The Duke of Rothesay is to visit a haunted refurbished Scottish castle with strong links to his family. Braemar Castle is now being restored by the village community and Prince Charles will see the work for himself on Tuesday.  Braemar Castle was built by the Erskine Earls of Mar to replace nearby Kindrochit Castle which was thought to have been destroyed by cannon because its inhabitants contracted the plague.

Family feuds, local skirmishes and bloodshed were some of the characteristics of the history of Mar up to the 1745 rebellion. In 1689, the unsuccessful attempt by John Grahame of Claverhouse (Bonnie Dundee) to re-establish the Stuart monarchy against that of the Dutch King William resulted in the occupation of the castle by government troops. They narrowly missed capturing the Farquharson leader, John Farquharson of Inverey (the Black Colonel).  He then attacked the castle, drove the garrison out and burned the building.  The castle lay in ruins for almost 60 years.  His ghost is said to still stalk the castle. Other phantoms include a young blonde woman, a Scottish piper and a crying baby thought to be that of an infant murdered in the castle. Queen Victoria used to visit the castle when she attended the nearby Braemar Gathering – which is attended every year by the Royal Family.  Source