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This week's ModernMagellan features guest writer Stephanie Mitchell, who has planned a frightening trip to Great Britian. We hope that you enjoy this issue. Travel Arragements, Accomodations and More! There are always new experiences awaiting, no matter how many times you have traveled to Europe and Great Britain. Consider a theme for your next trip overseas. Themes for a retreat could be to seek out all of the art museums, to study the architecture of old churches, food and wine (wait that's on every vacation). The theme for my next trip will be unexplained mysteries. In this issue of Modern Magellan I would like to share with you a few stops that I have planned for my haunted trip.
Stephanie Mitchell  While the majority of people do not believe in ghosts, many do
believe that there may be supernatural forces that act upon us. I
am somewhat of a disbeliever, but one of my friends is determined to
make a believer out of me. Together we have planned a trip to visit some of
the spookiest places in Great Britain.
First stop: London, England A second ghost in the hotel is that of a German officer, who supposedly leapt from the fourth floor slightly before the eruption of the First World War. Tales also exist of a butler who walks the corridors in his holey socks, a ghost who tips people out of bed, and Napoleon III haunting the basement of Langham Hotel.
Next Stop: Cumbria, North England
The Tapestry Room is the most famous room at Muncaster. Cries of babies and small children often wake guests in the middle of the night in this room which until the 1920s was the children's nursery. Often groups of students will stay in the Tapestry Room. In one instance in 1998, a student awoke to a hooded figure standing over him. The ghost that is most often seen is that of Mary Bragg. Mary was murdered in 1805 by a jealous woman whose love rivaled Mary's for the affection of a footman at Muncaster castle. No one was prosecuted for Mary's murder. Everyone involved with the murder and investigation mysteriously died shortly after. Mary Bragg now wanders the gardens of Muncaster Castle, where she was killed. There is a story that she was killed next to a tree, which has been called Mary Bragg's Tree ever since. Over the years the tree began to decay and it was decided to cut it down, but none of the locals would go near it. |
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Final stop on our harrowing journey:
Castle Stuart, Inverness, Scotland 
This castle in the Highlands of Scotland, is most probably the ideal 'haunted castle.' The original builder of the castle, the brother of Mary Queen of Scots was brutally murdered before he could finish the castle. Once it was finished, it was almost immediately attacked by the Clan McIntosh as part of a clan feud. After this the Stuarts abandoned the castle for 200 years until after the Battle of Culloden, and the defeat of the clans. Sometime before this the castle gained a reputation as a huanted castle. Near the end of the 18th century a storm tore off part of the roof of the East Wing of the castle, and rather than go to the expense of rebuilding the area, it was decided to seal the wing off. In the 1930s a Canadian builder, John Cameron, who was working on the restoration of the castle chanced on the seal and tried to open it. He was working so intently, he didn't notice that the workers had left, and that it was growing dark. At the instant he broke through, he heard a ghostly voice cry out: 'NO!' In terror, Cameron ran from the castle. Realizing that he had left his tools and all of the lights on he decided to go back in. He pulled his car around and turned his bright lights toward the door so that he would not be in the dark when he turned out the lights. He found his tools, and noticed a horrible 'death-like' smell. He ran to turn the lights out, knowing that his car headlights would be bright enough. But, as soon as the lights were off, the door closed and Cameron was in pitch black. Panicing he felt for the door, as icy fingers grabbed him and pulled him back into the castle. With terrified strength, Cameron pulled free and ran to his car. He never entered to the castle again. Many years ago, the owner of the castle, after hearing frightening sounds in the room that has come to be called 'the Haunted Room,' offered money to anyone who would stay in the room and find out what the noises were. Four men took his challenge, a Minister, a Church Elder, a shoemaker (pressured by the Minister), and a Brave Highlander named Rob Angus. They would each spend a night locked in the Haunted Room. The Minister went first, and dreamt that a big, blood-covered highland chief came into the room and stared at him. Next, the Church Elder stayed the night, trying to do nothing but read his bible. A big, bloody highlander came into the room and lunged at him with a dagger. When the Elder turned to run he saw a laughing skull in the mirror and fainted. He was never the same after that. The Shoemaker, who was scared speechless anyway, spent the night praying. At midnight, a tall black-robed man came into the room, sat down and stared at the shoemaker. When he looked down, the tall man had cloven hooves for feet. The shoemaker tried to run, but the window and the door were both locked. As the tall man stood the shoemaker saw a skull in the mirror, and he fainted. No one is sure what happened to the highlander, Rob Angus, because when the servants opened the door in the morning, Angus was not there, and the room had been demolished. When they went to what was left of the window, they saw Angus's body below. A few days later, a man came to the Earl and said he saw what had happened that night. He saw Angus crashing out of the window, and when he ran to see what had happened he looked at the window and saw the Devil himself grinning down at him. Are you ready to stay in one of these frightening places? The staffs swear they hardly ever lock anyone in anymore...... Langham Hilton Muncaster Castle Castle Stuart Find what you need at EuroTrotter! |
Langham Hilton, Room 333, the most haunted hotel room in London. In
Portland Place, this hotel houses a number of ghost stories. The
most famous of these stories involves BBC announcer James Alexander
Gordon in 1973. Gordon awoke in the middle of the night to see a
bright fluorescent ball that transformed into an Edwardian gentleman.
The ghost drifted toward Gordon with arms outstretched so Gordon fled
the room. This ghost only appears in October.
One of the ghosts was a court Jester named Tom (from whom comes the english phrase 'tomfoolery' - Tom the Fool). Tom was not a very nice man, he seems to have enjoyed murder a bit too much. According to the locals his presence can be felt in the castle, and it is not a nice feeling. He is rumored to "haunt the castle, looking for something to eat."
