?
If you do visit, be sure to look for the signs of old foundations of buildings that once stood. Hidden beneath piles of dirt, moss and vegetation, the fallen bricks hold the stories of what took place. And, take a moment to listen carefully. You many just hear the sounds of the past echoing beside you.
Scotland is known for its famous ghost stories, so there was no shortage in terms of finding haunted places and locations. That being said, some places have more reported paranormal activity and even famous psychics and paranormal investigators would put their reputation on the line, stating these places are indeed haunted. But which are the most haunted places in Scotland. Well, we are about to disclose the five most haunted places with paranormal events in Scotland. Visit them at your own peril!
There is no doubt in our mind that Mary King’s Close is the most haunted place in Scotland, dare we even say the most haunted place in the world. Mary King’s Close is situated in the heart of Edinburgh and often referred to as Scotland’s spookiest street. Turns out, that reputation is well deserved.
Mary King’s Close is one of the many streets that is connected to Edinburgh Castle. It is known that the street was completely bricked up when the plague broke out. So, it is not surprising that this particular street holds many dark secrets.
The street has reported hauntings going all the way back to the 17th century. The street has been visited and investigated by numerous paranormal investigators. Some actual evidence was found to back up the local legends surrounding the hauntings, as research and archaeological findings seem to back up much of the tales going around about the street.
Interestingly, Mary King’s Close has only reopened in 2003; this is the actual street that was bricked up once the plaque broke out in Scotland. Fortunately, you do not have to brave the most haunted street in Scotland alone. Tours go through this haunted location, taking you along the famous Greyfriars cemetery and the location was Burke and Hare dug up corpses and sold them for medical experiments. In short, the stuff of nightmares!
You may know this location already, as the chapel has been featured in both the novel and the movie The Da Vince Code. The chapel was originally built for the Sinclair family. Local legend states that a ghostly light appears in the chapel whenever a member of the Sinclair family is about to die.
There have also been reports of a ghostly apparition within the chapel grounds, which is believed to be Apprentice Pillar. Legends state that the apprentice was killed by his teacher and that the apprentice is still roaming the grounds.
Considering Rosslyn Chapel is more than five-hundred years old; it is no surprise that there are more reports of hauntings. Many tourists claim to have seen the lady in white, which is roaming the inside of the chapel. There have also been several sightings of a black knight riding on horseback. The latter is believed to be a knight who fought against an English invasion in 1303.
In addition to the many ghostly reports coming from visitors, there are significant rumors that valuable artifacts may still be buried on the chapel grounds. That being said, the actual construction of the chapel is well-documented, so this is a pure local legend at this point.
If you are still up for more, then the Niddry Street Vaults should be on your to-do list as well. Much like our previous two suggestions, the Niddry Street Vaults have quite a reputation in Scotland too, as they were featured in British TV Shows such as Most Haunted and Joe Swash Believes in Ghosts.
At the end of the 18th century, Niddry Street was the home of countless merchants and taverns. However, it was not your average commercial shopping street. No, it was a street where anyone who wanted to stay outside the law would go to.
Unfortunately, much of the documentation surrounding the Niddry Street Vaults have been lost over time. At the moment, it is uncertain why or when the street closed down. It remained undiscovered until the 1980s, during which countless artifacts and a genuine historic black market were unearthed.
But this isn’t where the long history of the Niddry Street Vaults ends. After the black market was excavated, a witch coven found a new home in the street. Many believe that the rituals performed by these modern witches has attracted all kinds of paranormal activity.
There are various rooms in the vault who are believed to be extremely haunted, and some of these spirits could cause harm to visitors; at least this is claimed by some people who have visited the location. There have been reports of a shadow man seen in a mirror, but also exploding lightbulbs, a poltergeist attacking visitors in his vault, and more. Interestingly, tours have to be done with torches and lanterns, as no light bulbs stay lit long enough. So, this location is not for the faint of heart.
Contrary to some of the previous locations, the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel is not cashing in on its haunted reputation. In fact, the owners of the hotel have been trying to keep haunting as quiet as possible, at least if some of the guests are to be believed.
Dryburgh Abbey Hotel has a long history. As the name suggests, the location was originally the home of an abbey where Roman catholic monks resided. Documents show that it was founded as early as 1150 by the Lord of Lauderdale. Evidently, the original building has now been reduced to ruins, but they are still found on the hotel grounds. The hotel itself was also built on a religious building, which could explain some of the hauntings inside the hotel.
Various visitors and guests of the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel have reported hearing and seeing a female apparition in the hotel and on the grounds. Local has come to call the ghost “The Grey Lady”. Some have reported seeing a group of monks on the grounds, which seem to have been chanting.
Local legend claims that the Grey Lady was a woman who had a love affair with one of the monks who lived on the grounds. It is alleged that the relationship was discovered and that the monk was executed for his betrayal. After this, the Grey Lady threw herself into the River Tweed and drowned. It is believed she still haunts the grounds where her biggest loss to place.
Our list of most haunted locations in Scotland would not be complete without a genuine Scottish castle. While there were plenty of options to choose from, the most haunted castle in Scotland is undoubtedly Stirling Castle.
There are countless ghosts that are said to be haunting Stirling Castle, but one of the best-known ones is that of the so-called “Highland Ghost”. Visitors claim they confused the Highland Ghost for a tour guide, only for him to disappear right in front of their eyes. It is also claimed that the ghost was caught on camera in 1933.
