Recorded accounts from Scotland’s castles, coastlines, and forgotten places.
Accounts relating to Alloa Tower, c.1800. Following a fire which destroyed the adjoining house, only the tower remained standing. In the years that followed, reports describe a light seen within the grounds at night. The light was observed moving between the ruins, though no source was identified. Contemporary records do not account for it, and no explanation has been recorded.
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Accounts relating to Tantallon Castle, c.1743. A soldier sheltering in the abandoned ruins reported the sounds of measured footsteps moving through the structure at night. The footsteps were described as ascending a tower that was no longer standing. No other individuals were present in the castle, and no further documentation of the event exists.
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Accounts relating to Slains Castle, c.1773. During a visit to the castle, a guest lodged in a specifically appointed room experienced phenomena they were unwilling to describe in published journals. Subsequent correspondence referenced an abrupt drop in temperature and an unidentified presence. The guest's account was not corroborated by others present in the castle.
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Accounts relating to Castle Stalker, c.1701. An observer staying on the shore across from the island fortress documented the appearance of a stationary, spherical light above the tower. The light persisted without movement or variation before vanishing. Local tradition associates the light with deaths in the Stewart lineage, though there is no physical explanation for the illumination itself.
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Accounts relating to Dunrobin Castle, c.1969. During the castle's tenure as a school, several students reported the sound of continuous crying emanating from a sealed room in the north tower. An investigation of the space found it empty but recorded an isolated area of extreme cold. Staff records contain no reference to these events.
View the Dunrobin account →Echoes from the Ruins is a collection of accounts relating to Scotland’s castles, coastlines, and abandoned places.
Each account is presented alongside original artwork and constructed as a narrative informed by historical record, reported experience, and local tradition. Some events are well documented. Others are less certain.
The structures remain. What occurred within them is not always as clear.
Original paintings can be viewed in the Paintings section.