6-day Battlefields & Haunted Places Itinerary

Day 1 Edinburgh and Fife

• AM The Georgian House in Charlotte Square forms part of the architect, Robert Adam’s masterpiece of urban design. The interior boasts elegant décor, beautiful china and silver collections as well as exquisite paintings and furniture We will take you down to the kitchen, where an apparition has reportedly been seen on several occasions. Speculation suggests it could be the ghost of one of the kitchen maids - come and see for yourself!
• PM The village of Culross has been described as ‘one of the most haunted villages in Scotland’. This was the verdict of the Ghost Club, set up in 1862 to investigate paranormal phenomena. Discover more about the many 16th and 17th-c characters who have been sighted by visitors and staff, as your guide relates stories by candlelight in the Hall of the Palace. Drinks receptions can be arranged in the nearby Town House.

Day 2 Ayrshire

• All Day visit to Culzean Castle near Maybole. In a spectacular cliff top setting, Culzean Castle is another of Robert Adam’s fine creations. Converted from a fortified tower house into an elegant bachelor residence for the 10th Earl of Casillis, there are many reputed ‘ghosts of Culzean.’ Find out about the ‘white lady’, thought to be the ghost of an ill-treated maid, and the Earl’s piper who is supposed to haunt the labyrinth of caves in the cliffs under the castle.

Day 3 Central

• AM Private morning tour of Alloa Tower, the largest surviving keep in Scotland which features the original medieval dungeon and magnificent oak roof timbers. Legend has it that it was here that Mary, Queen of Scots was reconciled with Darnley. See the painting of the Lady in Black which is supposed to mysteriously mist over, and hear the story about the smell of smoke on the anniversary of the burning of Alloa House. **This tour involves climbing several flights of steep stairs**
• PM Visit to Bannockburn Heritage Centre near Stirling. Scene of the famous Battle of Bannockburn where Robert the Bruce won a decisive victory over the English in 1314. Excellent exhibition and audio visual presentation highlights this major event in Scottish history.

Day 4 Perth & Aberdeenshire

• AM Visit to Killiecrankie, famous as the site of the Jacobite victory where ‘Bonnie Dundee’ defeated government forces in 1689. Walk to ‘Soldier’s Leap’ and enjoy the scenery of this magnificent wooded gorge.PM Dating from 1575, Castle Fraser is the most elaborate Z-plan castle in Scotland. One of its most evocative rooms is the beautifully simple Great Hall. Several stories centre round sightings of the two wives of Col. Frederick Mackenzie – the ghost of Lady Blanche, the Colonel’s first wife, has been seen in the Castle’s higher rooms while strange happenings have been reported in the dining room and east wing, where his second wife, Mrs Theodora Mackenzie Fraser spent much of her time.

Day 5 Aberdeenshire

• AM Built in the second half of the 16th-c, Crathes Castle is a superb example of a tower house of the period and is well known for the story of the ‘Green Lady’. Discover more about this unknown figure who has been seen crossing the Green Lady’s room to the fireplace where she lifts a baby into her arms and then disappears. A child’s skeleton was discovered under the chimneypiece during some renovations.
• PM Fyvie Castle is reportedly one of the most haunted castles in Scotland and by legend has always been associated with the supernatural. Another famous ‘Green Lady’, first wife of Alexander Seton, Lord Fyvie, was allegedly starved to death in 1601. Ever since she is supposed to walk the corridors and staircases of the castle, leaving the smell of fresh roses in her wake. Stories of curses abound – find out more about the sealed chamber and the curse of the three weeping stones.

Day 6 Inverness

• PM Visit to Culloden Battlefield, near Inverness. This evocative site was the scene of the last major battle fought on mainland Britain where the Duke of Cumberland finally defeated the Jacobite rebellion in 1746. Brand new Visitor Centre with state of the art 360° immersion theatre, exhibition and spectacular roof-top views of the battlefield. Lunches available in the restaurant.

**Stout walking shoes recommended for all visits**