Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh, Scotland

Happy almost Halloween my ghouls! I thought the last spooky location I should take y’all through should be really creepy, but also awesome. So, today I bring you Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh, Scotland!

When planning our trip to Scotland I did a lot of research on things to do/see. Edinburgh was a little bit harder than other places because we wanted to see a ton of stuff. It is an incredible historic city, and we wanted to hit the highlights! One place that we kept seeing over and over (for different reasons) was Greyfriars Kirkyard. So, we added it to the list!

 Greyfriars Kirkyard, like many places in Edinburgh, is tucked behind some old buildings and you would absolutely miss it if you weren’t paying attention. The easiest way I suggest finding it, is to find Greyfriars Bobby’s Pub. First of all, the outside is adorable and you can see a statue of Bobby, the sky terrier who supposedly guarded his owners grave until his own death 14 years later. (You can find Bobby’s headstone right in the entrance of Greyfriars Kirkyard.) Once you find Greyfriars Bobby, look to your immediate left and go down the dark spooky alley and you will walk straight into Greyfriars Kirkyard.

This cemetery has been around since the 1560s. Yes, you read that correctly, 1560. Many Scots have been buried in Greyfriars throughout the ages, but one has been said to still be hanging around after his death. George Mackenzie was a persecutor of the Presbyterian church back in the 17th century, and his ghost is supposedly haunting the kirkyard to this day. The Mackenzie Poltergeist is said to be pretty aggressive because people have been scratched, bruised, and pushed often in the kirkyard at night.

It’s kind of incredible just to see all the old headstones and mausoleums. Even during the day it’s a little creepy. If you’re looking for a really creepy time, try going in the kirkyard at night! As far as I know, it stays open all the time, so you can go in anytime of the day or night! Jackson and I found the kirkyard for the first time at around 11pm and we wandered around in the dark for awhile. Not going to lie, you are going to want someone to hold onto.

Ok, where are all my Potterheads? I have something exciting to tell you! Did you know that J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter in Edinburgh (more on that in another post) and more specifically, found some of her character’s names in Greyfriars Cemetery?!? Buried in the cemetery is a man named Tom Riddle. There is also a Scottish poet with the last name McGonagall. I’m not going to tell you where they are because honestly finding them is half the fun! I will tell you they are closer to the back, but that’s it!

Greyfriars Kirkyard is an unbelievable place in one of the most beautifully magical cities in the world. If you are ever in Scotland, you must visit Greyfriars Kirkyard and Edinburgh. Say hello to Bobby for me and make sure to be on your guard!

❤ Abbie

Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, OH

Hello friends! So, I’ve been going back and forth about whether or not I wanted to post about some spooky/supposedly haunted places because the last time I did I received some negative feedback. However, it is something that has always been of interest to me, and I feel I need to be true to myself. With that being said, I want to start this post off by saying I don’t necessarily believe that these places I will be sharing are “haunted.” I am just going to tell some facts and share some experiences had by others and I will let you make the call. Or don’t make a call and just enjoy some spooky stories! Anyways, somewhat soapbox over. Let’s get to some spooky!

Today I am sharing one of the cooler places I’ve visited in Cleveland! Lake View Cemetery is the resting place of many famous Clevelanders throughout the years. Buried in the rolling hills of Lake View are people like John D. Rockefeller, Elliot Ness, and James A. Garfield (tomb is pictured above), just to name a few. You might be surprised at some of these names, but back in the late 1800s/early 1900s Cleveland was actually home to more millionaires than any city in America. The oil and railroad trades boomed in Cleveland, making it a very wealthy city! That meant the wealthiest could afford to be buried in the most beautiful location in Cleveland, Lake View Cemetery.

The cemetery itself is massive, spanning over 285 acres. With all this land and lots of twisted pathways, it’s not hard to get lost. But, that is the beauty of Lake View, getting lost for an hour or two looking at all of the beautifully haunting graves.

It’s amazing to me the detail that was put in to making some of these graves. The beautiful mausoleums, intricate gravestones, and hauntingly realistic sculptures greet you at every turn. It’s not hard to get the sense of not being alone.

One of my favorite graves is for a family named Haserot. It is perhaps the most photographed grave in the entire cemetery because it is so foreboding. Nestled back behind some tombs sits the Haserot angel.

The name of the dark angel is actually “The Angel of Death Victorious.” The angel sits with an extinguished torch upside-down to symbolize life being extinguished. She stares straight ahead, unmoving. The eeriest part of the Haserot angel comes from years of being exposed to the elements; the bronze has worn and it looks as if she is crying black tears. Even if you see nothing else in the cemetery, you must  visit the Haserot Angel.

The final grave I would like to share comes with a bit of a story. Hans Tiedemann was a German immigrant who came to live in Cleveland in the late 1800s. He built an incredible home called Franklin Castle.

If you are from Cleveland (or Ohio in general) you have most likely heard of this house. Franklin Castle is known for being the most haunted house in Ohio. Years and years of stories and mystery have shrouded this home and they all trace back to the supposed horrors of Mr. Tiedemann.

Tiedemann and his family built the mansion (shown above) from 1881-1883 in one of the most influential and wealthy parts of Cleveland. He moved into the home with his wife Louise, and their two children. The Tiedemann’s lost several children due to the common diseases of the time, but rumor had it that more people had died in the home (of not so natural causes, if you catch my drift). The home switched owners several times through the years. Some say it was built above part of the underground railroad. Others say in the 1920s during prohibition, the basement was used as a speakeasy. Some even say it belonged to a group of Nazis. One thing always stays the same however, the owners always say the house is haunted. What is most commonly seen is a woman in black standing on the second floor balcony. People report mysterious mists appearing and the feeling of being pushed. I’m not quite sure if we’ll ever know what really happened in Franklin Castle, but it sure makes for a good spooky story! If you want to hear more creepy details about Franklin Castle I highly recommend the book “Haunted Ohio.”

Well, that’s all for this weeks spooky wandering post! If you ever get the chance to visit Lake View Cemetery in Ohio, it’s worth the trip! Say hello to the Haserot Angel for me… and let’s all hope she doesn’t say hello back.

❤ Abbie