Welcome to A Scottish Ghost Story A Day, Series 1, Castle Ghosts, brought to you by bagtownclans.com—the podcast that explores Scotland’s most bewitching and mysterious legends. I’m your host, Derek McDonald, and today we journey to Dundee, where we find a curious and almost fairytale-like fortress—Claypotts Castle. But despite its charming exterior, this castle harbors chilling secrets of the supernatural and tragic tales of love lost to time.
Claypotts Castle may not be as imposing as some of Scotland’s grander strongholds, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in its striking architecture and the ghosts that are said to haunt its stone corridors. Perched in the West Ferry area of Dundee, this Z-plan tower house, with its distinctive turrets and crow-stepped gables, stands as a relic of 16th-century Scotland. But amidst the preserved grandeur of the past, a ghostly presence continues to stir—a White Lady, forever bound to the tower, appearing only on one fateful day each year.
Before we dive into the ghostly tale, let’s explore the history behind Claypotts Castle. It was constructed by John Strachan and his son Gilbert in the late 16th century, a project spanning two decades. The castle was eventually sold to the Graham family, passing through several notable figures, including Sir William Graham of Claverhouse. But it was John Graham, Viscount Dundee, who became forever linked to both the castle’s history and its eerie legends. Known as Bonnie Dundee to his supporters and Bloody Clavers to his enemies, Graham was notorious for his brutal suppression of the Covenanters, a group of Presbyterian dissenters.
Legends say that John Graham made a dark pact with the devil, which granted him mysterious powers, including invulnerability to bullets. However, this protection failed him at the Battle of Killiecrankie in 1689, where it’s said he met his end not by a bullet, but by a silver button fired from an enemy’s uniform. Some claim that even now, strange revelry can be heard in the castle on Halloween night, with ghostly fires lighting the windows, as if marking a demonic celebration.
But perhaps the most enduring tale associated with Claypotts Castle is not of Bonnie Dundee, but of a woman who appears in an upper window each year, waving a white handkerchief. This is the tragic story of the White Lady.
The White Lady, believed to be the spirit of Marion Ogilvy, haunts the upper floors of Claypotts Castle. Marion was the daughter of the first Lord Airlie, and in life, she fell in love with Cardinal David Beaton, a powerful figure in Scotland’s religious and political landscape. Their love affair, however, was as doomed as it was passionate. On the 29th of May 1546, Cardinal Beaton was brutally murdered in St. Andrews for his persecution of Protestant reformers, leaving Marion waiting in vain for his return.
Each year on May 29th, Marion is said to appear at one of the castle’s windows, weeping and waving a white handkerchief toward St. Andrews, where her lover was killed. It’s a haunting sight—her face contorted with grief as she waits for someone who will never return. What makes this story even more peculiar is that there is no historical evidence to suggest Marion Ogilvy ever visited or lived at Claypotts Castle. Moreover, from Claypotts, it would have been impossible for her to see St. Andrews Castle where Beaton met his fate. Yet, the legend persists, and every year on this date, witnesses claim to see her spectral figure, forever waiting.
While Marion Ogilvy’s connection to Claypotts may be tenuous, her legend refuses to fade. Could the White Lady be someone else entirely? The identity of this spectral figure has been a subject of debate for centuries. Some believe that the castle’s turbulent past, full of conflicts, sieges, and betrayal, has left a lingering presence that takes the form of this distressed woman. Others speculate that perhaps the White Lady’s tale is simply a manifestation of local folklore, a story woven into the fabric of Claypotts to explain the inexplicable.
Yet, those who have seen her claim there is nothing uncertain about her appearance. Her figure, translucent and pale, is often seen late in the evening on May 29th, peering out of the castle window, as though her heart still belongs to a world that moved on without her.
But the White Lady is not the only supernatural entity said to roam these ancient halls. Some say that the spirit of John Graham himself has been spotted wandering the grounds, his restless soul tied to the castle even though he never called it home. However, this claim, much like the legends of his dealings with the devil, remains a mystery, shrouded in the shadows of history.
Claypotts Castle has long been a subject of intrigue for paranormal enthusiasts. On Halloween, it’s said that the castle becomes alive with the glow of unholy fires—an eerie light seen flickering from its windows, accompanied by the distant sound of unnatural revelry. Some attribute this to the restless spirits of Bonnie Dundee and his kin, while others believe it to be the echoes of an ancient curse tied to the land.
The supernatural events at Claypotts are rare but unsettling. Stories of ghostly footsteps, sudden chills, and faint whispers have been reported by visitors and passersby. The White Lady remains the most famous of these spectral sightings, but she is not alone in haunting this strange and timeless tower.
Claypotts Castle stands today as a well-preserved relic of Scotland’s turbulent history, its walls holding tales of betrayal, love, and the supernatural. The legend of the White Lady continues to captivate those who visit, even as the truth of her identity remains a mystery. Whether Marion Ogilvy or some other tragic figure, her spirit endures, a ghostly reminder of the sorrow that clings to the stones of this ancient tower.
So, if you ever find yourself near Dundee on the 29th of May, pause for a moment at Claypotts Castle. Look up at the windows, and perhaps you’ll see her there, the White Lady, forever waiting for a lover who will never return.
Thank you for joining me on today’s journey into the past. Until next time, I’m Derek McDonald. Stay curious, and stay safe.
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