5 Most haunted places to visit in the UK

The UK is renowned for its history and has some of the most mysterious and spine-tingling locations in the world. Whether it's a castle boasting ghost stories from centuries past or a creepy haunted house that has remained untouched for decades, there is a fascination among the public to experience the unnatural and the other-worldly.

So, it is no wonder that searches for haunted places to visit in the UK are up 900 per cent year-on-year and peak around Halloween. But fear not, holidaycottages.co.uk, the UK’s leading holiday letting agency, has done all the hard work and scoured TikTok to find out which ones are receiving top reviews from those brave enough to visit. Here are the top five that will deliver the most thrill factor. 

Clocking up 1.4m views on TikTok alone, Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh is said to be shrouded in myth and mystery. In footage uploaded by @andy_highlander, the video walks viewers through eerie 17th-century passageways that lie deep beneath the streets of Edinburgh’s Old Town.

Inside lies a dark maze of closes—including Mary King’s Close, which used to be home to some of its poorest residents and which was badly hit during the deadly plague. One of the most famous and haunted places in Scotland, it is well known for its variety of ghostly phenomena with visitors reporting seeing apparitions of those that lived and died there.

Of the most famous tales is the little ghost girl. A medium claimed to see the little girl crying in the corner, talking about a doll she had lost and ever since, visitors have been leaving dolls and gifts in that corner of the room. One TikTok user replied: “My top got tugged on each side in the vaults, I told my friend afterwards it was like a child trying to get my attention.”

Another is an isolated hill in the Pennines called Pendle Hill. Featured on TV’s Most Haunted, this deeply disturbing area is renowned for its links with witchcraft and devil worship.

In the 17th century, 12 alleged witches were hanged there for supposedly causing the death of several local villagers. With Pendle Hill clocking up over 5.3m views on TikTok, it has gained a dark and pulse-raising reputation. Visitors have reported sightings of the witches in buildings and the surrounding villages near Pendle Hill, along with feeling a suspenseful atmosphere when visiting.

One video shared by @jackolanternstories has attracted nearly 30k views, with one user replying: “As someone who lives in the local area, let me tell you—Pendle Hill and the surrounding area has WEIRD energy.”

For those searching for a day out to remember, a trip to the Ancient Ram Inn in Gloucestershire could be just the ticket. Open to the public, this unsuspecting former pub is famed for being one of the most haunted properties in England.

Previously featured on TV’s Most Haunted and America’s Ghost Adventures, TikTokers are grappling for more exclusive footage of this spine-chilling property. To date, the paranormal hotspot has amassed 2m views on TikTok thanks to @amyscrypt sharing her take on the ghosts and spectres haunting the ancient pub.

From unexplained demonic forces to spectres passing through walls and haunting the grounds, resident ghosts are rife. These include a centurion on horseback, a monk, and a troubled woman who is believed to have fled to the ghostly pub, where she was eventually captured and killed after being accused of witchcraft. One TikTok user commented: “I have been there before. I kept hearing muffled voices and heard little kids laughing…it was freaky.” While it’s no longer a pub, members of the public can book tickets for one of their ghost hunts.

Tales of ghosts pervading a 900-year-old pub in Monmouthshire have also left users completely spellbound. With the Skirrid Inn racking up just shy of 100k views to date, Wales’s oldest pub is said to be haunted by a ghostly coachman, a murdered 18th-century barmaid, and even disembodied voices.

TikTok user @hauntsfromthesouth shared their spooky experience, commenting: “We caught a lot of orbs in the one bedroom and movement on the Ouija board.”

Finally, for those looking for a truly electrifying adventure this Halloween, take a trip to Glencoe in Argyll, where visitors have claimed to hear piercing screams coming through its walls. In total, "Glencoe Scotland" has racked up a whopping 36.4m views on TikTok, with many users commenting on its unearthly beauty.

Fans of the James Bond franchise may recognise this spectacular landscape from the film Skyfall, but less is known about its gruesome history. The Glencoe massacre of 1692 was responsible for a multitude of deaths, both as a result of the attack and those who fled to the frozen mountains, where they slowly perished. The area is thought to be one of Scotland’s most haunted sites, with all manner of paranormal activity being reported by adventure seekers. 

Not enough to get you cowering behind your pillow? holidaycottages.co.uk has compiled an extended list of 20 of the most haunted places to visit in the UK. Providing the horrifying and sometimes murderous backstories of these locations, holidaycottages.co.uk has also provided some not-scary, luxurious properties you can safely retreat to and enjoy a relaxing stay after a day’s ghost-hunting, that are just a stone’s throw away from the action.