Discover 24 famous hauntings in Britain and Ireland. From Borley Rectory and the Enfield Poltergeist to spectral castles, royal palaces and haunted villages, explore the stories that have fascinated generations
24 famous hauntings
Borley Rectory and Enfield
Castles, houses, villages and poltergeists
Britain and Ireland
Ghost stories that became legends
Some hauntings became famous through newspaper reports and paranormal investigations. Others grew around ancient castles, historic houses and the people who lived there. Together, they form a rich part of Britain and Ireland’s supernatural history.
Our selection brings those stories together, with links to the Spooky Isles archive so you can explore each haunting in more detail.
Spooky Isles’ picks
Explore famous hauntings by country
Famous hauntings in England
From royal apparitions and village legends to investigations that made national headlines, these are some of England’s most enduring ghost stories.
Essex
Borley Rectory
The vanished Essex rectory became a household name through its phantom nun, unexplained disturbances and Harry Price’s investigations. Its story helped shape Britain’s fascination with haunted houses.
London
The Enfield Poltergeist
The reported disturbances at a North London family home in 1977 became one of Britain’s most disputed paranormal cases.
Kent
Pluckley Village
The famous Kent village whose stories include a spectral highwayman, phantom coach and restless apparitions.
Northumberland
Chillingham Castle
A medieval stronghold associated with the Blue Boy, Lady Mary Berkeley and generations of castle ghosts.
London
Tower of London
Reported apparitions of royal prisoners and other figures haunt the stories of this historic fortress.
London
Hampton Court Palace
Catherine Howard and other royal figures are connected with the palace’s ghostly traditions.
Norfolk
Blickling Hall
A celebrated Norfolk legend associates the house with Anne Boleyn’s ghost.
Gloucestershire
Ancient Ram Inn
The old timber-framed inn has attracted a remarkable collection of paranormal claims and investigations.
London
50 Berkeley Square
The Mayfair house became notorious for tales of a terrifying presence in an upstairs room. Its legend helped make it one of London’s most famous haunted addresses.
Famous hauntings in Scotland
Castle secrets, phantom musicians and a notorious kirkyard haunting give Scotland’s famous ghost stories their own character.
Angus
Glamis Castle
Family secrets and the legends of Earl Beardie and the Monster of Glamis distinguish this Scottish castle.
Edinburgh
Edinburgh Castle
The phantom piper and mysterious drummer are among the fortress’s enduring legends.
Edinburgh
Greyfriars Kirkyard
The Mackenzie Poltergeist helped turn this old kirkyard into one of Edinburgh’s most talked-about haunted places.
Famous hauntings in Wales
An ancient inn and a Gothic mansion offer two very different introductions to Wales’s supernatural traditions.
Monmouthshire
Skirrid Mountain Inn
An ancient Welsh inn associated with stories of executions and restless spirits.
Neath Port Talbot
Margam Castle
The imposing Gothic mansion has a reputation for unexplained experiences and spectral figures.
Powys
Craig y Nos Castle
The former home of opera singer Adelina Patti is associated with a White Lady, ghostly singing and stories from its later years as a hospital.
Famous hauntings in Northern Ireland
Two County Antrim castles keep the stories of Lady Isobel Shaw and Buttoncap alive.
County Antrim
Ballygally Castle
Lady Isobel Shaw is said to haunt this castle on the Antrim coast.
County Antrim
Carrickfergus Castle
The story of Buttoncap, a soldier’s ghost, survives in the folklore of this fortress.
Belfast
Crumlin Road Gaol
Belfast’s former prison has a formidable supernatural reputation. Reported apparitions, whispers and unsettling encounters are woven into the history of its cells and execution chamber.
Famous hauntings in Ireland
Ireland’s famous hauntings range from castle spirits and a sinister card game to prison encounters and the dark folklore of the Dublin hills.
County Offaly
Leap Castle
An Irish castle linked with violent history, disturbing legends and a formidable supernatural reputation.
County Wexford
Loftus Hall
The notorious legend of a stranger, a card game and Anne Tottenham is inseparable from this great house.
County Offaly
Charleville Castle
The spirit of a girl named Harriet is among the castle’s best-known haunting traditions.
Dublin
Kilmainham Gaol
A former prison whose turbulent history has generated tales of supernatural encounters.
Dublin
Dublin’s Hellfire Club
The ruined lodge on Montpelier Hill is associated with sinister gatherings and supernatural folklore.
County Dublin
Malahide Castle
The Talbot family’s historic castle has accumulated a collection of ghost stories, including Puck the jester. Spooky Isles’ Irish team explored its reputation during a night-time investigation.
Keep exploring the Spooky Isles
Follow a famous story into the wider archive, find haunted places near you or plan your next ghostly outing.
