Cortachy Castle, Scotland
Cortachy Castle is the family seat of the Ogilvy clan and people say that this castle, situated north of Kirriemuir in Angus is haunted by a ghostly drummer although only on special occasions.
It is also said that whenever the drummer is heard playing, a death in the Ogilvy family is imminent. The origins of the ghostly drummer are as follow: apparently a long time ago there was a drummer at the castle who did not give due warning that the castle was about to be attacked and as such incurred the wrath of his master. By means of punishment the drummer was apparently taken to the top of the tower and thrown to his death.
One story is told that in 1844, round about Christmas time a Miss Dalrymple was a guest at the castle. While she was getting dressed for dinner, she heard the drumming sound. During dinner, she asked the host about the drumming and of course, the Lord and Lady Airlie were terrified. They told her the story and stated the last time the drummer was heard the first Lady Arilie passed away within only a few days. The very next morning Miss Dalrymple heard the drumming once again, she decided to leave the castle. Within six months, Lady Airlie committed suicide believing the drummer was foretelling her demise.
Again, in August of 1849, an Englishman was at the castle to visit Lord Ogilvy when he also heard the drumming. The Englishman asked if others had heard the sound but no one else had heard the drumming. The Englishman was told by the servants, that Lord Ogilvy had to leave quickly to attend the 9th Earl of Airlie because he had become very ill and needed the Lord’s urgent presence. The Earl passed away the next day!
The Cortachy drummer has also been heard when family members have been away from the castle and the sound of his drumming always instils fear in these same family members of the Ogilvy family because to them it signifies that tragedy is about to strike one of them.