4 Spookiest Places in the UK to visit for Halloween Glamping

As the nights grow longer and the leaves turn orange, nothing beats cosying up to watch horror films on the couch, visiting a pumpkin patch, or telling scary stories around the campfire. As far as we’re concerned, spooky season starts as soon as the first leaf falls to the ground! 

Halloween glamping offers a chance to enjoy the great outdoors at a beautiful time of the year and explore something new close to home or further afield. In honour of Halloween and all that comes with it, here are four corners of the UK with a haunting history, perfect for autumn camping.

1. Edinburgh

The UK’s second most popular tourist destination is stunning at any time of year, but there’s something especially arresting about visiting Scotland’s capital during the Halloween season - or Samhain, as it’s called in Gaelic.

The city’s spooky atmosphere is created by its rich history and gorgeous architecture. Get lost in Old Town’s maze of haunted narrow closes and visit spooky attractions like Edinburgh Castle and Mary King’s Close to learn more about the souls that are said to still linger around. Edinburgh also has a large number of ghost tours that take you around historic cemeteries and underground vaults.

Glamping in Edinburgh lets you experience the best of both worlds: a city break and a glamping getaway in beautiful surroundings. Morton Hall Wigwams® and Wigwam® Holidays Hilly Cow are both within easy reach of the city centre and offer plenty of great walks nearby. 

2. Lancashire

Lancashire is considered one of the most haunted areas of the UK, and Pendle Hill is just one of the spectacularly spooky spots in the region. It’s home to an iron age burial ground and the famous Pendle witch trials. 

In 1612, twelve people were taken to trial under suspicion of black magic. One of the accused died in custody awaiting trial, and ten were found guilty and hanged. The souls of these innocent men and women are said to still haunt the area.

Lancaster Castle also has its fair share of bloodied history. It housed the Pendle “witches” as they awaited trial as well as playing an important part in the English Civil War. No wonder there are many reports of ghost sightings on the castle’s grounds!

The town of Preston is also home to a whole host of allegedly haunted locations, from Fulwood Barracks to Samlesbury Hall. Wigwam® Holidays Kidsnape Farm is located just seven miles outside Preston, while Wigwam® Holidays Ribble Valley is situated halfway between Preston and Pendle Hill.

3. Yorkshire

From eerie folk tales to haunted inns, the rugged landscape of Yorkshire is perfect for some spooky Halloween glamping. 

The North York Moors are home to a rich tapestry of folklore and legend. Hobgoblins are said to inhabit caves along the coastline, wreaking havoc on those they come across from souring their milk to hiding possessions. Boggle Hole on Robin Hood’s Bay in particular is known as a hobgoblin hotspot. 

The nearby harbour town of Whitby acted as inspiration for novelist Bram Stoker, as he wrote the classic novel Dracula to be partly set in the town. Whitby Abbey is also haunted, with its founder, St Hilda, and a nun named Constance de Beverley having made appearances over the years.

The city of York has no shortage of spooky, haunted locations, either. In fact, its nickname is “the city of a thousand ghosts”. The ghosts of Roman soldiers are said to haunt Treasurer’s House, while 35 Stonegate is known as York’s most haunted building, with a reported 14+ ghosts in residence. York also has a number of pubs with numerous ghost sightings, including Ye Olde Starre Inne and Black Swan Inn.

For glamping in York, choose Wigwam® Holidays Ball Hall Farm, located just twelve miles from the city amidst beautiful native woodland. Wigwam® Holidays Grouse Hill is located on the stunning North Yorkshire Heritage Coast, twenty minutes outside Whitby.

4. Isle of Skye

With its rocky landscape that looks like it was the setting of a fantasy film and a rich local history of spooky happenings, glamping on the Isle of Skye is perhaps at its most atmospheric in autumn.

The ghostly ruins of Duntulm Castle are a hotspot for paranormal activity. Built in the 1400s, the castle was abandoned in 1730, allegedly as its inhabitants had to flee the ghosts there. Apparitions reported include a wailing nursemaid, murdered after accidentally dropping the clan chief’s infant son into the stormy seas below, and Hugh MacDonald, starved to death in the dungeon as punishment for stealing.

On the island’s east coast, Dunvegan Castle is also home to a cast of spirits, though the ghosts here are considered friendly. These include an unseen bagpiper and a fairy princess. The stretch of the A87 between Sligachan and Portree has played host to sightings of a ghostly car that disappears as you overtake it. The ghost is that of a minister who died in a car crash here in the 1940s.

Wigwam® Holidays has six glamping sites on the Isle of Skye, including Wigwam® Holidays Shulista Croft near Duntulm and Wigwam® Holidays Portree in the island’s capital town.