hauntedcastles

Haunted Castles continued

Its foundations were laid before the Norman Conquest in 1066, and, since the 14th Century, it has been held by only five great families. Alexander Forbes-Leith bought Fyvie Castle in 1889. Unfortunately, he acquired both a curse and perhaps, the only ghost that has ever signed its name in stone for later generations to see.

The Fyvie Curse
The Fyvie curse as it is known, was the work of Thomas the Rhymer (also thought to be Thomas of Erceldoune). When Thomas the Rhymer was alive, his travels were well recorded, both in local lore and also in contemporary documents. Although, he probably wouldn't have been a welcome guest, since his prophecies almost always foretold of disaster, bloodshed and general mayhem.
According to James Murray, the 19th Century Editor of the five ancient manuscripts that tell of Thomas' story, the gates of Fyvie Castle had stood open for seven years and a day, awaiting his inevitable arrival. When he finalled arrived at the Castle, it was an extremely stormy and windy. Therefore, it was to his surprise that the gates slammed shut in his face due to the wind. Therefore, he angrily uttered the following blood curdling prophecy.
              Fyvie, Fyvie, thou's never thrive
              As lang's there's in thee stanis (stones) three
              There's ane intill (one in) the oldest tower,
              There's ane intil the ladye's bower,
              There's ane intill the water-yett (water gate)
              And thir three stanes ye's never get.
This obscure curse was interpreted to mean that three stones, would act as evil omens to Fyvie Castle as long as they remained part of the building itself.
To this day, only one of the stones has been found, the one in "the ladye's bower", therefore, the curse remains. Today this stone is kept in a wooden bowl in the Charter Room at Fyvie. At times it is bone dry, and at other times is seen to be exuding enough water to actually fill the bowl itself.
Although Thomas the Rhymer was far from being specific, the nature of the curse was interpreted as meaning that no heir would ever be born in the castle, and this is said to have been true since the year 1433. It was also said that the Castle would never pass from father to his eldest son. Indeed, among the Forbes-Leith family, the last private owners of the castle, no first born survived to inherit it. Perhaps nobody ever will. Fyvie Castle has been in the hands of the National Trust of Scotland since 1984.

The Ghost of Dame Lilias Drummond
This puzzling mystery dates from the night of 27 October 1601 and has so far defied any rational explanation. In 1592, Lord Fyvie, Alexander Seton married Dame Lilias (or Lilies) Drummond. Dame Lilias was a happy woman, and for nine years she and her husband were contented together. She bore him five daughters, and then on the 8 May 1601, she suddenly died at her husbands house in Fife, where she was buried. She was not quite 30 when she died. Seton mourned her death very quickly and set his sights on another noble families daughter Lady Grizel Leslie. It has been said that Seton began an affair with Lady Leslie before his wife's death, since he was tired of waiting for a son to be born and an heir who never came. Because of this, it is said that Dame Lilias died of a broken heart.
Within six months of Dame Lilias' death, Seton married Lady Leslie. On the night of 27 October, they retired to their bedchamber. That night, they both heard heavy sighs coming from outside their room. Seton went to investigate, but no intruder was ever found. With the dawn arrival, they discovered a startling indication of the intruder's identity. Carved upside down on the window sill, in neat 3 inch (7 centimetre) high letters, was the name D. LILIAS DRUMMOND.
The carving, still quite clear today and unworn, is over 50 feet (15 metres) from the ground in the old defensive wall of the castle, which was deliberately built without any footholds.
To this day, a lady is often seen walking the grand staircase within Fyvie Castle. She is known as the "Green Ladye". It is said that the "Green Ladye" is Dame Lilias still proudly walking the halls of her marital home.

Fyvie Castle - Scotland