Many of us get into Halloween mode as soon as it turns to autumn, so in the spirit of all things spooky, we thought we’d put together our list of the top 5 spooky Halloween road trips to take, in the UK. There’s some chilling stories behind some of the sites on this list… but we’ve made sure to include some more light-hearted yet spooktacular places to visit in your hiyacar, too.
No matter which part of the UK you’ll be in around Halloween time, there’s a haunted castle, spooky ruins and ghosted-filled Inn for everyone to visit on their Halloween road trip. So without further ado, let’s get spooky!
Visit a cursed Inn and hear heartbreaking ghost stories on a spooky road trip around Northumberland -
The spectacular Alnwick Castle has to be Northumberland’s spookiest spot. If you’re headed up north for Halloween then begin your road trip here! You might recognise this incredible 11th century castle from a certain wizarding film… but there are lots of spookier stories hidden within this castle’s walls - including hundreds of years of gruesome goings on involving the Alnwick Vampire!
After visiting Alnwick Castle, continue your Halloween road trip to visit the legendary cursed ‘Dirty Bottles’, sealed within the Dirty Bottles Inn’s windows for over 200 years, for fear of the curse killing anyone who disturbed them! Then head to the nearby Bamburgh Castle, around a 30 minute drive north of Alnwick, to see if you encounter the Pink Lady; the ghost of a heartbroken young woman, who returns every 7 years to search for her banished long-lost love.
For Medieval castles and a famous vampire’s old haunt, head to North Yorkshire -
Famous for featuring in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the breathtaking cliffside ruins of Whitby Abbey are the perfect location to begin a Halloween road trip in North Yorkshire! The abbey is said to be haunted by a number of ghosts, including the ghost of St. Hilda; the founder of the abbey, and a nun who was bricked-up alive within the walls for falling in love with a knight. From Whitby Abbey, head to the nearby cemetery of St Mary’s church, to see where Dracula hung out!
From the cobbled streets of Whitby, head down the Yorkshire coastline to Scarborough, approximately a 20 mile drive, to visit Scarborough’s supposedly haunted 150 year old Grand Hotel. Famous 19th century novelist, Anne Bronte died in a house on the site, prior to the hotel’s construction, and there have been countless reports of ghostly goings on over the years from guests! The nearby ruins of the medieval Scarborough Castle, are also said to be haunted, by a headless phantom!
Check out the ghostly goings-on in a Glasgow graveyard and beneath the streets of Edinburgh -
Based in, or heading to, Scotland this Halloween? Why not begin your road trip in the heart of the city of Glasgow, at Glasgow Necropolis. Not only does it offer stunning views of the city but it is also cited time and again as one of the UK’s most haunted sites. This cemetery is said to be home to the ‘Gorbals Vampire’; a 7-foot vampire with iron fangs! Cross the street from the Necropolis to carry on your spooky Halloween journey, and head to the Cathedral House Hotel. This 19th century hotel, overlooking the Glasgow Necropolis, is said to be haunted by a number of ghosts of prisoners of the then-nearby infamous Duke Street Prison.
Continue your Halloween road trip from Glasgow to Edinburgh, around an hour and 15 minutes drive east, for a feast of spooky attractions! When in Edinburgh there’s a whole host of spooky things to check out. Head underground, down into the eerie 18th century Edinburgh Vaults, for tales of demons, spirits, bodysnatchers and more… or head to Edinburgh Castle to see if you can encounter any of the ghosts it is rumoured to have accrued in its 900 years, like the Headless Drummer Boy, or the Grey Lady; the ghost of Lady Janet Douglas, burnt at the stake for witchcraft in 1537.
Haunted villages and phantom dogs, take a Halloween road trip around Kent -
If you’ll be in Kent this Halloween, why not start your road trip in the village of Pluckley, just outside of Ashford, which, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is the most haunted village in Britain! When in Pluckley, head to the graveyard of St Nicholas’ Church to see if you can encounter the White Lady; the ghost of a woman rumoured to have been buried within 7 lead coffins by her late husband, in the hopes of stopping her body from decomposing.
Head from Pluckley to Leeds Castle, about a 10 mile drive north west of the village, which is not only a gorgeously kept castle and grounds, but also a popular ghost hunting spot. Often on this site over the last 600 years, sightings of a ghostly dog have been reported. Legend has it that this dog is the result of a spell cast by Eleanor of Gloucester, who was imprisoned in the castle that stood at the time, for witchcraft and necromancy.
Haunted Inns, ghoulish Gaols and incredible cliffside castles in Cornwall -
In Cornwall for Halloween? There’s a veritable feast of spooky places to visit in this region, but the most famous has to be the Jamaica Inn, in Launceston. You may have heard of this infamous landmark, perhaps in the 1936 Daphne du Maurier novel named after it, or perhaps due to famous legends surrounding the Inn and the ghosts of highwaymen and smugglers! Head to this historical Inn, dating back to 1750, for ghost hunts galore.
From the Jamaica Inn, head to Bodmin Jail, around an 11 mile drive south west. This 1779 jail has hundreds of years of history for you to explore, and a lot of grizzly tales to go along with it! Visitors to the jail have noted many sightings of the ghost of an executed female inmate from the 1800s. From Bodmin Jail, continue your Halloween road trip around Cornwall to Tintagel Castle, a 45 minute drive south, on the Cornish coast. This 13th century ruined cliff-top castle is steeped in history and legend, said to have been home at one point to King Arthur, this castle is apparently also home to 5 ghosts - one of which is thought to be that of the legendary wizard, Merlin.
After something a little less spooky? Check out our October Half Term trip inspiration! Or perhaps a trip to StoneHenge is more your style?
Inspired to take a Halloween road trip? Hire a car with hiyacar.
