Spooky Isles

WELCOME TO SPOOKY ISLES

Ghosts and Hauntings

Haunted Kirkstall Abbey: Leeds’ Ghostly Gem

Spooky Isles Team - 15 January 2025

Film Reviews

The Radleys 2004 REVIEW

David Saunderson - 14 January 2025

Ghosts and Hauntings

Grand Hotel Scarborough: Elegance and the Paranormal

Guest Writer - 13 January 2025

LATEST ARTICLES >

Rochester Castle

Haunted Rochester Castle and Lady Blanche’s Ghost

10 January 2025

Beech Trees: 10 Fascinating Folklore Facts

9 January 2025

Robert Eggers' Nosferatu: 10 Things You Didn’t Know

Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu: 10 Things You Didn’t Know

8 January 2025

Henry Trigg's coffin.

Henry Trigg, the Grocer who Refused the Grave

7 January 2025

Universal Dracula Films

We Rank Universal Dracula Films

6 January 2025

Photos of the World Famous Frankenstein Pub by Sarah Blair-Dickinson.

Inside Edinburgh’s Frankenstein Pub Experience

5 January 2025

Armchair Thriller (S2, E15-18): Fear Of God REVIEW

3 January 2025

Discover the enchanting tales and eerie legends of the British Isles with Jonathan Ross' Myths and Legends, a captivating Channel 4 series exploring regional folklore

Jonathan Ross’ Myths and Legends 2023 TV REVIEW

3 January 2025

GHOST & HAUNTINGS >

Ghosts and Hauntings

Staffordshire: 10 Haunted Places to Visit

Rick Hale - 7 June 20220

Staffordshire in the West Midlands has no shortage of hauntings. RICK HALE picks the county's 10 spookiest places to visit!

Lanyhydrock House, one of Cornwall’s most haunted places to visit

6 October 2023

Madeley Court Hotel: A Haunted Step Back in Time

6 October 2023

Oxford’s Haunted Colleges

14 August 2023

Grosvenor Hotel Shaftesbury – haunted with ghosts after 1000 years!

6 October 2023

Haunted Castles

Haunted Pubs

Haunted Hotels

HORROR & FANTASY FILMS >

10 Creepy Alfred Hitchcock Quotes

13 February 2023

The Haunted Curiosity Shop 1901 VIDEO

17 November 2022

the house that dripped blood

The House That Dripped Blood 1970 REVIEW

17 January 2022

The Fall Of The House Of Usher 1949 REVIEW

27 December 2020

TELEVISION >

Armchair Thriller (S2, E15-18): Fear Of God REVIEW

3 January 2025

Discover the enchanting tales and eerie legends of the British Isles with Jonathan Ross' Myths and Legends, a captivating Channel 4 series exploring regional folklore

Jonathan Ross’ Myths and Legends 2023 TV REVIEW

21 October 2024

The Voice of Vrillon: A Hoax from Out of this World

4 August 2023

Count Magnus BBC A Ghost Story for Christmas TV REVIEW

28 July 2023

Dr Who: 10 Things You Might Not Know About The Daemons

1 August 2023

Inside Number 9 Dead Line

Inside Number 9: ‘Dead Line’ Live Halloween Special 2018 REVIEW

1 November 2023

GHOST HUNTING

PARANORMAL REALITY TV

ESOTERIC ARTS

FOLKLORE & SUPERSTITION >

Beech Trees: 10 Fascinating Folklore Facts

1 November 2024

The Green Man: A Verdant Deity of Pagan Lore

20 December 2024

Ireland’s Fairy Forts and the Curse of Tara

3 August 2023

St John Ogilvie

St John Ogilvie: The Glasgow Dockworker Who Made A Saint

6 August 2023

Illustrated Tales of Staffordshire by Helen Harwood

Illustrated Tales of Staffordshire: Helen Harwood Author Interview

30 October 2023

Friday the 13th

Why is Friday the 13th considered unlucky?

19 February 2023

DARK HISTORY >

Henry Trigg's coffin.

Henry Trigg, the Grocer who Refused the Grave

3 January 2025

In 1926, Agatha Christie vanished for 11 days, creating a mystery so compelling that it even inspired a "Doctor Who" episode!

The Day Agatha Christie Disappeared: A Real-Life Mystery

20 October 2024

Executioner Jack Ketch beheads James Scott, Duke of Monmouth, in 1685.

