The Green Lady of Ackergill Tower

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 venturing far to the northern coast of Scotland, to Caithness, where a tower stands tall over the wild shoreline—Ackergill Tower. Though the waves crash below and the winds howl around this imposing structure, it's the echoes of a tragic past that truly haunt its halls. Prepare yourselves as we unravel the haunting of Helen Gunn, the Green Lady of Ackergill Tower.

Ackergill Tower, a five-story fortress that overlooks Sinclair’s Bay, lies just a few miles north of the town of Wick. Built in the early 16th century by the Keith clan, this impressive tower has weathered centuries of conflict, changing hands between warring families like the Keiths and the Sinclairs. Yet, amid these battles for power and land, a more personal and heart-wrenching tragedy unfolded, one that continues to cast a long shadow over the tower.

In the early 1400s, the Gunn clan held land in Caithness, and their daughter, Helen Gunn, was celebrated as one of the great beauties of the region. Helen’s life, however, took a dark turn when she caught the eye of Dugald Keith, the laird of Ackergill Tower. Obsessed with her beauty and unwilling to accept her rejection, Dugald made a terrible decision that would seal both their fates.

On the eve of her wedding to her beloved cousin, Alexander Gunn, Dugald Keith launched a surprise attack on Helen's home. The Gunns were caught off-guard, and in the chaos, Dugald kidnapped Helen and brought her to Ackergill Tower. There, he imprisoned her, attempting to force his unwanted advances upon her. Desperate to escape the horror of her captivity, Helen saw only one way out.

Legend tells us that one fateful night, Helen made her way to the top of Ackergill Tower. Dressed in the green gown she had been wearing when abducted, she looked out over the jagged rocks below and made the ultimate, tragic decision. Rather than submit to Dugald Keith’s brutal desires, she flung herself from the tower, plummeting to her death on the rocks.

But Helen’s story didn’t end there. Since that dark night, her spirit is said to have remained at Ackergill Tower, forever wandering its halls. She is known as the Green Lady, named after the dress she wore when she leapt to her death. Visitors and staff at the tower—whether it was functioning as a private home, a hotel, or a wedding venue—have reported strange occurrences that they attribute to Helen’s ghost.

One of the most common sightings involves a fleeting glimpse of a woman in a green dress, often seen near the battlements where Helen met her tragic end. She’s also been spotted in the shadowy corridors and stairways of the tower, as if still searching for a way out. Some report hearing the soft rustle of fabric moving, the eerie whisper of a woman crying, or the sound of footsteps pacing through the tower when no one else is there.

And it’s not just sights and sounds that betray Helen’s presence. Guests have felt sudden, unexplained cold spots, particularly near the battlements or in her supposed prison chamber. Others describe an overwhelming sense of sadness or unease, as if the very walls of Ackergill Tower still echo with the trauma Helen endured. Some witnesses have even reported seeing objects move on their own, as if the Green Lady herself is still trying to make her presence known.

Her spectral appearances are not confined to the castle alone. On stormy nights, locals say you can hear her cries carried by the wind over the bay, a mournful wail that rises and falls with the crashing waves below the tower. Her tragic leap has forever bound her spirit to this place, a haunting reminder of the violence and despair that once gripped these stones.

But why does Helen’s spirit linger? Some say it’s because her death was so violent, so filled with anguish, that her soul cannot find peace. Others believe she is still seeking justice, her ghost unwilling to rest until her abductor is held accountable. And while the Keiths and the Gunns fought their bitter battles long ago, the legacy of Helen Gunn remains etched into the very fabric of Ackergill Tower.

For centuries, the Green Lady has captivated the imaginations of those who hear her tale. Some believe that the new owner of the tower, a millionaire from Virginia who bought it in 2019, may have found more than a vacation home—he may have inherited a castle haunted by the relentless sorrow of a woman wronged.

So, if you ever find yourself standing on the windswept coast of Sinclair’s Bay, with the imposing silhouette of Ackergill Tower looming overhead, keep an ear out for the soft cry of the Green Lady. You might just glimpse her in the shadows, forever gazing out from the battlements where she made her fateful leap, still dressed in green, still searching for the peace that eluded her in life.

Thank you for joining me on A Scottish Ghost Story A Day. Ackergill Tower’s haunting tale of Helen Gunn reminds us of the enduring legacy of sorrow and injustice that can linger long after the living are gone. Until next time, I’m Derek McDonald—stay curious, and stay safe.