From ruined fortresses and centuries-old dungeons to stories of ghosts wandering old corridors, Britain’s castles are a natural fit for Halloween.
Some have built up spooky reputations over hundreds of years, while others appear far more frequently in ghost stories told by the people who have actually visited them.
But which castles leave visitors talking about ghosts, hauntings and other things that go bump in the night most often?
Ahead of Halloween, Go Smoke Free analysed Tripadvisor reviews for UK castles to reveal those receiving the most spooky mentions from visitors.
The study searched English-language reviews for terms including ghost, haunted, haunting, spooky, eerie and paranormal. Castles were then ranked according to the number of reviews returned for their most-mentioned spooky term.
The UK’s 10 spookiest castles according to Tripadvisor reviews
Rank | Castle | Town or city | Country | Reviews mentioning leading spooky term | Percentage of reviews mentioning spooky words | Most-mentioned term |
1 | Chillingham Castle | Alnwick | England | 406 | 28.57% | Ghost |
2 | Warwick Castle | Warwick | England | 168 | 0.99% | Ghost |
3 | Glamis Castle | Glamis | Scotland | 163 | 9.07% | Ghost |
4 | Pembroke Castle | Pembroke | Wales | 98 | 2.68% | Ghost |
5 | Muncaster Castle | Ravenglass | England | 88 | 4.51% | Ghost |
6 | Oxford Castle Prison | Oxford | England | 87 | 1.99% | Ghost |
7 | Alnwick Castle | Alnwick | England | 66 | 1.13% | Ghost |
8 | Dunster Castle | Dunster | England | 63 | 2.27% | Ghost |
=9 | Dudley Zoo and Castle | Dudley | England | 62 | 2.13% | Ghost |
=9 | Berry Pomeroy Castle | Totnes | England | 62 | 13.19% | Ghost |
10 | Dover Castle | Dover | England | 51 | 0.86% | Ghost |
Taking first place is Chillingham Castle near Alnwick in Northumberland, where 406 Tripadvisor reviews mention “ghost”, the castle’s most common spooky search term. That represents 28.57% of its 1,421 searchable English-language reviews, meaning more than one in four visitors using Tripadvisor’s English review search bring up ghosts. For anyone looking for a castle with a properly eerie reputation this Halloween, Chillingham is the clear standout.
There is then a sizeable drop to Warwick Castle, which ranks second with 168 reviews mentioning ghosts. The castle has a much larger review base, with more than 17,000 English reviews searched, so ghost mentions account for just under 1%. Even so, 168 separate reviews talking about ghosts is enough to put Warwick well ahead of most of the country.
Scotland takes third place thanks to Glamis Castle, where 163 reviews mention ghosts. Around 9.07% of its searchable English reviews contain the term, giving it one of the strongest spooky footprints among the biggest names in the ranking.
Wales also makes an early appearance, with Pembroke Castle taking fourth place on 98 ghost reviews. Just behind it is Muncaster Castle in Ravenglass, which completes the top five with 88. Both give Halloween day-trippers another option beyond the better-known English and Scottish favourites.
In sixth is Oxford Castle Prison, with 87 reviews mentioning ghosts. The setting already comes with centuries of darker history, and the review data suggests plenty of visitors leave with the supernatural side of the place still on their minds.
Alnwick Castle follows in seventh with 66 ghost reviews, giving Northumberland a second entry near the very top of the ranking. It is followed by Dunster Castle in eighth, where 63 reviews mention ghosts.
Just behind, Dudley Zoo and Castle and Berry Pomeroy Castle in Totnes are tied with 62 ghost reviews each. Dudley may be better known today as a family attraction, but its castle clearly still has a darker side that visitors notice.
Berry Pomeroy is even more striking once the size of its review base is taken into account. Its 62 ghost mentions represent 13.19% of just 470 searchable English-language reviews, meaning spooky language appears far more frequently there than at most castles near the top of the ranking.
Because of the tie, Dover Castle is also included, with 51 reviews mentioning ghosts. Its clifftop setting and centuries of history already make for an atmospheric visit, and the review data suggests the supernatural side of the castle is something visitors are talking about too.
Northumberland has a particularly strong presence near the top of the ranking, with three castles in the top 15. Alongside Chillingham Castle in first and Alnwick Castle in seventh, Bamburgh Castle places 15th with 29 ghost reviews, giving the county several possible stops for anyone building a suitably spooky Halloween route.
Northern Ireland’s highest entry is Dunluce Castle in Portrush, which ranks 25th with 18 reviews containing its leading spooky term, “haunting”.
A spokesperson at Go Smoke Free commented on the findings: “Chillingham is really in a league of its own here. More than one in four of its searchable English reviews mention ghosts, which is quite remarkable when you consider that most castles in the ranking are nowhere near that level.
“Warwick shows the other side of the story. It has 168 ghost reviews, enough to put it second, but those are spread across more than 17,000 searchable reviews. So a castle can generate a lot of spooky conversation simply because huge numbers of people visit it, while somewhere like Chillingham has ghosts coming up again and again as part of the experience itself.
“Berry Pomeroy is another one that catches the eye. It has a much smaller review base, but 13.19% of those reviews mention ghosts. It only just makes the top 10 on the total number of mentions, yet proportionally the spooky side of the castle seems to come through much more strongly.
“There are also some nice surprises geographically. Pembroke Castle puts Wales fourth in the UK, Glamis gives Scotland a place in the top three, and Northumberland has Chillingham, Alnwick and Bamburgh all appearing near the top of the list.
“For anyone planning a Halloween day out, that is probably what makes the ranking fun. Some of these are castles you might already associate with ghosts, while others may not immediately come to mind. And although a Tripadvisor mention obviously does not prove anything supernatural happened, hundreds of visitors independently leaving with ghosts on their mind certainly adds to the intrigue.”
