The Green Lady of Crathes up/date with new phots see shutterstock 'crathes'

Lario Tus/Shutterstock.com

One thing you could never accuse this ghost of is being shy. She has been seen by a whole host of people, including Queen Victoria when she came to stay at Crathes Castle. She may even have been captured on camera as recently as two years ago.

The building itself is a picturesque Jacobean edifice standing in glorious countryside on the banks of Loch Leys in Aberdeenshire. Building was started here by Alexander Burnett of Leys in 1550, and not completed until 1590 but its most famous inhabitant – known simply as the Green Lady of Crathes – seems to have been haunting the area long before the castle was constructed. According to some traditions, she may have lived in an earlier castle which stood on the same spot and whose stones were incorporated into the present structure. 

Another – and more widely held – legend states that she was either a servant girl or a ward of the Laird of the present castle, during the late 1500s. Sadly, we have no name for her and she is alleged to have disappeared shortly after giving birth. Givent he cited circumstances, we can hazard a guess as to the identity of the baby's father.

 Whatever the truth of her identity may be, this ghost manifests herself in a particular room which, for obvious reasons is known as the Green Lady’s Room, where – dressed in the green robe that gives her its name - she glides serenely across the floor until she stops by the fireplace and lifts up a baby, apparently out of thin air. She then cradles the infant in her arms. In a sinister turn of events, when renovations were carried out on the room during the 1800s, skeletal remains of a young woman and a baby were discovered under the hearthstone. 

The Green Lady never threatens or harms anyone although her sudden appearance is signalled by temperature fluctuations and some visitors have reported feeling a palpable sense of dread on entering her room. However, she has been known to appear to members of the Burnett family, and to them she represents a warning of impending death or other disaster.

In November of 2016 a photograph, taken by Bill Andrew of his family outside the castle, shows a ghostly figure in the doorway behind. Apparently, there has been something of an upsurge in paranormal activity at the castle of late.

The castle does seem to be something of a hive of supernatural activity and the Green Lady isn’t the only spectral presence. Archives record the frightening appearance of a luminous block of ice, moving as if it were a human walking. Not surprisingly these appearances go hand in hand with a sharp and dramatic drop in temperature.

A further ghost – known as the White Lady – turns up from time to time. She is thought to be Alexander Burnett’s young lover, Bertha. Burnett’s mother – Lady Agnes - deemed her unworthy of becoming her son’s wife and poisoned her.

Lady Agnes also haunts the castle and returns on the anniversary of her death.

The castle is now owned by the National Trust for Scotland, having been given to them by the Burnett family in 1951, and is a popular tourist destination. It is famed for its incredible, ornate painted ceilings and magnificent furniture, as well as possessing extensive, beautiful grounds and gardens. Certainly one to put on your list of places to visit this summer.

May all your ghostly encounters be friendly ones...

Plas Teg - Home to 15 Ghosts and More...

Image: Rondell Melling/Pixabay

Between the Welsh towns of Mold and Wrexham, you will find a grand Jacobean country house called Plas Teg. It imposes its grandeur, and announces its stature, as one of the most important historic houses in Wales – and, if reports are to be believed, it’s home to around 15 ghosts.

Plas Teg was built in 1610 by Sir John Trevor – a Welsh politician - as a family home and served as that until the death of Sir Trevor’s wife, Lady Margaret, at the beginning of the English Civil War. The remaining members of the family moved to one of their many other properties and rented out Plas Teg for the duration of the war.

The Trevors eventually returned and generations of the family continued to live there until 1930 when it was sold to the War Office and provided housing for soldiers during the Second World War. Sadly, the house declined over the ensuing years – so much so, that it was put up for demolition in the 1950s. The prospect of losing this fine mansion caused a public outcry and, fortunately, a descendant of the Trevors – Patrick Trevor-Roper – saved the day. He rescued the property, with help from the Historic Buildings Council, and partially restored it. Once again the house was habitable and was occupied by tenants until it was sold in 1977. Sadly, the new owners only lived on the ground floor, meaning the rest of the house once again fell into decay. Better times lay ahead for this fine building though. 

