Haunting of Jedburgh Castle Jail, Scotland

Jedburgh Castle Jail

Sitting in the small town of Jedburgh, right along the Scottish border, is a prison that at first glance, appears more of a castle than an actual jail. Opened in 1823, the Jedburgh Castle Jail was built in the image of a former castle, which had once sat on the same land hundreds of years earlier. That 12^th century castle was eventually demolished by the Scots in 1409 after a turbulent lifetime of battles between the English and the Scottish.

After the castle had vanished, the land it once sat upon would become known as gallows hill, since it was a place of public execution, playing host to many hangings. So, by the time the jail was opened, its land had already seen may dark times and been soaked in death. Yet, more darkness was to follow, as it wouldn’t take long before the terrible conditions of this prison became a source of misery for so many more.

The jail would consist of three main cellblocks with a jailer’s residence in the middle. It held men in a maximum security setting as well as women alongside its debtor’s prison. Additionally, it also had a Bridewell, which acted as a type of prison reform center for petty offenders, consisting of men, women and children. The jail was to eventually close in 1868 after larger, better built facilities in Edinburgh took preference.

Ghosts of Jedburgh Castle Jail

Many to visit the Jedburgh Castle Jail claim it to be haunted. They have sighted shadows, apparitions, been violently attacked by the unseen, heard unnatural noises and even sighted glowing orbs of light.

One of the more active areas is the Bridewell Cellblock where a full bodied apparition has been sighted walking along the bottom hallway. This was even sighted by multiple people. Another area where many people claim to feel an abundance of energy is the former maximum security Men’s Cellblock. This seems to harbor more negative entities who enjoy slamming doors and have even crushed a woman’s hand while slamming one. One of the most notorious doors for moving on its own is that of cell 18.

Others have claimed to be touched or even heard the voices of men having conversations late at night within the empty jail. There’s no shortage of ghost stories associated with this location, making it a truly interesting place to investigate.

Visiting the Haunted Jedburgh Castle Jail

The Jedburgh Castle Jail is a stunning place to visit and remains open to the public as a museum. Occasional paranormal tours, investigations and events are also run at the building and are well worth attending.

If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about the Edinburgh Vaults, another incredibly haunted place in Scotland.

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