Moon Mausoleum
An online magazine about the paranormal, haunted and macabre. We collect the ghost stories from all around the world as well as review horror and gothic media.
Stirling Castle keeps the dramatic events of Scotland’s history as it stands firmly on the castle hill. Just beware of seeing ghosts in all colors, whether it is the Lady in Green, the Pink Ghost Lady or The Woman in Black.
Stirling Castle keeps the dramatic events of Scotland’s history as it stands firmly on the castle hill. Just beware of seeing ghosts in all colors, whether it is the Lady in Green, the Pink Ghost Lady or The Woman in Black.
Stirling Castle sits atop a dramatic hill in the heart of Scotland and has been a witness to centuries of battles and royal drama as it stands on an important crossroad through Scotland and has been attacked no less than 16 times.
The castle has also seen many kings and queens come and go and has been a place of crowning them, including Mary, Queen of Scots who held her coronation there in 1542.
Black, green, pink and white, the ghosts of Stirling Castle come in them all, each of them bearing a different story and meaning if you spot them in the old castle. Beyond tales of human history, the castle is shrouded in ghostly legends of mysterious figures that have been seen during dark nights.
Stirling Castle is an ancient royal fortress located in the city of Stirling, Central Scotland. Built within a dramatic volcanic plug commanding the route north into the Scottish Highlands, the castle was once an impenetrable stronghold of power and influence for Scotland’s monarchs.
Stirling Castle is a unique and grand castle, boasting an impressive history dating back to the 12th century. Castle Hill as it is built on has had some type of fort built on it since Roman times, perhaps settled even earlier, as far back as the 600s.
The architecture of the castle reflects its changing history; striking evidence of its evolution can be seen in the stone walls and turrets that surround it. Visitors to the castle can explore four levels of magnificent stonework designed by Robert Adam, from a Great Hall and Chapel Royal to guard towers and residential quarters.
Many believe that the strange apparitions and ominous sounds are signs that Stirling Castle is truly haunted and not only by one ghost, but by many. Over the years, numerous visitors have encountered mysterious sightings or felt a presence of some kind while visiting this ancient monument.
Read More: Check out more Haunted Castles from all over the world.
Whether or not these accounts can be trusted is up for debate, but there’s no denying the castle’s long and formidable history makes it a perfect place for paranormal activity.
Legends of Stirling Castle tell tales of many spooky specters haunting its walls. One of them is referred to as the Green Lady with many stories trying to name her. She is thought to be the daughter of a Commander of the fortress that threw herself from the Elphinstone Tower because her father separated her from her lover, a common soldier and shot him dead.
The most retold legend though is that the Lady in Green could be one of the servants to Mary Queen of Scots who worked there when Mary returned to Scotland in 1562 after spending two decades in France after her husband Francis died.
A Highlander girl was sent to serve her, and many claim she was gifted with the Second Sight and could foretell the future. The servant girl had seen something in her dreams and stayed with the Queen and had a bad feeling that something wasn’t right.
When the Queen was sleeping in her chambers her bed curtains went up in flames because of a candle on her bedside. This part is an actual event that happened. According to the legend though, the servant went straight for the flames and lost her life when saving the Queen.
There have been countless sightings of her over the years, both by visitors and staff that have stayed in the Castle. When she has appeared, she has frightened the people stiff, as not only is seeing a ghost a scary thing, but her sightings are also said to be a bad omen.
One evening the chef was preparing dinner at the garrison in the Officer’s Mess when he felt like someone was watching him. He turned around and saw a see through green shape in front of him and he fainted from fear.
Usually seeing the Green Lady is a bad omen and often she has been seen right before things like a fire or deaths on the castle has occurred, just like how she perished.
The ghost of the pink lady can be seen outside of the castle as she is walking to the church next door in her flowing pink dress. The Church of the Holy Rude at Ladie’s Rock was a place court ladies went to watch the knights in jousting tournaments.
People have speculated that the Pink Lady is actually the ghost og the only survivor after the castle became under siege in 1304 by Edward I. She escaped the siege and returned to the castle after only to find her husband who starved to death.
It has also been speculated that it could be Mary Queen of Scots herself that is said to haunt the castle.
A third option of who this pink lady can be is the Widow Witherspoon. She was an old townswoman who died in 1823 and her corpse was robbed from her grave by the Resurrection Men to be sold to surgeons for further studies.
In the 1820s there used to be castle sentries that made their rounds on the battlements around the Governor’s Block. When they were walking they reported about hearing mystic sounds and seeing unexplainable things.
One night a sentry was making his way to start his shift when he saw the guard he was replacing dead on his post. His mouth was wide open and his eyes had the look of pure fear and shock. Some say that he ended up meeting the gaze of the woman in green, something legend tells can be deadly.
Ever since then, even after the guards stopped patrolling on the battlements you could still hear footsteps from it as if the sentry was still making his rounds.
The Lady in Black is a mysterious figure that is seen roaming on the Back Walk that circles the Holy Rude graveyard. She is thought to perhaps be the ghost of a nun that is looking to reunite with her secret lover, a priest as the legend goes.
Because of her mortal sin, her ghost is thought to be dangerous and said to bring death if you meet her gaze.
There have also been spotted a male ghost wearing a traditional Highland kilt. Many have mistaken him for a tour guide working at Stirling Castle and are shocked when he just turns and passes through the wall.
The ghost of the man in the kilt is often seen walking around the corner and disappearing through the wall near a dungeon of Stirling Castle. Back in the day, there used to be a door there, but today it is bricked up and just a solid wall.
The ghost has been talked about in the more modern times as it was allegedly caught in a photograph. In 1935 the Highland ghost is said to have been pictured by an architect, when he was planning for some upcoming building work of the castle.
It must be said that many of the people that owned the picture of the supposed ghost that they claimed could be seen in the picture and passed it around as a ghost picture, was known to be fond of practical jokes.
Still, the mystery and intrigue of the picture has kept the story of the lonely man in kilt alive at Stirling Castle.
As centuries passed and the castle stood as a symbol of Scotland’s resilience, the ghosts came to understand the importance of their presence. The Lady in Green, the Pink Ghost Lady, The Woman in Black, and the other spectral figures were not simply omens of tragedy, but reminders of the castle’s enduring spirit.
Through their ethereal presence, the ghosts sought to protect the castle from any harm that may befall it. They would appear before devastating fires, revealing themselves as a warning and allowing enough time for the flames to be extinguished. The tragic stories of their origins served as cautionary tales, ensuring that history would not be repeated.
Over time, the castle staff and visitors learned to respect and honor the ghosts, recognizing their role as custodians of Stirling Castle. Instead of fear and superstition, they felt a sense of gratitude for the protection and connection to the past that the apparitions provided.
So, if you happen to visit Stirling Castle and catch a glimpse of a ghostly figure in black, green, or pink, remember to show respect and gratitude. For they are not harbingers of misfortune, but eternally loyal guardians of Scotland’s past, ensuring that the legacy of Stirling Castle lives on for generations to come.
The Green Lady of Stirling Castle
