On Halloween I was asked to act in a haunted house. I had no idea how much fun it would be to scare the heck out of people. I made two kids cry which I kinda felt guilty for, but I also scared these two big mucho men. LOL.
Here’s some pics of the haunted house.
I had a blast. I was a brain-eating, crazed historical lady. I wore my renaissance gown that I used to wear as “Lady Willowby” when I acted in the Florida Renaissance Festival.
Being in character all night made me miss the days of acting on stage at the Beenleigh Theatre. :0)
I hope you all had a spook-tacular Halloween.
Haunts and kisses
Lyn
xoxo
Welcome to the last day of “Scotland’s Top Haunted Castles” and the beginning of the Halloween Blog Tour.
If you want to start from the beginning of the blog tour, click on this link: http://booknibbles.com/blogtour/
I am giving away five Ebooks from my Celtic Witch series for those who leave comments. Remember these books are erotic romance and are very spicy. :0)
Feel free to check out my previous posts this week as I have blogged about several haunted castles and the ghostly legends that surround them.
So onto the last Scottish castle.
Edinburgh Castle
On a prominent position on top of a former volcano, this magnificent castle dominates the city like no other in Europe. In 1093, it was called the ‘Castle of Maidens’ when Queen Margaret moved in.
It is now home to the Scottish crown jewels and the Stone of Destiny, an ancient rock on which the Kings of Scots were crowned.
The most popular ghost story of Edinburgh Castle is that of a headless drummer. This tale dates back to the 17th century. One night the soldier on guard was startled by the sound of a military drum being played. He saw a figure of a drummer marching on the battlements, beating out a warning of an attack.
The soldier fired his musket and raised the alarm. But when all the soldiers and officers came out the drummer was nowhere to be seen. The soldier was accused for being under the influence of drink while on duty and was locked up.
To this day people still say that the headless drummer appears from time to time, disturbing the peace!
Legend goes there is also a ghostly piper who plays his music while all is quiet in the middle of the night.
With a long line of war, bloodlust, greed and superstition, it is no wonder Edinburgh Castle is one of the most haunted castles in Europe.
I spent three full months researching this castle and the dungeons that tortured many “witches” in the 16th century. You will find this castle and its bloody history in the last book in the Celtic series, WITCH HUNTER.
I was so disturbed by its history that I dedicated the book to all the men and women who were found guilty of witchcraft, tortured and murdered at the hands of superstitious people.
Witch Hunter
Entwined Fates…Forbidden Love
Commissioned as an Inquisitor, Lord Lachlan Fairbairn is a skilled Witch Hunter feared throughout Scotland. When King James VI sent him to investigate a noble lady with wild golden hair and an untamed spirit, his instincts warns she is guilty of witchcraft. With mystery and intrigue surrounding the beautiful lass, he could not resist her luring charm beneath her protected heart. Torn between his forbidden desires and royal duty, can he make the impossible decision?
Outcast from her clan, Lady Rhiannon Campbell struggles with conflicting powers. Half good witch and half evil sorceress, she battles to control the darkness within for fear of plunging Scotland into chaos and death. With time working against Rhiannon, she has to rid herself of the seductive Inquisitor or face the horrific torture of the King’s dungeons. Can she endure a broken heart and a gruesome death to save her family? Or will she protect her enchanted secret and force herself to slay…the Witch Hunter?
To purchase the Ebook ($5.00) click here
To purchase the print book ($13.99) click here
I hope you have enjoyed reading Scotland’s Top Haunted Castles as much as I have in researching the history.
I will post the winners from the comments on Monday Nov 1st. Come back to see if you have won!
May you all have a ghostly Halloween. :0)
Haunts and Kisses
Lyn
xoxo
Crathes makes my list on top haunted Scottish castles.
It took them forty years to complete this fairytale castle which started in 1553 by Alexander Burnet of Leys. The Burnet clan kept ownership for over 350 years before part of the estate was given to National Trust for Scotland.
Legend has it…the ghost at Crathes has been seen over the years by many members of the Burnett family, staff at Crathes, and even Queen Victoria herself. Called affectionately “The Green Lady,” she glides across the ‘Haunted’ room to stand beside the fireplace where she picks up a child before both apparitions vanish.
Some years ago, during restoration, the Skeleton of a woman and child were unearthed near the fireplace. It has also been said when the “Green Lady” appears…there will be a death in the family.
