10 most famous haunted places in the world

Edinburgh Castle is famous for being one of the most haunted places in Scotland. The city of Edinburgh itself has been called a ghost town in all of Europe.

1. Edinburgh Castle - Edinburgh city, Scotland

On numerous occasions, visitors to the castle have reported seeing a headless, pipe-playing ghost—the spirits of French prisoners from the Seven Years' War and colonial prisoners from the 18th-century American Revolutionary War. The ghost of a dog even haunts the dog cemetery.

2. Whaley House - California, USA

Located in San Diego, California, Whaley House is known as “the most famous haunted house in America”. Thomas Whaley built it in 1857 on land that was formerly a cemetery, and since then Whaley House has become a place where ghosts gather.

Writer deTraci Regula recalls the strange events she witnessed: “Many times, while dining at the Old Town Mexican Cafe across the street, I would notice the shutters on the second floor of the house sometimes open, long after Whaley House had been closed. On a recent visit, I could feel the energy in several parts of the house, and I smelled a faint odor of cigars, especially in the courtroom. Across the hallway, I smelled perfume, which I initially thought came from a female lecturer who was with me, but I later learned that Whaley House had no odor at all.”

3. Borley House - Borley Village, England

Borley House was built near Borley Church by Bishop Henry Dawson Ellis Bull in 1862 and he moved in a year after his appointment as parish priest.

Ghost hunters like to cite the story of a Benedictine monastery that the house was built in 1362. According to the story, a monk at the monastery had a secret affair with a nun at a nearby monastery. After the affair was discovered, the monk was executed and the nun was nailed alive to the brick wall of the monastery.

4. Bell Farm - Tennessee, USA

Bell Farm has been mentioned in many books, movies and television shows. The story behind Bell Farm is famous because it is the only recorded story among ghost stories about a ghost causing the death of a living person.

Between 1817 and 1821, the Bell family was haunted by a ghostly woman known as “ the Bell Witch ” or “ Kate ”. They believed that Kate tormented and tortured John Bell (the father of the family who suffered from mental illness), eventually leading to his death.

John could not sleep or recover. A bottle of strange black liquid was found on John's bed after his death. To test the liquid, John's family put a drop on the tongue of the family cat, which immediately died. For the past 3 years, the community living around Bell Farm has been haunted by that woman and they believe that Kate is up to something very bad.

5. Raynham House - Norfolk, England

Raynham House is famous for the ghost of “ Mrs Brown ” which was photographed by two photographers in 1936. It is one of the most realistic ghost photos ever taken.

It is said that the ghost of “ Mrs. Brown ” haunts the entire staircase of Raynham House. In the early 1800s, King George IV, who lived in this house, saw a woman dressed in brown clothes standing next to his bed with a pale face and disheveled hair.

In 1836, Colonel Loftus visited the house on Christmas Day and saw the ghost. A week later, he saw the ghost again, dressed in brown satin with two empty eye sockets. A few years later, officer Frederick Marryat and two friends saw " Mrs. Brown " walking up and down the stairs with a lantern in her hand. Mr. Marryat used a gun to shoot the ghost but the bullet passed through the ghost's body.

6. Queen Mary - California, USA

According to those who have visited and worked on the Queen Mary, the engine room is the ship’s most haunted area, where a 17-year-old sailor was crushed to death while trying to escape a fire. Many have reported hearing knocking and banging on the pipes around the door. In the area near the hotel reception desk, visitors often see the ghost of a woman dressed in white.

In addition, there are many ghosts of children haunting the Queen Mary's swimming pool. A little girl is often heard calling out for her mother and doll - she broke her neck in a pool accident. Furniture in the changing rooms moves, visitors have reported feeling hands touching them, apparitions and the agonised wails of a ghost in the middle of the ship - a sailor who died there when the Queen Mary collided with a smaller ship.

7. White House - Washington, DC, USA

Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC, the White House is not only the residence of current US presidents but also the “ meeting place ” of several former presidents. President Harrison was heard rummaging around on the top floor, President Andrew Jackson refused to leave his bedroom, and the ghost of First Lady Abigail Adams hovered in the hallways.

The most frequently seen ghost is that of President Abraham Lincoln. A young secretary during the Roosevelt administration said she saw Lincoln sitting on her bed and taking off his boots. On another occasion, Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands was awakened by a knock on her door, but when she answered, she was met with Lincoln staring at her from the hallway.

8. Tower of London - London, England

One of the most famous preserved historical sites in the world, the Tower of London is also one of the most haunted. There is no doubt that it has been the site of hundreds of executions, murders and brutal tortures over the past 1,000 years. Dozens of ghostly encounters have been recorded both inside and outside the tower.

On a cold winter day in 1957, at 3am, a guard was awakened by a banging on the watchtower. When he went out to investigate, he saw a white figure at the top of the tower. It was then that the guard learned that on this very day, 500 years ago, Jane Grey had been beheaded here (February 12, 1554).

Perhaps the most famous ghost inhabiting the tower, however, is that of Anne Boleyn, one of Henry VIII's wives, who was also beheaded in 1536. The ghost has been seen many times, sometimes carrying her severed head as she wanders the Green and Chapel Towers.

One of the most terrifying ghost stories associated with the Tower of London is the death of the Countess of Salisbury, who was sentenced to death after being accused of criminal activities in 1541 (despite the belief that she was innocent). While struggling on the scaffold, she escaped and was chased by the executioner, who slashed her head off with a knife. This gruesome execution is often reenacted by the spirits of the Tower Green.

9. Ballygally Castle - Ballygally Bay, Ireland

Located in the village of the same name, County Antrim (Northern Ireland), Ballygally Castle faces the sea on Ballygally Bay. It is the only 17th-century building still in use as a residence and is one of the most haunted places in the area.

One ghost that is often mentioned is that of Mrs. Isobel Shaw, the former owner of the castle. Rumor has it that people who live in the house sometimes hear knocking on the door but then immediately disappear. When she was alive, Isobel was locked in a room by her husband and deprived of food, and she died by jumping from a window. Another ghost that often walks around the castle in a silk dress is Mrs. Nixon, who lived here in the 19th century.

10. Rose Hall Castle - Montego Bay, Jamaica

Rose Hall is the most famous stone mansion in Jamaica, built in the 1770s. With a plastered upper floor, Rose Hall is perched on a hillside, offering visitors a stunning view of the ocean.

Rose Hall is known for the story of a woman named Annie Palmer who arrived here in 1820 and the untrue legends of underground tunnels, blood stains and ghost stories. Annie Palmer was a witch, believed to have killed three husbands (by poisoning, stabbing, hanging and pouring boiling oil into their ears) and many lovers, including slaves, because she simply got bored with them. Recently, tourists have taken photos of ghostly faces.