Delgatie Castle
Delgatie Castle
Build in 1030 Delgatie castle has payed the price for 1000 years of war. During the civil & Scottish wars it passed hands many times from scottish noble to scottish noble. Every Time it passed to a different clan it was with a cost of blood, seeing a lot of its former owners executed. Secret Chambers, Hidden Corpse, Murder and War have all left there mark within these ancient walls. Delgatie Castle is severely haunted. We cant wait to investigate !
Delgatie Castle
Turriff
United Kingdom
Ghost Hunt at Delgatie Castle
Ghost Hunting At Delgatie Castle
Delgatie Castle is famed throughout scotland for its history, but also its hauntings. Delgatie still stands as a symbol throughout scotland. The Ancient walls remain strong after years of war and turmoil. But the past events live on within the fortress, scaring the modern residents on a daily basis.
Tho the castle as a whole is very active and apparitions are no rarity in Delgaties many halls. There are some room that seem to have intelligent hauntings such as The Rohaise Room. This room in particular seems to be residence to one very active spirit. A former lord daughter called Rohaise. Taps, knocks and footsteps are a regular occurrence in the ladies former bedroom. On few occassions people have heard what sounded like a lady humming. Rohaise appears as she did in life, a beautiful young women with vivid red hair and is seen constantly, not just in the Rohaise Room but around the castle. There are countless records of her being sighted during WWII when the castle played host to british soldiers, as if she raised from the grave to defend her home. Rohaise is known to be especially active when there are young men in the room. Perhaps she is lonely or we have a flirtatious phantom on our hands.
The Castle’s Chapel is home to an even more active spirit, whose remains where found concealed in a secret chamber shrouded in a black cloth. Objects are seen flying around this room and loud wails and cries sound out through its dusty chambers. Tho there is no physical harm on record there is still an ominous feel to the chapel. People have seen shadows rushing around corners and heard hurried footsteps as if rushing away to hide. Tho it may not be a ghost with malicious intent, there is no doubt that there is avid poltergeist activity in this part of the castle. Not such a surprise when his body has been stashed away and not allowed a proper burial. This seems to be the case in most poltergeist cases.
Delgatie castle on a whole doesn’t seem to have particular rooms that are haunted besides the two mentioned above. Full body apparitions are seen a lot more than is usual even for a haunted location, in the forms of both men and women. Wails of pain, hums of joy, laughter, crying are all also heard. But with a castle that has such an extensive history it is almost impossible to identify all of its ghosts and why they might be there.
Ghosts of Delgatie Castle
Ghosts of Delgatie Castle
. Rohaise
. Joseph Hay
Delgatie castle plays host to a number of lingering spirits, some residual, some intelligent. But the most active spirits have sad stories along with many others that dwell within this ancient fortress. But as with any building that held nobility or an important stance in its region.
The most active spirit within Delgatie Castle is that of Joseph Hay, a relative of Lord Hay. The hay family where resolute catholic during the religious reformation of the 1300’s. Joseph moved into Delgatie castle to be the family’s secret priest. Upon his death the story goes that driven by fear, the Hay family had a secret chamber constructed and hid Josephs Body within. With Joseph Hay being a priest and a religious man the fact he didn’t get a proper burial would have infuriated him even beyond the grave. It wasn’t until the modern day that his body was found.
A young girl in the castle of a dream on someone asking for help from a secret chamber within the chapel. So The lord of the day had a construction team search the area and to his astonishment they did indeed find a crouched skeleton, wrapped in a black shroud. From that day forward activity in the castle has been rife and the apparition of the monk is the most common within Delgatie Castle. The activity became so horrific that the family called in a priest to preform an exorcism. Since then it is said that the activity has ceased or is the family just to scared to pay the spirit any attention in caution of him becoming even more active ? But if he was indeed dead when they did him in there why was he crouched over in what looked like an attempt to keep himself warm ?
Rohaise was a young women who resided within Delgatie castle. And its Rohaise Room that she haunts ( Shocker ) Tho there is no record of any death apart from a natural one, or any events really that might have caused her to stay behind and haunt her former home. Sometimes when a person loved a place in life they come back after death. This could very well be the case with Rohaise. She is felt most when there are young men in the castle, especially during a period of WWII, where there are countless reports of a red haired women standing with a smile in various parts of the castle.
Delgatie Castle is in particular a difficult location to give a rating. There are numerous reports of paranormal activity, from poltergeist to women gliding through walls. And with a building such a strong history it would seem almost a crime to give it a low rating, but there hasn’t been enough documented evidence in this location. So all you paranormal investigators out there go and spend the night ! And tell us what you found.
Delgatie Castle Location
Castle Ghosts Of Aberdeen
Additional History of Delgatie Castle
Most recently the home of the late Captain John Hay of Delgatie, Feudal Baron and built around 1049 the Castle has largely been in the Hay family for the last 650 years. It was taken from the Earl of Buchan after the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, when Robert the Bruce routed the invading English army. Mary Queen of Scots stayed at Delgatie for three days after the Battle of Corrachie in 1562. Her bedchamber is on view to the visitor.
Like many Scottish castles, Delgatie was rebuilt in the 16th century. The invention of the siege gun necessitated greater fortifications, and the 1570 rebuilding provided 8-16 feet thick walls. The main tower dates from about 1100, while its final extension with the battlement walk above the string course was completed in 1579.
In May 1639, the covenanters were routed in their first skirmish with the Royalist Gordons. This took place on the ‘Trot of Turriff’ near the castle. This proved to be the end for the ‘Royalist’ Hay of Delgatie who was hanged alongside the Earl of Montrose 11 years later in Edinburgh. In May 1661, following the restoration of Charles II, his body was exhumed and under the orders of the Lord Lyon Kings of Arms he was given a huge state funeral. Amid much pomp and ceremony he was laid to rest next to the Marquis of Montrose in St Giles Cathederal, Edinburgh.
By the beginning of this century dry rot had infected the timbers and the deadly spores had worked their way into the stonework. Part of the roof had gone and water pored down the walls. During the second world war some of the 350,000 troops who were saved from the beaches of Dunkirk used the once elegent rooms as temporary barracks. By the end of the war the castle, left to crumble soon became derelect. Had it not been for Capt. Hay Delgatie would have dissapeared for ever. Even when the architects told the Captain it was too late to save the castle his determination to transform what was a rotting heap into the show piece restoration it is today began.
Both wings were added in 1743 with the chapel and dovecote on the west and the kitchen and servants’ quarters on the east. Some of the rooms still boast their original 16th century painted ceilings, which are considered some of the finest in Scotland. Strange animals are depicted — some with human heads thought to represent the actual inhabitants of the time.
The turnpike stair of 97 treads that links the eight floors is reputed to be one of the widest in Scotland, measuring over five feet across. It is unusual for this to be built within the thickness of the wall and for the stairs to go from bottom of the castle all the way to the top.
The castle is steeped in local and Scottish history and it is hoped that the condition of the castle remains near to its original state as possible making it a more ‘homely’ and different attraction to the rest of the buildings found on the Castle Trail. It is the intention of the Delgatie Trustee’s to expand the collections and exhibits each year, and to continue to improve the facilities for visitors. It is our sincere hope that you will enjoy your visit to Delgatie and decide to return, as we are certain the castle offers more than a single visit can satisfy.