Welcome to A Scottish Ghost Story A Day, Series 1, Castle Ghosts, brought to you by bagtownclans.com—the podcast that delves into Scotland’s most captivating and chilling tales. I’m your host, Derek McDonald. Today, we’re taking a trip to the Highlands, to the ancestral home of Clan Grant: the grand, centuries-old Castle Grant, perched atop Freuchie Hillock, just a mile north of Grantown-on-Spey. This ancient stronghold, once known as Freuchie Castle, has witnessed battle, love, betrayal, and, as we’ll discover, heartbreak that transcends even death. So, gather close as we unravel the sorrowful and haunting tale of Lady Barbara Grant, whose restless spirit is said to walk the dark corridors of her family’s castle.
Castle Grant dates back to the 15th century, its tower even older, with foundations carbon-dated to the 11th century. Once called Freuchie Castle, meaning "Heathery Place," it became the seat of Clan Grant in 1694 and was renamed Castle Grant by Ludovic Grant, who sought to affirm his family's growing power. This magnificent stronghold has been a silent witness to Scotland’s turbulent history, including the nearby Battle of Cromdale in 1690, during which the Grants fought against the Jacobites.
But beneath the grand towers and the echoes of triumphs past, there lingers a tale far more personal—one that speaks of love defied, of a family divided, and of a young woman whose spirit, it is said, cannot rest.
Lady Barbara Grant was the daughter of a Grant laird in the 16th century, a time when marriages were often arranged for political or economic gain rather than love. Lady Barbara, however, had other ideas. She had fallen in love with a man who, to her father’s eyes, was unsuitable—a match beneath her station. Her father, determined to have his way, found another suitor, a man of his choosing, whom he believed more fitting to marry his daughter.
Barbara, strong-willed and fiercely independent, refused to bow to her father’s wishes. She defied him, rejecting the man chosen for her and standing firm in her love for the one her father deemed unworthy. This defiance, however, came at a great cost. In a fit of anger, her father ordered that she be locked away in a hidden closet within the castle’s tower—a small, dark space known as "The Blackness." The closet, concealed behind heavy tapestries, became her prison, and her father decreed that she would remain there until she agreed to marry the man he had selected for her.
Days turned to weeks, and still Lady Barbara refused to yield. Her love was unwavering, and so too was her father’s cruelty. Trapped in the isolation of the hidden room, her spirit slowly began to wither. As the legend goes, she died there in the cold darkness of The Blackness—her heart broken, her spirit crushed. But death was not the end of Lady Barbara’s tale.
Her ghost, they say, remains tethered to Castle Grant, bound by the injustice she suffered in life. Over the centuries, visitors and workers alike have reported eerie encounters with Lady Barbara’s spirit. Her apparition is often seen emerging from the very closet in which she was imprisoned, her figure slight, pale, and filled with sorrow. Those who have seen her say she is not a menacing presence, but rather a mournful one—tragic, rather than terrifying.
Workmen, especially those working late at night near the tower, have fled the castle in fear after hearing the soft, unmistakable sound of footsteps echoing through the empty corridors, followed by the sound of quiet sobbing. Others have reported hearing the creak of a door opening and closing, though no one can ever seem to find the source. The air in the tower grows cold at these moments, and a feeling of deep sadness seeps into the bones of those present.
In one of the more famous sightings, Lady Barbara’s ghost has been seen stopping mid-stride in the tower, as if washing her hands—an action repeated as though she is caught in a moment of her past, endlessly reliving her grief and despair. And though The Blackness was opened in the 1880s, and no body was found—only some old swords and muskets—the presence of Lady Barbara persists.
But not all historians agree with the ghostly tale. Some say that Lady Barbara did not die in the castle at all but was eventually allowed to marry the man she loved. Could it be that her spirit remains out of sorrow for her long imprisonment, even though her story did not end in tragedy? Or is the ghostly presence a reflection of the deep emotional scars left by her father’s betrayal?
The truth of her fate may never be fully known. But what remains certain is that Lady Barbara’s story is woven into the very fabric of Castle Grant. Her spirit, whether real or a lingering echo of legend, continues to haunt the tower that now bears her name: Barbie’s Tower.
Over the years, Castle Grant has changed hands many times. Once a proud symbol of Clan Grant’s power and prestige, it fell into disrepair in the 20th century before being sold to private owners. Yet, no matter how many renovations or restorations are made, the ghost of Lady Barbara remains—a somber reminder of love lost, of family conflict, and of the enduring power of the human spirit, even in death.
So, the next time you find yourself near the Highland town of Grantown-on-Spey, take a detour to the old castle on Freuchie Hillock. Walk the grounds, listen to the wind whispering through the ancient trees, and perhaps, if you’re very quiet, you’ll hear the soft footsteps of a woman whose love was so strong that not even death could silence her story.
Thank you for joining me today on A Scottish Ghost Story A Day. Castle Grant holds many stories within its stone walls, but none as poignant as that of Lady Barbara Grant. Until next time, I’m Derek McDonald. Stay curious, and stay safe.
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The Ghostly Presence of Lady Barbara Grant