Most Haunted Places in the World

Since no one can agree on the most haunted places in the world. I pick three of my favorites.

Edinburgh 
Scotland's capital city has a rich and haunting history, suffering through Roman occupation and Viking raids until 1035, when Duncan I became the first king of Scotland. The city of Edinburgh straddles seven major hills, only two of which are visible in the present day's city center - Castle Hill, atop which sits Edinburgh Castle, and Calton Hill.

Edinburgh Castle
This magnificent castle is typically medieval, perched atop a rocky crag, giving it an amazing vista of  Scottish hills. But inside the empty halls and narrow streets of Edinburgh, there are the echoes of the dead. At least, that’s what has been reported. Hot spots for specters include the castle’s prison cells, the South Bridge vaults and Mary’s King Close, a disused street used to quarantine and eventually entomb victims of the plague. There are also reports of ghost dogs, a headless drummer, and the bodies of prisoners taken during the French seven-year war and the American War of Independence.

South Bridge Vaults - Paranormal Activity Reported

Witnesses claimed to feel cold gusts of air, to hear voices, and to see and sense an intangible presence. Some ghosts are bolder, like the spectral child "Jack" who grabs visitors' hands in the wine vault.

Another, more menacing presence is known as "Mr. Boots," an unkempt man so named for his tall boots. Mr. Boots lurks in the back section of the vault and has been known to push and throw rocks at visitors. Some have claimed to hear his footsteps on the cobbles and his echoing voice cursing throughout the chambers.

It's even rumored that in the 1820s, the infamous serial killers William Burke and William Hare lurked within the vaults, killing some of their 17 victims.

With dozens of other deaths due to disease and crime, the vaults under South Bridge remain one of the world's most haunted places. Experience the mystery of the South Bridge tunnels yourself on one of their guided tours -- you may just meet Jack or Mr. Boots.

Highgate Cemetery, North London, England

By night, Highgate Cemetery is like something out of a horror movie. Eerie crooked gravestones, headless angles covered in ivy, dark overgrown passages between the tombs, it’s no wonder this is Britain’s number-one ghost spot. Despite it’s chilling atmosphere, by day Highgate Cemetery showcases some of the Britain’s most spectacular Gothic architecture, offers fascinating guided tours.

Besides having such famous people buried there as Karl Marx, Douglas Adams, and the parents of Charles Dickens, Highgate Cemetery has long been known for its ghosts, sinister activities, and other strangeness, including:

The most famous spook in this cemetery is The Highgate Vampire, who is not really a vampire in the classic sense, but a phantom that is described as a 7-foot-tall, dark male figure with piercing, hypnotic eyes and wearing a long black coat and high top hat; he seems to vanish into thin air. There have been several dozen sightings and encounters since the late 1960s.

A man whose car broke down near the cemetery came face to face with a ghoul with glowing red eyes that peered at him through the graveyard's iron gates.

The ghost of an insane old woman has been seen racing among the gravestones, her gray hair flowing behind her as she searches for her children, whom she allegedly murdered.

A dark shrouded figure has been see standing stock still and staring into space. When it is approached, it vanishes then reappears a short distance away, still staring into the void.

A businessman was terrified by a phantom that jumped over the fence and landed right in front of him. He described it as having pointed ears, glowing eyes, and large nose. This might have been the infamous Spring-Heeled Jack.

The floating ghost of a nun has been seen passing over the graves.


Ohio University,  Athens

Ohio University is known in state folklore as the most haunted college campus. A large number of places on campus are said to be haunted, and numerous other popular tales are told about the university across Athens county. The British Society for Psychical Research claims that Athens, Ohio, is one of the most haunted places in the world.

Wilson Hall, famous for a girl (a supposed witch)who killed herself moments after writing satanic and supernatural things on the wall in her own blood. The five cemeteries that form a pentagram that surrounds the campus, with the administrative building being in the center of the pagan sign.

Washington Hall, which is famous for housing a team of basketball players who all died in a terrible crash, their ghosts still haunt the hall, and you can sometimes hear them dribbling.

The catacombs of Jefferson Hall, where numerous ghost sightings have occurred.

 And finally, for The Ridges, an abandoned insane asylum that was known for thousands of  lobotomies and electro shock treatments. Also, a patient who disappeared, and was found five weeks later, her body decomposed onto the floor and left a stain that outlines her body. This stain can still be seen today.

Happy Halloween!

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