The Most Haunted Castles in Britain to Visit

Chillingham Castle in Northumberland is regularly called the most haunted castle in England, and its "blue boy" is one of the best known ghost stories in Britain. It is not the only contender. From Glamis in Angus to Berry Pomeroy in Devon, this island has a long list of castles with genuine centuries-old legends, most of them open to visitors and several running ticketed ghost tours and family Halloween events every October.

Below are the castles worth the trip, each with the real story behind its haunting and a note on who runs it. The scares here are the spooky, torch-lit, listen-for-footsteps kind rather than anything gory, so most are fine for older children as well as adults.

This is part of our guide to camping near Britain's castles, from Camping Sites in Britain. Pair a castle with a nearby pitch and you have a proper Halloween half-term adventure.

The most haunted castles at a glance

The best known haunted castles cover almost every corner of Britain, and they are run by a mix of English Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland and private owners. Here is the shortlist and the ghost each is famous for.

Castle	County	Run by	Famous ghost
Chillingham Castle	Northumberland	Privately owned	The blue boy
Muncaster Castle	Cumbria	Privately owned	Tom Fool and the Tapestry Room
Edinburgh Castle	Edinburgh	Historic Environment Scotland	The lone piper and the dungeons
Glamis Castle	Angus	Privately owned	The Monster of Glamis and the Grey Lady
Warwick Castle	Warwickshire	Privately run	The Ghost Tower
Dover Castle	Kent	English Heritage	The drummer boy
Tutbury Castle	Staffordshire	Privately run	The Keeper and a lady in white
Berry Pomeroy Castle	Devon	English Heritage	The White Lady and the Blue Lady
Bodmin Jail	Cornwall	Privately run	Executed prisoners
Pengersick Castle	Cornwall	Privately owned	Restless residents

Northern England

The north has the two castles most often named as Britain's most haunted, and both lean into it with organised ghost tours.

Chillingham Castle, Northumberland

Chillingham is the one to beat. This 13th-century fortress near Alnwick is privately owned, still lived in, and makes no secret of its reputation. Its most famous resident is the blue boy, a figure said to appear near a wall in the Pink Room, where bones of a young man were reportedly found bricked up during renovations. Visitors also report the Grey Lady and cold spots in the pantry.

You can visit in the day, and the castle runs its own after-dark ghost tours and overnight events. Check dates, tickets and opening times on the official Chillingham Castle website. If you are making a trip of it, our guide to the must-see castles of Northumberland maps out what else is nearby.

Muncaster Castle, Cumbria

Muncaster, near Ravenglass on the edge of the Lake District, is the other regular claimant to the title. It is privately owned and famous for two things: Tom Fool, the castle's 16th-century jester Thomas Skelton, whose portrait still hangs inside, and the Tapestry Room, where guests have long reported a crying child and a woman's voice. The castle even runs a "ghost sit", where brave visitors spend the night in the haunted room.

Muncaster is a full family day out with gardens and a hawk and owl centre alongside the castle, and it hosts Halloween events in October. Times and tickets are on the official Muncaster Castle website. It slots neatly into a wider trip through Cumbria's best castles.

Scotland

Scotland's haunted castles come with some of the oldest and strangest legends in Britain, and two stand out.

Edinburgh Castle

Perched on its volcanic rock above the city, Edinburgh Castle has centuries of ghost stories tied to its dungeons and vaults, where prisoners of war were once held. The best known tale is the lone piper, a boy sent to explore tunnels running under the Old Town who was never seen again, though his pipes are still said to be heard. There are also reports of a headless drummer and a phantom dog in the grounds.

Edinburgh Castle is run by Historic Environment Scotland and open year round. Plan your visit through the official Edinburgh Castle website, and note that the city's famous underground vault ghost tours on the South Bridge are a separate attraction run by other operators.

Glamis Castle, Angus

Glamis has more legends per stone than almost anywhere. The childhood home of the late Queen Mother is privately owned and haunted, so the stories go, by a Grey Lady in the chapel and the tragic figure of Earl Beardie playing cards with the Devil. Its most enduring mystery is the Monster of Glamis, a rumoured hidden room and a secret the family were said to pass down through generations. Nobody has ever confirmed what, if anything, was really there.

The castle opens to visitors for tours and seasonal events. Check what is on and book through the official Glamis Castle website.

The Midlands and the south east

These castles pair heavyweight history with well-run visitor attractions, and one of them runs the biggest Halloween event of any castle in the country.

Warwick Castle, Warwickshire

Warwick is the crowd pleaser. Privately run as a major visitor attraction, it has a genuinely eerie Ghost Tower, linked to the murdered Sir Fulke Greville, whose spirit is said to walk there still. Each October the whole castle transforms for its Haunted Castle Halloween season, with mazes, live actors and shows pitched at families as well as thrill seekers. Some experiences carry age guidance, so check before you book for younger children.

Halloween dates, tickets and prices change each year, so use the official Warwick Castle Halloween page for the current programme.

