The Witchery by the Castle

The Witchery by the Castle occupies a cluster of historic buildings at the top of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, literally in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle. Built in 1595, the buildings stand on the site where hundreds of accused witches were executed between the 16th and 18th centuries, burned at the stake at the Castle Esplanade just steps away. Now operating as Edinburgh’s most atmospheric restaurant and luxury suites, The Witchery has become famous not just for its Gothic splendor and theatrical décor, but for its genuine and frequent paranormal activity. Multiple ghosts haunt the premises, most notably the spirit of Lady Janet Douglas, Lady Glamis, who was burned as a witch in 1537, and various phantom guests who seem reluctant to leave.

Lady Janet Douglas was one of the most tragic victims of Scotland’s witch persecution. Accused of witchcraft and plotting to poison King James V (charges almost certainly fabricated by the king, who hated the Douglas family), she was imprisoned in Edinburgh Castle and subjected to torture. Despite her noble status and vehement protests of innocence, she was convicted and burned at the stake on Castle Hill in 1537, forced to watch as her young son was compelled to witness her execution. Her ghost has haunted the area ever since, and The Witchery, built on the execution grounds, experiences particularly intense manifestations of her spirit.

Lady Glamis appears as an elegant woman in 16th-century noble dress, sometimes with an expression of profound sadness and injustice, other times appearing angry and vengeful. She manifests most frequently in the restaurant’s main dining rooms and in the “Guardian” luxury suite. Staff and guests have reported seeing her standing near tables observing diners, walking through walls where doorways once existed, and appearing in mirrors before fading away. Some witnesses describe her as seeming to plead or protest, her lips moving as if proclaiming her innocence, though no sound accompanies the vision. The apparition is detailed enough that several witnesses have independently described the same style of Tudor-era gown and headdress.

The phantom dinner guests are another category of haunting entirely. Over the decades, countless diners, staff members, and overnight guests have reported encounters with people in period dress who appear to be dining or celebrating in the restaurant, only to vanish when approached or observed too closely. These apparitions sometimes appear as full-bodied figures engaged in animated conversation, sitting at tables that are actually empty, raising glasses in toasts that never happened. One particularly famous incident involved a tourist photographing the empty Oak Room, only to discover later that the photo showed several people in Elizabethan dress seated at a table that had been unoccupied.

The restaurant’s deliberately Gothic décor—heavy oak paneling, antique portraits, candlelight, crimson velvet—seems to provide an environment where these paranormal manifestations feel almost at home. Staff have reported tables being mysteriously reset overnight after closing, with cutlery and glasses rearranged in patterns that suggest someone has dined at them. Wine glasses have been found moved across tables, candles re-lit after being extinguished, and chairs pulled out from tables as if invisible guests have just sat down. The sound of conversation, laughter, and clinking glasses has been heard coming from locked, empty dining rooms.

The luxury suites above the restaurant experience their own intense activity. Guests staying in the Guardian, Library, and Vestry suites have reported beds being sat on by invisible presences, the sensation of being watched while sleeping, items moved around overnight, and full-bodied apparitions appearing at the foot of beds. One couple reported waking to find a woman in period dress standing at their window before she turned, smiled sadly, and faded away. Another guest claimed to have been gently touched on the face by invisible fingers in the middle of the night.

The Witchery’s kitchen and staff areas are also active. Chefs and servers have reported seeing figures in period dress passing through the kitchens, the sound of footsteps on the stone floors when no one is there, and the overwhelming sensation of being watched during quiet moments. Cold spots manifest suddenly and inexplicably throughout the building, and electronic equipment frequently malfunctions in certain areas. The restaurant’s extensive wine cellar, carved from the bedrock beneath the Royal Mile, emanates an oppressive atmosphere that some staff members find difficult to tolerate, reporting feelings of anxiety and the sensation of invisible presences crowding close.

Temperature anomalies, phantom touches, whispered conversations in empty rooms, the scent of burning (possibly connected to the witch burnings), and objects moving of their own accord make The Witchery one of Edinburgh’s most actively haunted locations. The management embraces the haunted reputation, acknowledging the building’s dark history while maintaining it as a premier dining and accommodation destination. For guests and diners, The Witchery offers a unique combination of luxurious Gothic atmosphere and genuine encounters with Edinburgh’s troubled past—a place where the boundary between history and haunting becomes beautifully, terrifyingly thin.