If you enjoy reading about mysterious ladies, you would love the fourth book in the Celtic Witch Series….Lady of the Mountain. (Nice transition, right? LOL)
Lady of the Mountain
Cursed to live alone inside a mystical mountain, Drucilla survives by one source of magick: the legendary staff of Merlin. It brings light to the darkness, food and shelter, granting her every desire except the warm touch of a man. However, an evil presence lurks within the shadows, waiting and watching while a wizard plots to steal the only thing keeping her alive…Merlin’s staff.
The quest for Merlin’s staff is more than an obsession—it consumes Braen Ambrosius’ every waking thought. Being the descendant of Merlin has brought with it only legends and swooning maidens. He needs the staff to restore his ancestral powers. If he fails, ill fortune will plague his family for eternity and he will never be the powerful wizard he was destined to be.
Will a determined wizard save a defiant sorceress from a secret demise only he can foresee? Or will he sacrifice the heart of his quest for the heart of an enemy…the lady of the mountain?
To purchase eBook ($4.50) click here
To purchase print book ($12.99) click here
Tomorrow is the last but not least haunted castle that I have visited. This is the BEST castle in all of Scotland and has been sheltering people on it’s rock for over 3000 years. Can you guess which one it is? You will have to visit tomorrow to find out.
Today I will be posting about one of my favorite castle ruins in all of Scotland. I visited Urquhart Castle with some friends of mine a few years ago and fell in love with it immediately.
Situated on the beautiful Loch Ness, this castle has views spanning 360 degrees including the Great Glen. I could talk about Scotland’s most famous monster, Nessie, but this is about Urquhart’s haunted castle. So I will keep with the Halloween spirit. Eh…no pun intended. LOL.
The history of this magnificent structure is bloody and tragic. It was built in hostile times as a point of defense. In the early 13th century, King Alexander II granted Sir Thomas ‘le Durward’ the land. His son, Sir Alan built the first castle.
Urquhart has been raided and pillaged many times, one of which is said that the English killed every man, woman and child. But its fall came in 1692 when the Jacobites blew up the structure so no one else could use it as a stronghold against them. Thus it remains in ruins to this day.
Legend has it…a fallen Jacobite hero with hollow eyes is seen walking up the spiral staircase in the tower, a musket in his hand. Perhaps this was one of the soldiers who raided poor Lady Mary Grant in 1644.
Voices of children playing float upon the wind and sounds of battle are heard from outside the drawbridge.
I just loved this place so much that I had to put it’s history into the third book in The Celtic Witch Series….Heart of a Warlock.
A bitter heart…a reluctant betrayal
Trust does not come easy for Laird Callum Roberts, a Celtic warlock. While hunting a sorceress who captured his father, he comes across a mysterious lass on a sacrificial alter. Enchanted by her beauty and sensuality, there is something amiss with the secret maiden.
Is she just another deceiving woman or can he trust his cynical heart to see her innocence?
Exiled and shunned by her clan, Lady Alayne Duncan finds herself blind and at the mercy of a dark sorceress. To save her little sister, she has no choice but to commit a vile sin against a warlock. However, Alayne cannot deny the desire of her heart and body as she yearns for his erotic touch. The more time she spends with the warlock, the more she loathes the treachery. Can she forsake the warlock for the life of her sister?
To purchase in eBook ($4.50), click here
To purchase in print ($12.99), click here
Tomorrow we visit a known haunted castle that has its residences leaving in the middle of the night. :0)
Overlooking the Firth of Clyde, Culzean Castle lurks on the cliff with spectaular views of the water. This castle dates back to the 1400′s and it was known as ‘Coif Castle’, or the ‘House of Cove’, taking it’s name from the caves below. In its heyday it was one of the grandest houses in Scotland.
The oval staircase is a masterpiece. The entire castle seems to have been built around it when, in fact, it was the last phase of the owner’s work at Culzean.
Legend has it that whenever one of the family is about to get married a ghostly piper is said to play in the grounds. He is also supposed to play on stormy nights – mixed in with the howling wind and crashing waves.
There is also a a ghost of a young woman in a ballgown that haunts the halls looking for her betraying lover.
Ghost investigators have reported a little boy about 8 or 9 years old with a round face , standing in the doorway of the drawing room.
