610 York Boulevard
Hamilton, Ontario
Constructed between 1832 and 1835

There are many ghostly possibilities at Dundurn Castle. Eleven men hung for treason right across the street in 1813. Cholera victims transported to the plague sheds across the street where they died a lonely death in a new and strange land. SIr Allen and his family seem to haunt the castle. Outside the room where his second wife Mary wasted away from consumption it is said there is always a cold chill and a mysterious breeze that blows out the candles. There are mysterious drafts, objects moving around and on some occasions visitors and others have heard mysterious music and singing. Since this location has been continuously occupied since prehistoric times, there may be spirits of all sorts wandering the halls of Dundurn at night.

Dundurn Castle

The stories of Dundurn Castle's haunting abound.
As head historical interpreter at the castle, Katherine Killins heard many of these stories, but one night, near Christmas in 1988, something happened that made the talk of ghosts just a little more vivid in her own mind.

"It was the evening of the Christmas Candlelight Tour and there were about 120 people through the house," Killins recalls.

"After the event was over, it was my responsibility to close the house, to make sure all the candles were out. I was often the last one out of the house, but not at midnight (which was how late it was by the time the tour had let out and Killins was closing up)."

She was on the top floor of the house, doing one last check of the sick soom and Lady MacNab's boudoir.

"It's a long hallway, much removed from the rest of the house," says Killins.

"I was putting out a candle when I heard the sound of a sighing voice. At first I thought, "Oh, doesn't that sound nice." But then I thought, "What is that?"

"There was no reason there should be a singing voice there." There was no one else in the building.

"It wasn't a sound I could identify. It definately wasn't coming from outside." And of course, there was no radio in the house.

"It wasn't frightening, but it was not explainable. It was just a couple of phrases of singing and it took me by surprise."

© Top colour photo taken by Stephanie Cumerlato