Hermitage Castle - Scotland's Fortress Of NightmaresHermitage Castle is one of the creepiest locations I have visited. Its malevolent ambience a testament to the evil that took place here.
Hermitage Castle is by far the most terrifying paranormal location I've ever visited. Its sinister atmosphere bears witness to the atrocities that occurred here ages ago. The castle stands tall as the Guardhouse of Britain's bloodiest valley, with an equally blood-curdling history.
Hermitage Castle is located in Liddesdale, on a lonely spot by the river called Hermitage Water. As you look up at the castle from the car park you get a sense of the grand scale of the building, but also a deep feeling of foreboding. The castle is by no means picturesque like many others. The building lacks windows and the doors are small and slender. The exception to this is the main entrance which is disproportionally large. The feelings of foreboding are heightened when standing in the castle alone, with nothing but the wind howling through the very few openings in the walls. It is easy to feel rather unnerved, particularly when you know some of the vibrant local legends surrounding the castle's former occupants.
History of Hermitage Castle
The castle was built around 1300 and stands as an ominous guardian over the wind-rattled moorland of the encircling landscape. This region of the Scottish Borders was the much-fought-over border between England and Scotland. Ownership of the castle switched continuously between the two nations depending on which of them had the upper hand at the time. Hermitage Castle stands as the guardhouse of the bloodiest valleys in Britain.
In the 19th century, Sir Walter Scott, a Scottish historical novelist, recorded local emotions towards Hermitage Castle. He wrote that this solid, impenetrable fortress "... unable to support the load of iniquity which had long been collecting inside of its walls, is supposed to have partially sunk underneath the ground; and its ruins are still regarded by the peasants with peculiar aversion and horror".
Sir William de Soulis (Evil Lord Soulis)
One of the earliest owners of Hermitage Castle was Sir William de Soulis, who held it throughout the reign of Robert the Bruce (1274 - 1329).
According to legend, de Soulis immersed himself in the black arts. He would kidnap local youngsters, murder them, and use their blood in despicable occult rituals, conjuring up devilish familiars known as Redcaps, who wreak all manner of evil upon those that dwelt within the surrounding district.
Redcaps are wicked murderous dwarfs or goblins said to inhabit ruined castles found alongside the border between England and Scotland. Redcaps murder travellers who stray into their homes and dye their hats with their victims' blood and this is how they get their name. Redcaps will have to kill frequently, for if the blood staining their hats dries out, they die.
The Redcaps are nonetheless stated to guard treasure someplace around Hermitage, and the cries of Lord Soulis' victims are said to be heard from inside the fortress.
While there is not any historical proof of his occult practices, there are lots of accounts of de Soulis's notorious cruelty.
In 1320, William de Soulis abducted a young Armstrong girl and attempted to take her back to Hermitage Castle. When her father tried to prevent him, de Soulis killed him on the spot. A crowd accumulated around them, and de Soulis was on the verge of being lynched when Alexander Armstrong, the Laird of Mangerton, intervened. He calmed the gang and instructed de Soulis to return to Hermitage Castle without his captive. To thank him for saving him from the mob, he invited Alexander Armstrong to a grand banquet at Hermitage Castle, but when he arrived, de Soulis stabbed him in the back, killing him.
Complaints about de Soulis's actions continuously reached the ears of King Robert the Bruce himself, and when informed of this latest outrage, Bruce, in frustration, cried "Soulis! Soulis! Go boil him in the brew!" Needing no additional invitation, the local community stormed the castle, seized de Soulis and took him to the Nine Stane Rigg, a circle of stones by the castle. There they wrapped de Soulis in lead and plunged him headfirst into a cauldron of boiling water where he boiled to death.
Although a very vibrant legend, history recollects that during 1320 de Soulis was involved in a conspiracy in opposition to King Robert. He was arrested at Berwick and taken before parliament. There he confessed his treason and was imprisoned in Dumbarton Castle. He died later that year under mysterious circumstances.
Whichever version of his demise you choose to believe, his enraged wraith still wanders Hermitage Castle. His ghost is regularly said to be accompanied by the heart-rending sobs of youngsters echoing alongside the crumbling corridors. Redcaps are still believed to roam the site on the prowl for unsuspecting travellers.
Hermitage Castle is additionally haunted by the spirit of Sir Alexander Ramsay. The castle was at the time occupied by Sir William Douglas, who had wrested the castle from the clutches of the Englishman Sir Ralph de Neville in 1338. Douglas was much revered right through Scotland because of his victories against the English. However, when David II made Sir Alexander Ramsay Sheriff of Teviotdale, the ruthless and resentful Douglas lured the unlucky Ramsay to Hermitage Castle and imprisoned him in a "frightful pit or Dungeon, apparently airless and devoid of sanitation". Here, Ramsay slowly starved to death, and his ghostly groans of agony have echoed down the centuries ever since.
Hermitage Castle is without a doubt the most scary spot you could ever hope to visit, and its wicked atmosphere will send shivers down your spine.
