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INVERARY CASTLE

Argyll, Scotland

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Inverary Castle - History

The original Inverary Castle was built as a stronghold for the Campbell clan in the 15th century by Colin Campbell who was the 1st Earl of Argyll but it was burnt down by the Marquis of Montrose in 1644.

New designs for Inveraray Castle were drawn up in 1720 by the architect Sir John Vanbrugh, who also designed Blenheim Palace. This design was later developed by the architects Roger Morris and William Adam, who oversaw the beginning of the castle's construction in 1746, commissioned by Archibald Campbell, 3rd Duke of Argyll. It was completed in 1789 for John Campbell, 5th Duke of Argyll and his wife, Elizabeth. Built in an eclectic mixture of architectural revival styles, it stands on the original site of the village of Inveraray, when Archibald Campbell decided to build the castle he had the village demolished and rebuilt a mile away, so that it would not impinge on the castle's design.

The castle was damaged by two major fires, in 1877 and 1975, but most of its important artifacts and features survived or have been restored. It contains outstanding furnishings and interiors from the 18th and 19th centuries. The Armory Hall, which contains a display of wall-mounted weapons dating from around 1740, has the highest ceiling in Scotland (21 meters, or nearly 69 feet).

Inveraray Castle is haunted by several ghosts some of these date back to the Orignal Castle previously on the site. In 1644 the Duke of Argyll was driven from Interaray castle by the Marquis of Montrose. Amongst the staff left at Inveraray was a young Irish boy employed to play the harp; the Marquis's men were so outraged an Irishman would work for their sworn enemy that they slaughtered the boy and left his quartered body on to the Dukes bed. Legend states that the boy's ghost became deeply attached to the bed, when the bed was moved from the old castle, to the MacArthur Room in the modern day castle the boys spirit came with it. When TV's Most Haunted were at the castle filming in the MacArthur room the bed moved and a chair was flung across the floor by unseen hands.

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Inverary Castle
Inverary Castle - Ghosts

More Ghost Stories: Berry Pomeroy Castle The White Lady haunts the dungeons, and rises from St. Margaret's Tower to the castle ramparts. Those who report seeing this figure associate it with fear and malevolence..... Muncaster Castle Muncaster Castle is one of the Britains most haunted buildings, scientists have been researching the ghosts of the Castle since 1992 and are still unable to explain some of the strange occurrences reported at the Castle..... Calvados Castle At Halloween the paranormal activity saw a marked increase. The parish Priest came to the castle and spend the night, saying that he had heard the heavy footsteps of what must have been a giant of a man descending the stairs..... Tamworth Castle It sounded like furniture in the room above was scrapping across the floor. Suddenly this aura came over me and I instantly felt an overwhelming presence of fear.....

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