Jack Ketch: The Executioner Who Horrified London

6 October 2024

Campden Wonder: A Mystery of False Confessions and Injustice

20 September 2024

Epping Forest’s Haunting Suicide Pool

27 November 2024

a broom and kettle outside of a stone building

Witch Hunt Horror: Jane Wenham’s Shocking Tale

28 August 2024

LITERATURE >

7 Chilling Victorian Ghost Stories Perfect for Christmas

7 Chilling Victorian Ghost Stories Perfect for Christmas

24 December 2024

The Lost Tradition of Ghost Stories at Christmas

The Lost Tradition of Ghost Stories at Christmas

24 December 2024

A Good House for Children by Kate Collins BOOK REVIEW

A Good House for Children by Kate Collins BOOK REVIEW

21 December 2024

Turn The Tides Gently by Matt Wingett

28 December 2020

Irish horro and ghost story writer Sheridan Le Fanu

Sheridan Le Fanu’s Ireland: 11 Historic Places to Visit

3 August 2023

Gothic Horror and British Identity

15 January 2023

Dracula

Frankenstein

Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

UFOS & ALIENS >

Paranormal The Village That Saw Aliens

Paranormal: The Village That Saw Aliens TV REVIEW

8 July 2024

The Bizarre Legend of St Catherine's Island

The Bizarre Legend of St Catherine’s Island

19 April 2024

Bentwaters-Lakenheath Incident Tests Cold War Allies Over 1950s Suffolk

4 August 2023

Dargle Cottage UFO Investigation, A Cautionary Tale

16 October 2023

The Mince Pie Martians

The Mince Pie Martians And The Housewife

21 September 2023

7 Strangest Ireland UFO Sightings

3 August 2023

CRYPTOZOOLOGY >

Morgawr: Cornwall’s Legendary Sea Serpent

15 November 2024

Mystery Animals of The Lothians

Mystery Animals of The Lothians

4 June 2024

Trewint Tor: A Tale Of Scaredy Cats On Bodmin Moor

4 August 2023

Elliott O'Donnell Bigfoot

Did Elliott O’Donnell Meet Bigfoot?

8 August 2023

The Story Of St Leonard, England’s Last Dragon Slayer

4 August 2023

Alien Big Cat Sightings Claw Through Kent

Alien Big Cat Sightings Claw Through Kent

12 November 2023

MYSTERIOUS PHENOMENA >

Chilling Messages: My Haunting Encounter with the Unseen

Chilling Messages: My Haunting Encounter with the Unseen

8 September 2024

Chasing Nightmares: The Horror of Sleep Paralysis

Chasing Nightmares: The Horror of Sleep Paralysis

26 March 2024

BBC Micro - Doddleston Messages

The Dodleston Messages: A Mystery From The Beyond?

14 September 2023

Precognition: I Saw House Fire Before It Happened

8 October 2023

What is a Fetch?

My Experience With A Fetch

4 August 2023

What is a Caulbearer and Why is it Spooky?

23 September 2023

Film Reviews

The Tell-Tale Heart 1953 REVIEW

Richard Phillips-Jones - 27 October 20180

RICHARD PHILLIPS-JONES celebrates the rediscovery of lost British horror gem, The Tell-Tale Heart 1953

EDITOR'S PICKS

Goblins In British Folklore: Myths And Mischief

14 August 2023

Vincent Price as The Abominable Dr Phibes

The Abominable Dr Phibes 1971 REVIEW

28 December 2020

Wymering Manor Ghosts Are Friendly, Says Former Resident

4 August 2023

Grabbers 2012 REVIEW

12 September 2024

The Demon Headmaster

Television

The Demon Headmaster Keeps Us Spellbound!

Gemma Johnson - 9 May 2024 0

Robert Eggers' Nosferatu: 10 Things You Didn’t Know

Horror and Fantasy Films

Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu: 10 Things You Didn’t Know

Spooky Isles Team - 8 January 2025 0

Newington Cemetery Edinburgh

Cemeteries and Burial Places

Edinburgh’s Dark October: Newington Cemetery Ghost

John S Tantalon - 14 October 2023 0

The Thomas Thorne Affair

Television

The Thomas Thorne Affair: Ghosts BBC (S2, E4) REVIEW

Gemma Johnson - 31 July 2024 0

Cyhyraeth

Mysterious Creatures

Cyhyraeth: The Dreaded Groaning Spirit

Guest Writer - 16 October 2023 0

Holly Folklore

Superstitions

Holly Folklore: Things You Didn’t Know

Helen J.R. Bruce - 24 December 2023 0

Henry Winkler as Benedict Slade in An American Christmas Carol 1979.

