Birkwood Castle, a ruined Gothic Revival country house near Lesmahagow in South Lanarkshire, around 25 miles from Glasgow, is widely considered the "most haunted" building in Scotland. The abandoned former children's mental institution has been the site of numerous supposed ghost sightings.
From family home to psychiatric hospital
The history of Birkwood Castle begins in the late-18th century, when Birkwood House was constructed on the site. The structure was originally built to be a modest family home, but underwent huge expansions during the 19th century and Birkwood Castle was created.
The building and its surrounding grounds were put up for sale in the early 1920s, though it would be a few years before the magnificent mansion and the sprawling estate were officially purchased. The site was eventually bought by Lanarkshire County for £10,000.
A hospital exclusively for children
Birkwood Castle was officially reopened as the Birkwood Certified Institution in 1923, and was run by Lanarkshire Council. It was a Certified Institution for Mental Defectives, and was notable for being one of the only psychiatric hospitals that exclusively cared for juveniles with severe learning disabilities.
Being a hospital specifically for children, the patients' education was a major priority. According to local heritage group Lesmahagow Parish Historical Association, schooling was first provided in a single room but the construction of a dedicated school building was later approved.
Birkwood received multiple extensions all throughout the early and mid-20th century, with the new wing that was introduced in 1958 built to accommodate as many as 80 extra patients. Staff houses and a dedicated physician's house were also constructed on the site over the years.
Closure and decline
The beginning of the end for Birkwood Hospital came towards the end of the 20th century, with the community-based system of care becoming more commonplace and psychiatric institutions being increasingly seen as outdated. Patients began to be moved out of the hospital in the early-2000s and its doors officially closed for good in 2002.
After the hospital's closure, the site was abandoned and quickly became a hotspot for urban explorers curious to investigate. The building became slowly reclaimed by nature, with part of the structure collapsing in 2015, while a large fire also resulted in devastating damage.
The Lesmahagow Parish Historical Association website states: "Following the closure of Birkwood Hospital during the September of 2002, Birkwood House lay empty and abandoned. Its isolated location to the south of Lesmahagow village, was unfortunately of interest to vandals and the curious.
"In fairness to those who were curious, and had taken a camera with them, they provided a wealth of photographs showing the gradual decline of the Mansion House, the various hospital wards and the grounds."
Ghost stories and alleged hauntings
Given its history, it is not surprising at all that Birkwood Castle has been the subject of various ghost stories and alleged hauntings. The former hospital is said to be haunted by numerous previous patients, while as reported by BBC News other ghosts who roam the site are a cigar-smoking spectre and the spirit of a man who was stabbed through the throat.
