Craigcrook Castle in Edinburgh gave a respected ghosthunter the fright of his life in 2014, but its haunted reputation goes back decades, writes DAVID SAUNDERSON
Craigcrook Castle, in the quiet Edinburgh suburb of Blackhall, has a reputation that stretches beyond its ivy-clad walls.
Built in the early 17th century, the castle was once home to Lord Francis Jeffrey, a formidable judge and critic who turned it into a meeting place for the “Craigcrook Literary Circle”.
Great names such as Charles Dickens and Lord Macaulay visited its rooms, leaving the castle forever linked to Edinburgh’s intellectual history.
But while its past is steeped in literature and learning, Craigcrook carries a darker reputation.
For paranormal researcher John Tantalon, it remains the single most frightening place he has ever set foot in.
Craigcrook Castle’s Storied Past
Craigcrook Castle was built around 1626 and passed through the hands of several Edinburgh families before becoming the residence of Francis Jeffrey in the early 19th century.
Jeffrey, a judge and co-founder of the Edinburgh Review, made the castle famous as the gathering place of a literary circle that included Dickens, Lord Macaulay, and Sydney Smith.
The estate covers several acres and, for centuries, was considered a place of refinement rather than fear.
After Jeffrey’s death in 1850, Craigcrook was let to a succession of tenants, some of them notable figures in their own right.
In the 20th century, the castle saw varied uses, including time as a private residence, offices, and, more recently, connections to property developers.
Its walls, however, seem to have carried forward something restless – an undercurrent of disturbance that surfaces in stories across the decades.
My Scariest Ghost Experience
In 2014, John Tantalon was invited into Craigcrook by a friend who had been employed as a night-time security guard.
At the time, the building stood empty and was under consideration for sale.
One potential buyer – the actor Gerard Butler – had expressed interest in purchasing it, and the owners were determined that nothing should damage the property while it remained on the market.
The guard, a tough Polish ex-doorman, was unflappable in most situations, but something about Craigcrook unsettled him.
John remembers being told about a curious detail before he ever set foot inside.
“Every time he did his round,” John explains, “he came back to find the same desk drawer open. He was the only one inside the castle. It made no sense.”
Intrigued, John agreed to accompany him on one of his shifts.
The two men began walking through the castle late at night.
Their first sweep was uneventful, but on the second floor the atmosphere shifted.
John recalls: “The first thing that happened was a door opened by itself. I tried to brush it off – told him it could be floorboards, the kind of thing you expect in an old house.”
A few minutes later, something heavier fell to the ground.
“This big brass doorknob clattered onto the floor right in front of us. Nobody was near it. It was like something had knocked it off.”
As they moved on, the tension rose.
“Suddenly a bathroom door just slammed open with all its might. The noise was unreal, and the force behind it was terrifying. Then the smell hit us – roses, really strong, like someone had turned on an air freshener. It was overwhelming.”
John insists that what made the experience so chilling was not one single event, but how quickly each incident followed the last.
“It all happened within minutes – the door, the handle, the slam, the smell. I’ve been in a lot of haunted places, but nothing has ever escalated like that. The ferocity of it was overwhelming.”
Even his hardened companion was badly shaken.
“He’s the kind of man you’d never expect to scare. He worked the doors in the Cowgate, a proper hard man. But the sweat was pouring off him. He told me flat out, ‘I’m not staying in here another minute.’ He finished his shift in the safety of his car.”
John admits that he too bolted from the building.
“I just ran. That’s still the only time I’ve ever run from a place during an investigation. People always ask me, what’s the scariest experience you’ve had? And I always say Craigcrook Castle. Without hesitation.”
Craigcrook’s strange reputation did not begin in 2014.
In the 1980s, when the building was rented to a stationery company, staff reported poltergeist-like behaviour – small objects hurled across rooms, paperclips flying from desks, and an eerie sense of being watched.
Earlier accounts suggest that Lord Francis Jeffrey himself disliked intrusions into his home, and some believe it is his spirit that still walks the corridors, reacting angrily to visitors.
Craigbrook Castle Today
Craigcrook Castle is not open to the public.
In recent years, it has been used as a private residence.
Visitors can admire its exterior from a distance, but access to the grounds is restricted.
For most passers-by, it is simply another fine old house on the edge of the city.
For those who know John Tantalon’s story, it is something far more unsettling – a place where unseen forces seem determined to remind intruders that they are not welcome.
Have you ever had a chilling experience at Craigcrook Castle or another historic site in Edinburgh? Share your story in the comments below!
