Halloween is here and it's time to get spooky, but did you know that West Lothian is home to one of Scotland’s most haunted estates?
The grounds at the House of the Binns are said to be haunted by Sir Thomas Dalyell - otherwise known as the notorious Bluidy Tam or The Muscovite Devil.
Sir Thomas - an ancestor of the late Tam Dalyell, occupied the house in the 17th century and was the General and Commander-in-Chief of the king’s forces in Scotland.
Following his death in 1685 came tales of hauntings that have earned the estate a reputation as one of the National Trust for Scotland’s most haunted places to visit.
There are accounts of Bluidy Tam’s ghost galloping across the grounds on a white stallion and of his boots walking around the house by themselves.
Mid Calder was also where many witches were burned at the stake. There is a small hill with a cluster of trees called Cunnigar Hill, known as Witches Hill to the locals, located close to the village centre.
In 1591, the village Minister, John Spottiswoode accused many women of witchcraft and sentenced them to be executed.
He wrote in his diary at the time: “Much of the winter has been spent in the discovery and examination of witches and sorcerers.”
The famous Lizzie Bryce roundabout in Livingston is also named after an unfortunate old woman accused of witchcraft by locals
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