 Cornelia Bayley bought it in 1986 and sank a great deal of her own money, plus financial aid from CADW (the historic environment arm of the Welsh Government).  Ten months and £400,000 later, Cornelia Bayley opened her home to the public, who are welcome to visit to this day. Thirty years after she started this mammoth venture, she is still hard at work, restoring, repairing and living in the home she loves so much.

For ghosthunters, there is a wealth of material and a number of characters to choose from. Plas Teg is well aware of its reputation and hosts regular ghostly events. With such a rich and varied history, it comes as little surprise that there should be so many spirits around the place. Not only has it been used as a family home, but also as a court, where people were tried, convicted and even hanged, under the infamous 'Hanging' Judge - Jeffries.

Image: ArtTower/Pixabay

 Of the many ghosts of Plas Teg, one of the most notable is that of Sir John Trevor’s daughter – Dorothy. Her story is all too familiar. She fell in love with a local farmer’s son called Iorwerth. Naturally this was deemed a most unsuitable match by her wealthy father. The lovers were forbidden to see each other, but Dorothy was determined. The couple planned to elope. She buried her jewellery near the well and when the appointed night arrived, Dorothy slipped out of the house and ran to the hiding place to retrieve her treasure. There was no moon that night and she lost her footing. Tragically, she fell down the well to her death. For many years, people have reported sightings of a mysterious woman in white on the main road (the A541) at the spot where she might well have been running to meet her lover.

 It took two months for her body to be found and when it was, her jewellery box and all its precious contents were missing. Poor Iorwerth was distraught. He had good reason to fear her father’s wrath and thirst for vengeance, and was scared he would be accused - not only of stealing her jewels, but - of murdering her in order to obtain them. Rather than wait for, what he saw as, the inevitable, he took matters into his own hands and hanged himself. Now he too haunts the grounds, searching endlessly for his beloved Dorothy.

At the turn of the nineteenth/twentieth centuries, a gardener was frightened half out of his wits by unseen hands grabbing him and trying to pull him down the well. From somewhere he summoned up the strength to tear himself free. He looked down into the dark water, but saw nothing.

In the mid-eighteenth century, a later Sir John Trevor (the fifth of that name) discovered his wife was having an affair. Consumed by jealousy (and probably no small quantity of wine) he allegedly killed her, but, riddled with guilt, he drove his carriage at manic speed through the ground of Plas Teg and hit a tree. He sustained terrible injuries and died a slow and tortuous death.

Image: Samuele Schirò/Pixabay

 More fatal jealousy occurred in 1815 when the 16 year old Elizabeth Trevor-Roper was hotly pursued by two male suitors. Alas, she loved just one of them and when she admitted as much, the spurned lover murdered her chosen one and chased Elizabeth back to the house. The poor girl feared for her life and a struggle ensued, with tragic consequences. Elizabeth either fell – or was pushed – down the well and died. There have been many reports of a ghost of a man and a woman running down one of the corridors. The man has a bloody wound to his shoulder while she, in white, clutches jewels. An echo of her ancestor perhaps?

If you do decide to visit and are disappointed by not seeing any physical manifestations, don’t despair, you may hear or feel them instead. All over the house, it seems the spirits are a playful bunch who like to touch, stroke, prod or push. They also have the ability to affect the atmosphere in a room to such a degree that people experience sudden feelings of despair, happiness, anger or extreme sadness. A woman wailing, sounds of giggling, whispering, knocking, tapping and footsteps are also frequent.

You certainly get your money’s worth at Plas Teg! I can attest to the unique atmosphere of this house and my one visit so far is unlikely to be my last.

You can find out more about Plas Teg on their website

UPDATE (Dec 2023)

Sadly, Plas Teg is no longer open to the public

Of Witches, Vengeance and Supernatural Horror...

Don't hurt Jane - you may live to regret it

Bullied by her abusive father, Jane always felt different. Then the lonely child found a friend in a mysterious dark lady who offers her protection—a lady she calls her “angel”. But that protection carries a terrible price, one to be paid with the souls of those Jane chooses to suffer a hideous and eternal fate.

