Famous Haunted Castles

Castle comes from the Latin word castellum, which basically means "fortified place". Castles were built primarily as places of protection from an invading enemy. During the Middle Ages, castles were usually built for territorial expansion and regional control. A castle was a stronghold from which a lord could control surrounding territory. Eventually, castles started to become more often residences for the monarch or lord who built them, rather than fortresses.

With all the wars, battles, tragedies, and bloodshed that has occured in these beautiful buildings, it's no wonder so many of them are haunted.

I've added a few haunted castles below, and I'll continue to update as time goes on.

Read more at HauntedCastles.info.

England

Windsor Castle was built in the 11th century. English royalty throughout the years have reported having encounters with ghosts for centuries.

Princess Margartet reported having encounters with Queen Elizabeth I, who die in 1603 and Charles I, who was beheaded in 1649.

King George III, who was in charge during the American Revolution, was said to have gone mad during his reign. He has reportedly been sighted numerous times in the castle library. He is said to be studying ancient books, and seems to mutter "what, what" over and over.

Find out more about Windsor Castle Here.

The Calvados Castle Poltergeist

Calvados Castle was built in 1835, in Normandy France, directly on top of the ruins of an unidentified building. From October 12, 1875 to January 30, 1876, the inhabitants of Calvados Castle endured one of the most prolonged and terrifying occurances of poltergeist phenomena ever recorded.

That first night, things began flying around the rooms, rappings echoed through the walls, and thunderous booms were heard throughout the castle. The master and servants searched the castle but no one was found. These loud bangs on walls and door continued throughout the night almost every night for the next 3 months.

Read more about Calvados Castle Here.

Turnberry, Ayrshire, Scotland

The original castle was built in 1165, but was remodeled and expanded in 1777. The Kennedys, a well-known Scottish family, were the first inhabitants of the castle in 1759 and lived there for the next 800 years.

Visitors and staff have reported a ghostly piper playing on the grounds, especially before a kennedy family wedding and on stormy nights. There have also been reports of a beautifuldark haired girl in an evening gown who approaches people in an otherwise empty corridoor. One report actually says the witness felt a cold chill in his entire right side as she passed "through" him. No one seems to know who this mysterious lady is.

There are several other ghosts reported in or around the castle, including one who is thought to be the ghost of a princess who was killed in the Green Room whopresents herself as a "misty shape", and the spirit of Sir John Cathcart who abducted May Kennedy and planned to kill her but luckily for May, she managed to push him off a cliff in the area and make her escape.