Film Reviews

An American Christmas Carol 1979 REVIEW

David Saunderson - 12 December 2024 1

Most Haunted

Paranormal Reality TV

Croxteth Hall, Most Haunted (S4, E4) REVIEW

Joanna Hague - 30 October 2023 0

Wicca Journey

Folklore

A Year of Transformation: Embracing Wicca

Les Hewitt - 2 March 2024 0

Targets 1969 Blu Ray

Horror and Fantasy Films

Karloff Classic, Targets 1968, Now On Blu-Ray

David Saunderson - 19 September 2023 0

Paranormal Tips

Paranormal Research

Quick Paranormal Tips for the Impatient Ghosthunter

Jaimie Lee-Barron - 17 August 2024 0

Mabon Autumn Equinox

Folklore

Mabon: How to Embrace and Celebrate Autumn

Rachael Elizabeth - 22 September 2024 0

The Enfield Haunting

Ghosts and Hauntings

The Enfield Haunting Shapes Paranormal History

Matthew E. Banks - 19 August 2024 0

Woman of Stone, the latest A Ghost Story for Christmas, brings E. Nesbit's chilling tale, Man-Size in Marble, to the small screen, writes CHRIS NEWTON and TARA BRIGID

Television

Woman of Stone 2024 TV REVIEW

Chris Newton - 27 December 2024 0

Most Haunted The Stage Show

Paranormal Research

Most Haunted The Stage Show REVIEW

Rachael Elizabeth - 16 April 2024 1

DISCOVER MORE FROM THE ARCHIVES

Welcome 14

Shrieve’s House, where history and hauntings collide

Rick Hale - 15 April 2020 0

Shrieve's House in the West Midlands is an ancient and spooky property which comes with a host of hauntings, as RICK HALE discovers...

The Bizarre Legend of St Catherine's Island

The Bizarre Legend of St Catherine’s Island

19 April 2024

St Magnus the Martyr Church in the City of London

8 Haunted English Churches You Must Visit

11 September 2021

Murder and Martyrdom, 7 Irish Saints and Sinners

17 March 2016

Barbara Lowe, Interview with a Psychic Medium

10 January 2012

Great British Ghosts

Hellfire Caves and The Ostrich Inn: Great British Ghosts (S1,...

13 September 2020

Edgar Allan Poe’s English Gothic Inspiration

6 August 2018

Island of Lost Souls 1933 REVIEW

10 June 2012

Spring Equinox and Ostara

Celebrating Spring Equinox Meaning and Magic

20 March 2023

PARANORMAL

Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast.

Ghosts and Hauntings

Crumlin Road Gaol: What ghosts lurk within its walls?

Guest Writer - 28 January 2013 2

DARK HISTORY

Welcome 18

Dark History

England’s 10 Most Notable Graves

Nia Jones - 27 April 2015 0

HORROR FILMS

Roger Daltrey and Katharine Ross in The Legacy 1978.

Film Reviews

The Legacy 1978 REVIEW

Guest Writer - 16 September 2023 0

FILM REVIEWS >

Paranoiac 1965

Paranoiac 1963 REVIEW

Spooky Isles Team - 27 July 2014 0

Paranoiac 1963 is a psychological thriller with touches of Gothic Psycho mad fun.

Dr X 1932 REVIEW

20 October 2017

Daughter of the Dragon

Daughter of the Dragon 1931 REVIEW

3 September 2013

The Omen 1976 REVIEW

16 August 2012

Omen IV The Awakening 1991 REVIEW

13 April 2015

The Undying Monster 1942 REVIEW

8 October 2017

Vincent Price and Peter Cushing in Madhouse 1974

Madhouse 1974 REVIEW

2 October 2022

Peter Cushing in From Beyond the Grave (1974)

