Scotland’s Halloween’s roots lie deep in the mystical Celtic New Year festival of Samhain, the season is celebrated with great enthusiasm throughout the countryside. Undoubtedly, Scotland’s spooky history has left plenty of haunted castles, blood-chilling legends and fascinating speculation on the lives — and deaths — of the Clans who built the magnificent estates with their formidable castles. Each year, many of these castles open their doors on Halloween to let the public experience the hair-raising ambiance of some of Scotland’s most haunted castles.

Glamis Castle

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Near the village of Glamis — which is just 5 miles west of Forfar — stands the infamous Glamis castle, renown as the scene of Shakespeare’s great historical tragedy, Macbeth. This ancestral home of the Lyon family has many secrets to hide and the hair-raising tales whispered about the secret rooms known only to the Laird and his heirs have added further mystery to this legendary castle, including stories of an eternal card game between the Earl of Crawford and the devil himself that began 300 years ago and continues to this day in a secret chamber. Every year, the castle sponsors Halloween events that allow their participants to have access to areas of the castle usually restricted to the public.

Cawdor Castle

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Just 12 miles east of Inverness is the Cawdor Castle, also rumored to be the site of Macbeth, but actually too young to have been part of this drama, but nonetheless the site has its share of mystical legends about ghost who still roam the grounds. Ancestral home of the Campbell Clan, this castle’s history is full of brave women who played pivotal roles in the battles that raged during the 15th century between warring houses and to this day the “lady in the blue velvet dress” is spotted by castle regulars, and according to some sightings she has no hands. Annual Halloween festivities include live music, dancing and storytelling.

Blair Castle

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In the Perthshire region near the village of Blair Atholl, the Blair castle has long held a strategic position in the Central Scottish Highlands and has been the scene of much conflict and power through the years. Also nearby is Diana’s Grove — rumored to be the site of many mystical ceremonies, is the home of Scotland’s tallest tree.

During Halloween, guest are invited into tour the castle — but must beware of all the bats that take up residence there and depart every evening. This tour is followed an eerie tractor ride through Diana’s Grove that is sponsored by the Atholl Estates Ranger Service. Afterwards, guests gather at Saint Brides to listen to scary stories.