When Jane refuses to name another victim, the angel reveals her most terrifying side. Payment must be made in full—one way or the other.

"Dark Avenging Angel is a fantastic read. This novel will consume you and your free time. It is a standout story that reminds me why I love horror literature." – Jukko, Horror Underground

“I have not felt this excited by a horror since reading Susan Hill. I look forward to reading more from this hugely talented author.” – Ajoobacats Blog

"I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a scarier read." - Fictional Candy  

"Dark Avenging Angel is a beautiful and haunting horror story." - The Bibliographic Book Blog

Available from
 Samhain Publishing
Amazon 
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 Four hundred years ago, ten convicted witches were hanged on Gallows Hill. Now they are back…for vengeance.

Laura Phillips’s grief at her husband’s sudden death shows no sign of passing. Even sleep brings her no peace. She experiences vivid, disturbing dreams of a dark, brooding hill, and a man—somehow out of time—who seems to know her. She discovers that the place she has dreamed about exists. Pendle Hill. And she knows she must go there.

But as soon as she arrives, the dream becomes a nightmare. She is caught up in a web of witchcraft and evil…and a curse that will not die.  

"The final act unfolds that is nothing shy of spell binding and is worth the price of admission alone. I for one look forward to embarking upon further reading adventures with this tremendously talented author" - Horrornews.net

"If you love a great story with witches and things that go bump in the night, you need to try this one!" - Long and Short Reviews

"The Pendle Curse is one of the best witch stories I've ever read." Majanka Verstraete, I Heart Reading

"It had it all, witches, cauldrons, spells, familiars, curses and more. I really enjoyed this one and ended up reading it in one sitting. I will definitely be reading more from this author in the future." - Scarlet's Web

"I would recommend The Pendle Curse, and any of Catherine's other books, to those who enjoy suspense and supernatural." - Saguaro Moon Reviews

 

Available from:
 Samhain Publishing

 Amazon
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 Kobo

 Can the living help the dead...and at what cost?

When Alex Fletcher finds a painting of a drowned girl, she’s unnerved. When the girl in the painting opens her eyes, she is terrified. And when the girl appears to her as an apparition and begs her for help, Alex can’t refuse.

But as she digs further into Grace’s past, she is embroiled in supernatural forces she cannot control, and a timeslip back to 1912 brings her face to face with the man who killed Grace and the demonic spirit of his long-dead mother. With such nightmarish forces stacked against her, Alex’s options are few. Somehow she must save Grace, but to do so, she must pay an unimaginable price.

 "Prepare to be terrified! Prepare to be captivated!" -  Mallory Heart Reviews

"If you love Gothic literature, Cat's the new author on the prowl... - Oh! For The Hook of a Book

"Wonderfully creepy" -  Reading the Paranormal

Available from

Samhain Publishing

Amazon
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Have you ever been so scared your soul left your body?

 Joint winner of the Samhain Gothic Horror Anthology Competition 2013

All her life, Lesley Carpenter has been haunted by a gruesome nursery rhyme—“The Scottish Bride”—sung to her by her great grandmother. To find out more about its origins, Lesley visits the mysterious Isobel Warrender, the current hereditary owner of Linden Manor, a grand house with centuries of murky history surrounding it. 

But her visit transforms into a nightmare when Lesley sees the ghost of the Scottish bride herself, a sight that, according to the rhyme, means certain death. The secrets of the house slowly reveal themselves to Lesley, terrible secrets of murder, evil and a curse that soaks the very earth on which Linden Manor now stands. But Linden Manor has saved its most chilling secret for last. 

 "A memorable ghost story needs two things: a chilling backstory and a terminally isolated setting. Luckily Linden Manor fulfills both requirements so well that I didn't want to stop reading." Long and Short Reviews

"There are some TRULY terrifying features, and characters, in this story. So I finished it this morning, in daylight - and I'm STILL scared!" - Mallory Heart Reviews

"Cavendish brings ghostly ancient legends of the land back with her gothic tale."-  Oh! For the Hook of a Book

Available from

 Samhain Publishing 

Amazon
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 and in the anthology - What Waits In The Shadows

Available from:

Samhain Publishing
Amazon
B&N