So what's it like living in a haunted scottish castle?

Dane's account of the history fits in well with what we had heard of the stories behind "The Wee Man" and "Lizzie". Click here if you haven't read it yet. However, I feel that it might be a bit odd not to add "a what I think" comment here, so that is what this page is for. I've also had letters from ghost hunters, asking if "a caretaker could let them in so they can spend the night in the huanted tower". So, just to put the whole ghosts thing into perspective, here are a few thoughts and observations.

To set the scene, when we were thinking of buying the castle, the previous owner very kindly offered to let us stay the night, to see if we liked 'the feel of the place'. After he had gone over the instructions for the various alarms, switches, keys, locks, and heating controls, he paused before he left and said, "Its good you are taking the chance to stay over night. Some people sense presences here. Well, see you in the morning". And he was gone!

That's the kind of thing that gets you thinking. He probably didn't mean to spook me, but he did a little. Lying in bed later, I had plenty of time to reflect on his words and to come to a sort of philosophical position on the matter.

My thoughts went along these lines. I don't really believe in ghosts, but that is mainly because I have never run into one. I hope I am open minded enough to think that if I did meet a ghost one day, I'd be more curious than terrified. Having seen a lifetime's worth of scarey movies, I tend to prefer to believe in the sort of ghosts shown in "The Others". As the "Little General" and "Lizzie" are both remorseful, protective ghosts, who supposedly haunt the place though a feeling of having done wrong to the house and its occupants and wanting to put this right, if they are there, they should mean nothing but good.

You can probably guess from this that we have not seen either of them yet. I'm not dissapointed, though. So far, the only two ghastly creatures wandering the corridors and stairs at night are the cats. It should also be noted that Castle Cary is a family home, and all the rooms are well lit, furnished, centrally heated, decorated and dusted. So any notions of an old scarey empty haunted castle with Egor the caretaker leading terrified guests up winding staircases by the light of a flickering candle, don't really fit with how the place is today. Well, perhaps when there is a powercut... : )

If I do feel a little creepy anywhere in the castle, it only really happens when I am up in the very top of the old tower alone. But as I have not seen or felt anything, I put this down to the fact that this is the part of the building has the least light, least heat and because I very seldom go there.

Of course, if I see anything of our two Others, I'll post it here.