Another ghost that is said to roam the halls of Stirling Castle is none other than Mary Queen of Scotts. The Green Lady has also been spotted, which is believed to have been one of Mary’s servants who died during a fire. Plenty of interesting tales to go check out if you feel brave enough.
The Black Abbot is said to haunt St Mary’s Abbey in York, but is he the only ghost to grace this stunning ruin?
If you are thinking about purchasing a new home, you might want to check this list first. Various homes around the world have an extensive history, sometimes even with their own resident spirit or reported hauntings. Of course, some homes around the world are known to be haunted homes, but which are the most haunted ones?
Myrtles Plantation is undoubtedly one of the scariest haunted homes in the world. It achieved the dubious title of 'one of America's most haunted homes' and it is claimed that the home was built on an ancient Indian burial ground.
The rumor that the home is built on an Indian burial ground might not be the sole reason for the haunting. Local legend also states that ten murders took place in the house. Reported sightings include the ghost of a slave wearing a green turban, Sarah Woodruff and her children – who were former residents of the home – and William Winter who was allegedly shot on the front porch of the house.
We decided to include the Ancient Ram Inn in this overview because it still functions as a restaurant and hotel. Built in the 1100s, this house has quite the history. Guests have reported hearing screams in the middle of the night and furniture moving on its own. It is even claimed that the house was built on a Pagan burial ground, where children were sacrificed. There have also been reports by guests claiming they were pushed on the bed by a male demon.
The Monte Cristo Homestead may look picturesque from the outside, but there have been some strange and terrifying reports over the years. The Monte Cristo Homestead was the site where a baby was thrown down the stairs by something supernatural. Another boy got burned to death and a pregnant woman was pushed over the balcony by something. It is believed that this home is haunted by the former owners of the house, Christopher and Elizabeth Crawley.
While a castle is a home that most of us could not afford, those who can may encounter this French castle situated in Maine-et-Loire. Nicknamed the 'Giant of the Loire Valley', this castle has its own private opera house and can seat a whopping 200 people. It was built by the Count of Anjou in the 11th century and has ties to King Louis XXIII.
The castle is no longer a home, but is currently functioning as a hotel. Reported ghosts are the Green Lady, which is claimed to be the bastard child of King Charles VII. She was murdered by her husband in the 15th century.
Casa Loma in Canada is not as old as some of the other haunted locations mentioned here, as it was only built in 1914. Nonetheless, the estate home is packed with secret passages throughout, which certainly adds more mystery to the stately home.
For years, there have been reports of hauntings at Casa Loma. One of the reported hauntings is that of the White Lady, who is believed to be one of the maids that worked at the home shortly after its construction. It is believed the maid lost her life alongside 60,000 other people in Toronto during the influenza crisis.
Another reported ghost in Casa Loma is believed to be that of Sir Henry Pellatt, the man who ordered the home to be built. It is believed his wife Mary also haunts the home.
Built in 1892 for William and Anne Kehoe and their large family consisting of ten children, Kehoe House has quite a sad history. Shortly after starting to live in the house, several of the Kehoe children died.
Since 1992, Kehoe House has been transformed into a popular bed and breakfast. The bed and breakfast is certainly popular among ghost hunters, as several guests have reported hearing the sounds of children playing throughout the night, even though nobody was there.
Many books have been written – as well as countless movies produced – about the Winchester House, its history, its unusual previous owners, and of course its ghosts. The stately Victorian home was built on behalf of Sarah Winchester shortly after the death of her husband, the rifle tycoon William Wirt Winchester.
Sarah believed that she was being haunted by spirits who were killed by the rifles her husband made and sold. To avoid the spirits, Sarah built a home that was filled with 47 staircases, 160 rooms, 10,000 window panes, and architectural marvels you would not find in any other home. Staircases reaching to the ceiling, but nowhere else, and even windows that lead to secret passages are a common occurence inside this home. Interestingly, the house was constantly changed and being worked on for 38 years. Construction only stopped when Sarah died of heart failure in 1922.
Reports of hauntings have been rampant for years. Visitors have claimed to have seen the wheelbarrow ghost, who is believed to be someone who worked at the house. Some also believe the home is haunted by Sarah Winchester herself.
England has plenty of old homes with a lengthy history and one of them is Raynham Hall. It was built in 1637 and is currently a tourist attraction, as it is believe the home is being haunted by the so-called "Brown Lady of Raynham Hall". The Brown Lady is believed to be Lady Dorothy Walpole, the former owner of the home. A photographer from Country Life Magazine managed to capture her spirit on camera, which was later published in the 1936 edition of the magazine.
The Amityville House is probably the home with the bloodiest history in this overview. In November 1974, Ronald Defeo Jr. shot six family members inside this house. He would later claim that an evil spirit caused him to commit the murders.
The weird history of the Amityville House did not stop with the murders committed by Ronald Defeo Jr. The year following the murders, the home was purchased by the Lutz family. As soon as they moved into the home, the Lutz family experienced severe paranormal activity. They found a hidden red room and doors slamming on their own.
Shortly after their arrival, the family requested that a priest bless the house in order to expel the spirits. The priest in question would later state that mysterious voices told him to get out of the house.
The Lutz family had to move out of the house after only 26 days. Books and movies have been made about the events. Due to all the media attention, the Lutz family later recanted their story. However, one of the sons would later state that the stories were all true, but that the media attention caused them to recant. He also admitted he still had nightmares from his time at the house.
We want to keep adding to this list and we are sure there are many of you readers who have experiences of other very haunted homes in the world. Let us know and we can add to this list and even begin to go a bit deeper.
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