Crathes Castle sits on land given as a gift to the Burnett of Leys family by King Robert the Bruce in 1323. However, work on the castle that you see today began in 1553. Crathes was held by that family for almost 400 years. The castle and grounds are owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland and are open to the public.

The castle is reputedly haunted by two female ghosts. The first is that of a young woman named Bertha who dates from around the 14th Century. She has been sighted both within and walking toward the castle on the anniversary of her death, although Stewart does not state when this is.

The second apparition is a green lady that walks one of the rooms carrying a baby, before disappearing into a fireplace. This spectre was allegedly witnessed by none other than Queen Victoria.

Pictured left is Crathes Castle courtesy of Oyoyoy.