The haunted castle of Knockhall

Knockhall Castle was the home of the Laird of Udny until it burned down in 1734. It remains a roofless ruin to this day. On the night the castle burned, Jamie Fleeman, the Laird's feel (Jester) aged 21, saved the Laird's treasure chest by picking it up and throwing it through the window. No mean feat given that it took 3 strong men even to lift it!

Back in the 60s, when I was a young student, the castle was said to be haunted and that of a night you could hear deep breathing coming from within its ancient walls. One dark night in mid-winter a group of us fortified ourselves in the Udny Arms and then set out to confront the unworldly being. When we got there, in the pitch black, sure enough we could clearly hear a rasping breathing sound echoing within the walls. We bravely went in through a window, switched on our torch and there, before us, was an asthmatic owl!