In my second book in the Celtic Witch series, the heroine is locked in a tower very much like the one in Culzean Castle.
The Celtic Witch & the Sorcerer
As a Celtic Witch, Gavenia Roberts possesses the power of good magic. With a few simple words, she can command the weather to do her bidding, ensure a bountiful harvest despite a severe drought, and even summon a star down from the heavens. But all the magic in the world cannot grant Gavenia the one thing she desires most…her freedom.
As powerful as he is ruthless, Laird Tremayne Campbell lives in a world of shadows and carnal perversion. Though he has the ability to wield dark magic with a mere thought, all of his powers cannot protect him from an evil curse that threatens his very existence. To lift the curse, the sorcerer must spill the enchanted blood of a Celtic witch. But after imprisoning Gavenia in his tower, her beauty and inner light is all he can think about.
Can he sacrifice Gavenia to save his life and eternal soul? Or will he face the fires of hell for the love of a Celtic witch?
I am going to kick-start Scotland’s top haunted castles with one of my favorite castles in the U.K. I had the privilege to tour Scotland for six weeks and I drooled over many castles.
However, Glamis Castle was my favorite of all because nestled within a lowland valley of Strathmore, lush gardens and walking trails add to the beauty of the majestic structure. The interior has also been kept authentic as if you have accidentally stepped into the past.
The regal family of Bowes and Lyons originally owned Glamis, and is the childhood home of Queen Elizabeth. Even Shakespeare was inspired and granted one of his “Macbeth” character’s residency.
Glamis Castle is known to be one of “the” most haunted castles in Scotland.
The most famous legend connected to the castle is one that was kept a terrible secret for centuries. The first son of the eleventh earl was born horribly deformed and in order to hide this family shame, he was declared dead and locked in a hidden room…away from the public.
The beauty of this castle is offset by the countless tales of death, misery and chaos that penetrate the halls with an eerie aura.
Legend goes the young and beautiful Lady Glamis was burned at the stake in 1537 after being accused by King James V of witchcraft. Her ghost is the “Grey Lady of Glamis”.
Another ghost is said to be the 4th Earl of Crawford who haunts a room where he played cards with the devil.
The large bearded ghost of “Earl Beardie” is also said to have been seen on many occasions.
I hope you enjoyed reading about Glamis Castle. Tomorrow I have another Scottish castle and haunting tales that will send shivers down your spine. :0)
Until then here is a blurb from the first book in the Celtic Witch Series, The Last Celtic Witch.
The Last Celtic Witch
By Lyn Armstrong
A painful death … A prophecy foretold.
Pursued by evil forces for her powers, recluse Adela MacAye foresees her own agonizing death. She must seek the chosen one to produce an heir and pass on her Celtic powers. To fail would be the end of good magick, plunging the world into darkness. Conjuring a fertility spell she is led to a sensual chieftain who is betrothed to the sorceress that hunts her. Time is running out as fate and the future pursue her.
Plagued by enemies and undermined by sabotage, handsome Laird Phillip Roberts must save his clan from a bloody feud by making an alliance through marriage … a marriage he does not want. After a night of white-hot sensual delights with the alluring witch, his heart commands he break the pledge of peace. With treachery around every corner, will he be too late to save …
The Last Celtic Witch?
One more week to Halloween. Woot! I’m so excited. I love this time of year. Not only do I write historical paranormal erotic romance novels about witches, warlocks and sorcerers, but I just like to get dressed up and act like a kid again. :0)
So in light of my Celtic Witch Series, I will post Scotland’s most haunted castles on my blog. These castles have incredible history along with haunted legends I can’t wait to share. And yes, I have been to some of these spooky castles. They are awesome.
At the very end, I will give away a special “Witchy” prize to five of those who left comments.
So come back and visit tomorrow (Monday, October 25th) for the first haunted castle in Scotland.
I just finished reading the BEST menage romance ever! “Oriana & the Three Werebears.” It was so very hot. Great job, Tia Fanning! From one erotic author to another…I salute you. LOL
My awesome mother organised a rally for 350ppm today on the beach of Byron Bay, Aust. This is a world wide rally that many countries are trying to send a message to the government for better laws regarding emissions and to spread awareness to all about thinking before they drive a car.
Can you …tell which one is my mum? The gorgeous red head with the bull horn. LOL.I’m so proud of her. :0)See More
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