Birkwood “Castle”, once known as the Birkwood Psychiatric Hospital, is believed by some to be one of the most haunted buildings in the United Kingdom.
The building, at Lesmahagow in Lanarkshire, was built around 1860 and believed to have been designed by the Scottish architect John Baird for the McKirdy family and became a psychiatric hospital in 1923. The hospital had many child residents and worked with children is learning difficulties.
By 2002 Birkwood Castle closed and remains empty, an attempt to turn the B Grade listed building into a hotel and leisure centre failed in 2011 after the developers went into receivership.
The design is said to be interesting; featuring “hidden rooms” or, at least, rooms which can only be accessed from one of the building’s towers rather than the main corridors.
Ghosts at Birkwood Castle?
There are a number of reports of ghosts and apparent deaths at Birkwood.
Cigar smoke
Internet forums report the smell of cigar smoke, often brought up by staff when the hospital was operation. Staff are also believed to have mentioned lights turning on and off again as well as footsteps in empty corridors.
Henrik Richardson
The video above makes mention of a Henrik Richardson; said, by some, to have been stabbed through the throat while in the hospital. Paranormal investigators are particularly keen to see whether this alleged murder has resulted in any spiritual activity.
Bicycle boy
Some mediums visiting the hospital have spoken of the impression of a young boy riding, or towing, a bicycle while holding onto a teddy bear. Some have used the name “Mike” or “Michael”.
Crying girl
It has also been reported that the sound of sobbing or cry can be heard from some of the darker parts inside the building. Glasgow comedian Stuart Mitchell tweeted about his own encounter although he was filming with the YouTube based Haunted Planet TV at the time.
Just heard a girl crying at @birkwood_castle on set for @hauntedplanettv – pants are full
— StuartMitchell (@stuartmitchell2) September 25, 2012
In Pure Spirit
Have you been to Birkwood House? Have you seen or heard anything that would lead you to believe it’s haunted?
Have you researched the old hospital to find any evidence of murder, death or other sightings in or near the building? Drop us your thoughts and, better still, a URL to reports in the comments section below.
No doubt the castle is haunted, and i trust Haunted Planet as they are raising money for mental health so doubt they would go the most haunted route.
Worked here for twelve years, often smelt the cigar smoke of the doctor, and the crying boy on the stairs.
Shame it's been left to become a ruin as the place has serious ghost issues.
Surprising no ones ever mentioned the Janny, use to freak me oot as a kid, how to keep yer kids away fae birkwood, tell them bout the Janny LOL
No mention of the ghost that hugged you on stairs weird was main one my dad use to tell me about dunno bout rest
There story in reception room off main door where you cud be hearin kids playin, iunno if that's miked cuz he stairs
My sister and I were there earlier this evening and caught something on camera. It looks very like someone carrying a small child. How do I post it on here ?
Hi Diane,
You would be best posting it to a free image hosting site like http://imgur.com/ and then sharing the link to your image in the comment thread.
Thank you. I will get that posted ASAP. We were freaked but intrigued. Very keen to hear of other people's experiences here.
http://imgur.com/a/xB7ED this is the link to picture outside the building. This is 100 percent genuine
That's super freaky!
I know. My sister and I ran like hell. We are going back tomorrow for further investigation
Can someone please put me in the direction of a medium who has visited Birkwood. I picked up some activity and would like to confirm what I experienced was the same…. Thanks
I stay in lesmaghow my boy of 4 has ths friend he calls him sam sometimes i wonder who he talks to cuse sam dosent exist could it be a ghost?dose any one know anything would love to find out waht it is
Irene your best bet would be to contact the researcher for the show that was made there as I know e had historical records of people that lived and died there, no idea what his email is but his twitter is @mylifeinwordsuk
Hope it helps.
Andrea
Watching horror films and developing a sense of fear in the
mind that ghosts exist, something that people of today are doing very well. People
do not realize that this makes them http://southshoretms.com/, people become scared of the dark and at times will get scared at a
slight glimpse of something that happens naturally but they think is happening
supernaturally. People might think that
an old building is a place where ghosts will come to haunt easily, why? Do
ghosts love old buildings?
Me and a few mates took a drive up here one night and had a look around the grounds, never entered the building but in one area two of us could have swore we saw a reflection in the window on the second floor, might have been the moon reflection but who knows. However we returned another night and the two of us never saw said image but another member of the group who wasn’t with us the first time did. Read that that sighting is quite notorious.
I went just a couple of days before the collapse, just to see where my aunt Annie spent most of her life up until her death in the mid 70s. She was put there after a brain injury left her deaf and blind, both her parents had died by the time she was 10 so she had nowhere else to go. My dad would try and visit her when he could, but sometimes staff at the time blocked his visits. They didn’t even tell him (her next of kin) she had died until months later. When I hear the story about the girl crying, part of me wonders if it’s her.