From Beyond the Grave 1974 REVIEW

19 February 2020

Fear in the Night 1972

Fear in the Night 1972 REVIEW

9 August 2013

FOLKLORE

oak tree

Superstitions

10 Oak Tree Superstitions You Should Know

Spooky Isles Team - 9 July 2023 0

ESOTERIC ARTS

Selenite

Esoteric Arts

Selenite: Unleash the Power of Mental Clarity and Emotional Healing

Spooky Isles Team - 14 May 2023 0

HORROR FILMS

Threads 1984

Film Reviews

Threads 1984 REVIEW

David Saunderson - 23 September 2024 0

Welcome 20

Guy Fawkes Night: 10 Things You Need to Know

James Bruce and the Devil

James Bruce, the Scotsman Who Discovered The Devil

Hanbury Arms Hotel

Pontypool’s Haunted Hanbury Arms Hotel

Welcome 21

Bath: 5 Haunted Places to Visit

Spirit photography

Spirit photography: The History of Capturing Ghosts on Film

Welcome 22

Darlington: 5 Haunted Places To Visit

Lavender is a beautiful smelling flower and has many uses, including magic

Lavender in Folklore and Magic: 10 Things You Didn’t Know

Welcome 23

Ghosts and Gravestones of Haworth by Philip Lister REVIEW

Meet Bwbachod, the Welsh goblin

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 1908

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde 1908

Derek Acorah

Derek Acorah, TV Psychic Medium, Dies Aged 69

Why Was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle A Spiritualist?

Quatermass 2

Quatermass 2 1957 REVIEW

Scottish Ghosthunting

My 5 Top Scottish Ghosthunting Spots

Enfield Poltergiest

The Enfield Haunting Can’t Be Explained, Says Ghost Club Chairman

5 Black Sabbath Songs to Chill the Blood

Christmas Spirits 1981

Christmas Spirits 1981 TV REVIEW, rewarding yuletide fare from ITV

Peter Capaldi in Martin's Close 2019

Martin’s Close 2019 TV REVIEW

Welcome 26

10 British Hoodie Horror Films to Watch

Charles Ogle in Edison's Frankenstein 1910

Charles Ogle and the first Frankenstein 1910 REVIEW

Clopton House Horrors and the real ‘Ophelia’

Duntrune Castle Ghost Piper

Duntrune Castle: Domain Of The Phantom Piper

Welcome 27

Poltergeist! By John Fraser BOOK REVIEW

Dracula BBC 2020: The Dark Compass

Dracula BBC 2020 Episode Three: The Dark Compass REVIEW

Welcome 28

Write What You Know (and how it killed J. Sheridan Le...

Welcome 29

Carew Castle: Horrors Lurk Within Its Haunted Walls

Kelpie

What is a Kelpie? Scotland’s Horses of Hell!

Shane Briant in Straight On Till Morning

Farewell Shane Briant (1946-2021), Obituary

Thriller File it under Fear

Thriller (series 1, episode 8): File It Under Fear (1973) REVIEW

Southampton’s Dolphin Hotel guests come face-to-face with ghosts!

Haunted Hammersmith

Hammersmith: 5 Haunted Places To Visit

Epping Forest

Epping Forest’s Haunting Suicide Pool

Weston Manor Hotel

Weston Manor Hotel Cloaked In Ghostly Romance

Podge and Rodge: A Scare at Bedtime RETROSPECTIVE

Ettington Park Hotel is an elegant and great place to stay, not just for the ghosts!

Ettington Park Hotel, A Dash Of Haunted Elegance

irish superstitions

13 Irish Superstitions You Need To Know!

A Lot to Take In

A Lot to Take In: Ghosts BBC (S3, E2) REVIEW

Most Haunted Live

Pendle Hill Special Most Haunted Live Halloween 2004 REVIEW

Haunted Southwark Pub, Market Porter

Market Porter, London’s Oldest And Most Haunted Pub

Most Haunted - Mary King's Close

The Skirrid Inn, Most Haunted REVIEW

Co-operating with Fairies

The Art of Co-Operating With Fairies

Tracey Everett, Paranormal Investigator Q&A

The Tragedy of Madam Piggott's Restless Spirit

Welcome 33

Mysteries of Portsmouth: Strange Tales Of Pompey!