Dover Castle, Kent

Dover Castle guards the White Cliffs and hides a small ghost in its long history: a drummer boy, said to have been robbed and murdered while carrying money, who is still heard drumming along the battlements on quiet nights. Below ground, the wartime tunnels and underground hospital add their own atmosphere.

Dover Castle is run by English Heritage and open through the year, with events at half term. Opening times and tickets are on the official English Heritage Dover Castle page.

Tutbury Castle, Staffordshire

Tutbury, a ruined medieval castle where Mary, Queen of Scots was once imprisoned, has become one of the best places in the Midlands for a proper ghost tour. Visitors and staff report a figure known as the Keeper, a lady in white and a soldier in armour. The castle is privately run and hosts regular ghost tours and paranormal evenings led by its own team.

Tour dates and tickets are listed on the official Tutbury Castle website.

The south west

Devon and Cornwall hold some of the most atmospheric hauntings in Britain, including a castle with not one but two resident ladies.

Berry Pomeroy Castle, Devon

Berry Pomeroy, a romantic ruin near Totnes, is often called the most haunted castle in England alongside Chillingham. It has two famous ghosts. The White Lady, thought to be Margaret Pomeroy, is said to have been left to die in the dungeons by a jealous sister, and haunts the ramparts. The Blue Lady is said to lure people towards the tower. It is a genuinely eerie spot even in daylight.

Berry Pomeroy is looked after by English Heritage. Opening times are on the official English Heritage Berry Pomeroy page, and our guide to the top castles in Devon covers the rest of the county.

Bodmin Jail and Pengersick Castle, Cornwall

Not strictly a castle but too good to leave out, Bodmin Jail is a former county gaol on Bodmin Moor where public executions once took place. It now runs ghost walks and after-dark experiences among the cells, with plenty of grim history to go around. Details are on the official Bodmin Jail website.

Nearby, Pengersick Castle near Praa Sands is a privately owned medieval tower house with a formidable reputation for paranormal activity and hosts organised ghost hunts. As it is a private home, always book ahead rather than turning up, and check current arrangements directly with the owners before you plan a visit.

Halloween events and ghost tours

These October events are not all the same. Warwick puts on a large family Halloween season with mazes and shows, while Chillingham, Muncaster, Tutbury and Bodmin Jail run more intimate torch-lit ghost tours and overnight events. English Heritage and Historic Environment Scotland sites such as Dover, Berry Pomeroy and Edinburgh usually add half-term activities rather than full scare attractions. Dates, prices and age guidance change every year, so confirm on the castle's own website, and if you are bringing younger children, look for "family" in the event name.

Camping near Britain's haunted castles

Turning a castle visit into a weekend is half the fun, and there are campsites within easy reach of almost every one on this list. You can browse and filter pitches across the country in the Camping Sites in Britain directory, or jump straight to a region: the Lake District and Cumbria for Muncaster, Devon for Berry Pomeroy, or Cornwall for Bodmin Jail and Pengersick.

October camping means shorter days and colder nights, so pack for it and book pitches with electric hook-up if you want the heater on. A castle by day and a campfire by night is a hard trip to beat.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most haunted castle in the UK?

Chillingham Castle in Northumberland is the one most often named the most haunted castle in England, famous for its blue boy. Berry Pomeroy in Devon, Glamis in Scotland and Muncaster in Cumbria are also regular contenders, each with well-documented legends and their own ghost tours.

Can you stay overnight in a haunted castle?

Yes. Muncaster Castle runs a Tapestry Room "ghost sit", Chillingham offers overnight stays and ghost tours, and Pengersick and Tutbury host organised paranormal evenings. Book directly through each castle, as places are limited and often sell out for October dates.

Which castles run Halloween events?

Warwick Castle runs a large family Halloween season each October. Chillingham, Muncaster, Tutbury and Bodmin Jail run ghost tours and after-dark events, while Dover, Berry Pomeroy and Edinburgh usually add half-term activities. Check each castle's official website for current dates and tickets.

Are haunted castle tours suitable for children?

Many are. Daytime castle visits and family Halloween events like Warwick's are fine for children, and the scares are atmospheric rather than gory. Some evening ghost tours are aimed at adults, so read the age guidance on the booking page before you go.

Is Leap Castle in Britain?

No. Leap Castle, often called the most haunted castle in the world, is in County Offaly in the Republic of Ireland, so it sits outside Britain. The castles on this list are all in England and Scotland.

When is the best time to visit a haunted castle?

October is the atmospheric peak, with the most ghost tours and Halloween events running. That said, most of these castles are open and just as eerie year round, and spring and summer bring longer opening hours and better camping weather.

The short version

For the headline haunting, aim for Chillingham, Berry Pomeroy or Glamis. For a big family Halloween day out, Warwick is hard to beat, and for an overnight scare, book a ghost sit at Muncaster. Confirm dates and tickets on each castle's own website, then find a pitch nearby through our guide to camping near Britain's castles.