Eerie Edinburgh

Not all Christmas ghost stories have frightening apparitions or ghostly chaints rattling. Sometimes these stories begin with something simpler — a sound beneath a room, figures moving across a field, or a moment that only makes sense later on. In this Christmas episode, I explore two Scottish Midwinter hauntings recorded in the nineteenth century, both linked to Christmas and both rooted in firsthand experience rather than folklore built up over time. The first takes place at the historic Cortachy Castle, where guests and travellers reported hearing unexplained drumming during the Christmas period - a sound the Airlie family believed appeared only when a death in the family was approaching. The second comes from the Highlands, where villagers spoke of figures seen playing games in the snow near a parish church on Christmas Day, returning year after year as part of a story tied to a specific place and a long-remembered transgression. Thank you for spending part of your Christmas here, and for supporting the channel throughout the year. Lang may yer lum reek.

Peggy the Doll isn’t an old legend pulled from folklore, or a relic tied to some distant tragedy. She’s a modern case - one that unfolded in real time, among investigators, witnesses, and viewers who found themselves reacting in ways they couldn’t easily explain. First brought to wider attention in 2015, Peggy became associated with reports of physical and emotional reactions - headaches, nausea, anxiety, and a deep sense of unease - sometimes experienced simply by seeing her, even through a screen. At the centre of the case was paranormal investigator Jayne Harris, known for her careful, methodical approach to unusual claims. In this episode, we explore Peggy’s story from the beginning - her unusual origin in a garden shed in Sheffield, the investigation that followed, and why this case continues to sit in that uneasy space between psychology and the unexplained. Rather than chasing easy answers, this is a look at patterns, witness testimony, and the limits of what we can confidently explain. Peggy’s story is featured in A Cursed Collection of Haunted Dolls by Fiona Dodwell - a thoughtful, well-researched book that examines haunted doll cases with care and balance. Fiona kindly allowed me to feature Peggy’s account in this episode. 📘 A Cursed Collection of Haunted Dolls – Fiona Dodwell Available now from all major booksellers, including here: https://amzn.eu/d/8VyEArF

Lochmaben Castle is one of Scotland’s most historic strongholds. It's a site tied to the Bruces, medieval warfare, rebellion, and some of the strangest stories to come out of Dumfriesshire. In this episode, we explore the history of the castle before looking at the modern accounts that have made Lochmaben one of the area’s most talked-about haunted locations. From the 12th-century tale of a medieval revenant, to legends of a phantom drummer boy, a ghostly horseman patrolling the loch’s edge, and the chilling modern encounter reported by investigator Tom Robertson in 1991, the site has gathered stories across centuries. This episode takes a closer look at where those stories come from – and what might be behind them.

Tonight’s story comes from my new book Hidden Haunts: Ireland - a collection of lesser-known ghost stories, local legends, and accounts that have rarely, if ever, been written down. This episode takes us to Woodstown House in County Waterford, a place better known for its famous guests than its ghosts. But behind the grand rooms and local reputation lies something far stranger - a series of experiences shared by several people who lived and worked there. You’ll hear Chrissie’s account of strange activity in the kitchen, the sense of being watched in the annex apartment, and the night she woke to a cold presence in her room. You’ll hear what the gardener told her on her last day, and the disturbing experiences he had in the very same rooms. And you’ll meet Catherine, whose encounters along the driveway and inside the house suggest that whatever lingers there is far older than any modern history. These are stories rarely spoken aloud - the kind that drift quietly through a community until they’re finally written down. If you’d like to read the full chapter, along with many more Irish hauntings that have never appeared in guidebooks or popular folklore,   Hidden Haunts: Ireland is available now on Amazon: https://amzn.eu/d/cjxWLFz Thank you, as always, for watching, supporting the channel, and keeping these overlooked stories alive.

The final chapter in a chilling true story of a haunting that refused to be left behind. In this concluding episode, we follow John - a down to earth, practical man - as the strange disturbances that began at a remote industrial site grow darker, more personal… and more violent. What started with flying stones and cryptic messages soon evolved into something far more invasive: objects moved on their own, threatening notes appeared from nowhere, and witnesses began to feel - a presence they couldn’t explain. And then came Jonathon. A name scratched into plaster. A figure glimpsed from the corner of the eye. A warning, delivered through terror. John’s journey will take him from poltergeist chaos to something much harder to define - and impossible to forget. Want to explore more true accounts of hauntings? Find all my books, including the Hidden Haunts series, here: https://eerieedinburgh.com/eerie-in-print