Pendle Hill Witches

Pardon the Pendle Witches: Sign The Petition

Howl 2015

Howl 2015 REVIEW

X The Unknown 1956 Review

Ghost-Hunting Shows

Scary UK Ghost-Hunting Shows To Watch This Halloween

The Ghost of Christmas: Ghost BBC Christmas Special 2020

Ghosts BBC Christmas Special 2020 REVIEW

Wayland's Smithy

Wayland’s Smithy, A Guide to the Mysterious Tomb

Old Hunstanton

Ghostly Encounter at St Mary’s, Old Hunstanton

Thriller Only A Scream Away

Thriller (S2, E1): Only A Scream Away REVIEW

Walter Raleigh Ghost

Sir Walter Raleigh’s Ghost Still Roams England

Welcome 35

The Wicker Man 1973 REVIEW

Learn Garlic’s Natural And Supernatural Powers And Benefits

Welcome 37

What Makes A Great Ghost Hunt Location?

Donald Pleasence and Tom Baker in The Mutations 1974.

The Mutations 1974 REVIEW

Welcome 38

Meet Margaret, Bristol’s Haunted Doll

Welcome 39

Nosferatu the Vampyre 1979 REVIEW

Welcome 40

The Karloff Compendium by Stephen Jacobs BOOK REVIEW

Loftus Hall’s Phantoms and Creepy Card Games

Welcome 42

H.G. Wells: 10 Things You Didn’t Know

Enniscorthy Poltergeist

Enniscorthy, Ireland’s Most Chilling Poltergeist Tale

Most Haunted - Mary King's Close

Jamaica Inn, Most Haunted REVIEW

Avebury Red Lion Pub in Wiltshire

Is the Avebury Red Lion Pub, the Most Haunted Pub Ever?

Welcome 43

Aberdeen: 5 Haunted Places To Visit

Welcome 44

Armchair Thriller (S2, E11-14): Dying Day REVIEW

Black Dog

‘I Saw A Black Demon Dog In Wallington’: Real Life Haunting

Thistle is deeply embedded in Scottish culture, as its national flower and a symbol of bravery and independence. For St Andrew's Day, we take a look at 10 Thistle superstitions

Thistle: 10 Superstition Folklore You Should Know

Chichester

Chichester: 5 Haunted Places To Visit

The Ghost Hunters: Borley Haunting’s Novel Twist

Welcome 45

The Ghosts Of Hinchingbrooke House

British Composers

Top 10 British Composers Who Wrote Spooky Music for Horror Films...

Hull’s Haunted Funeral Parlour

Welcome 47

Dr Terror’s House of Horrors 1965 REVIEW

Happy 60th Birthday to Hammer’s Dracula (1958)!

Welcome 49

5 Haunted Ireland Military Bases

Welcome 50

5 Haunted Scottish Highlands Hotels to Visit

Welcome 51

The Tyburn Tree: London’s Most Infamous Gallows

Montague Summers

Montague Summers and Pop Culture Occultism

Robert Taylor

Attacked by a UFO: The Robert Taylor Incident

Welcome 52

Scrooge 1913 aka Old Scrooge REVIEW & FULL VIDEO

Skirrid Mountain

Skirrid Mountain Inn, A Must-Do For Ghost Hunters

Robert Hallman

Essex Author Robert Hallmann Talks Ghosts and Dark History

Count Duckula

Count Duckula Quacks Us Up

Eggs Supersitions

British Egg Superstitions and Folklore

Welcome 53

Shadows (S2, E6): The Eye

Peter Underwood

Peter Underwood Obituary, King of the Ghost Hunters

Truth Seekers

Truth Seekers TV Episode Guide

Thornton Heath, London 1970s haunting terror, still puzzling to this day

Ratcliff Highway Murders: London’s Brutal Killings Revealed

Bestwood Lodge Hotel, One Of Nottingham’s most haunted houses

Ghosts Season 5 Episode 4

En Francais: Ghosts BBC (S5, E4) EPISODE REVIEW

Freezing heartbreak brings haunting child to snow-covered Shropshire road

Spike Island

Visit Spike Island, Ireland’s most haunted place for chills and thrills

Welcome 58

Who is your Favourite British Horror Actress?

John Malkovich and Julia Roberts in Mary Reilly 1996.

Mary Reilly 1996 REVIEW

Welcome 59

Elizabeth Sawyer, The Witch of Edmonton

Leap Castle in County Offaly

County Offaly: 5 Haunted Places to Visit

Led Zeppelin, Runes, Rock And Revenge

Spooky Isles is the UK and Ireland’s leading independent horror and paranormal online magazine. We're dedicated to exploring all the dark history, horror, folklore and mysterious phenomena our islands have to offer.