Staff at the National Trust for Scotland’s 700 year-old Drum Castle have been left scratching their heads at a mysterious image captured by a webcam.
The conservation charity’s wildlife team had set up cameras in the castle’s stables over the summer as part of a project to observe a nesting family of swallows. However, staff based at the Aberdeenshire castle discovered that they had captured more than they bargained for when checking photographs taken overnight.
A strange mist can be seen in one of the images. The webcam is motion-activated, so something with a physical presence must have triggered the camera to take the picture. Whatever the strange mist was, staff are certain it was not caused by a swallow or an insect.
Dr Alison Burke, the National Trust for Scotland’s Property Manager at Drum Castle said:
“Everyone tells me that Drum Castle is a haunted place and that there are strange happenings here. I have always been highly sceptical but there have been too many inexplicable events that cannot be ignored.
“I have to admit, when I checked the camera and found this image a cold shiver ran down my spine.”
The old stables are regarded by staff and volunteers as having a fairly odd atmosphere. It is here and in the adjacent garden that people have reported hearing two women laughing together despite no-one being present.
Drum Castle, which is near Banchory, has a very long history and over the years a number of strange goings on have been reported in different parts of the building and its surrounding estate. These have included sightings of a female figure believed to be Anna Forbes, wife of the 20th Laird. Heavy footsteps have also been heard in the stone-floored corridor. In the Chintz Bedroom, which is reportedly very cold, linen and items in the dresser have been moved when no-one had access to the room.