BEDLAY CASTLE

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Bedlay Castle, like many ancient buildings in Scotland, is haunted but some of its ghosts have no earthly connection to the building.
The castle dates from two periods. The eastern half, with its rectangular keep and square tower, is from the late 16th century.
It was built by Lord Robert Boyd of Kilmarnock, who was given the estate by his kinsman, Bishop James Boyd, in 1580.
He sold it in 1642 to the lawyer James Robertson, later Lord Bedlay, who not only gave the castle his name but added the western section with the two round towers.
However, some of the ghosts inhabiting this privately owned building, a few miles south east of Kirkintilloch, supposedly date from many centuries before the castle was built.
The estate was originally owned by the diocese of Glasgow but was forfeited for a time until being returned to the Church after David the First came to the Scottish Crown in 1124.
Fifty years later Bishop Jocelyn built there and by 1350 Bishop Cameron lived there.
However, he died under mysterious circumstances and it has been reported that heavy footsteps and the occasional glimpse of a large, heavily bearded man in ecclesiastical robes can be seen wandering around the castle.
However, some people suggest that the ghost is actually James Campbell of Petershill, who bought the castle in 1805.
Spectral forms were seen during his stay at the castle after he built a family mausoleum there.
But the ghosts disappeared when it was relocated to Lambhill Cemetery.

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