Glasgow ghost stories: Places believed to be haunted

Here we list some of our favourite spots with a reputation for eerie, unexplained happenings and things that go bump in the night.

Cathedral House

The hotel lies directly opposite Glasgow Necropolis, the sprawling Victorian cemetery known as the "city of the dead". It was built in 1877 as a hostel for inmates released from nearby Duke Street Prison, which housed some of Scotland's worst criminals.

The male prisoners were transferred to Barlinnie when it opened in 1882, yet Duke Street remained as a women's prison until 1955, infamous for its terrible living conditions. During this time, Cathedral House was used as a halfway house.

Today, it is run as a boutique hotel. Many visitors have reported experiencing a presence which brushes up against people on the stairs. There have been reports of ghostly children being heard on the top floor and items of furniture that appear to move on their own.

Theatre Royal

A foreman overseeing a refurbishment at the Theatre Royal some years back recalled how two joiners refused to work up in the Gods saying a ghost kept appearing each night. Even when threatened with the sack, they were adamant that they wouldn't return.

A second pair of workers volunteered, but by the next night they too were begging to be excused. It is said that Nora, a cleaner and aspiring actress who jumped to her death from the balcony after being rejected at an audition, is often spotted in this part of the building.

Another ghost is believed to be Archie McLay, a fireman who died in a blaze at the theatre in 1969, who has been witnessed in his now outdated uniform, staring at musicians in the orchestra pit.

Kelvin Hall

The old Glasgow Museum of Transport, which was housed in the Kelvin Hall, attracted the attention of ghosthunters who believed it was a hotbed of paranormal activity.

Security guards reported hearing children laughing and screaming after hours. Strange balls of light were said to manifest on a cobbled street inside the museum, with the same stretch echoing with running footsteps or the dragging sound of someone walking with a bad limp.

A headless figure has been spotted on numerous occasions and many people attest to having felt a tap on the shoulder, only to turn around and find no one there.

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Scotland Street School

Designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for the School Board of Glasgow, it opened in 1906 and was used to educate the children of families, mainly working in shipbuilding and engineering on the city’s South Side.

However, it would appear that some of the youngsters enjoyed their school days so much that they didn’t want to leave.

Museum staff and visitors have reported seeing shadowy figures inside the building or hearing ghostly laughter and the echo of children’s footsteps running.

Items are said to mysteriously move, as if being touched by an unseen tiny, mischievous hand.

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Provan Hall

The 15th-century former hunting lodge in Easterhouse’s Auchinlea Park has a reputation for being one of the most haunted houses in Scotland with numerous ghosts.

Among them is a man dressed in black, believed to be Reston Mather, the last private owner of Provan Hall; he is said to appear on the staircase, while the most often reported apparition is a face peering out from the dining room window.

Some claim there are spectres with regal ties: the 16th-century monarchs King James V and Mary, Queen of Scots are reputed to have been visitors.

Perhaps the most knee-knocking story involves a trio of spirits whose energy has been felt in the master bedroom, a spot renowned for paranormal activity.

It is said that a man living in the house during the 19th century, returned from a stint in the army to find his wife had given birth to another man’s son.

He flew into a rage, stabbing the woman and child to death. The killer soldier was executed for his crimes. All three – the murderer and victims – are said to haunt Provan Hall.