Last week we announced that our ‘winning‘ picture was from Tantallon Castle in Scotland. Then, a couple of days ago, we received this……
“I am writing with reference to the photograph taken at Tantallon Castle which was submitted to your “Hauntings” website as part of your recent survey on ghosts. I have attached a .jpg file of a photograph (scanned) which was taken by my mother over 30 years ago. The photograph depicts myself, my brother and my late father at Tantallon Castle. At the time this was taken my mother did not see anyone, or anything, unusual in the window behind us. The figure in the window not becoming apparent until later when the photograph was developed. This image has been the subject of many long debates and discussions ever since amongst family and friends.
After a recent family discussion regarding the striking similarity between the image on your website and the figure in my mother’s photograph, we have decided to forward this onto you for your examination. The original photograph is still in my mother’s possession. ”
What do you think? Comment and vote now!
Ghostly photographs from Hauntings 
April 1, 2009 at 11:20 pm |
Wow… I think it’s genuine ghost…
April 5, 2009 at 10:28 pm |
look at the arch on the right hand side above the girls head there is a face in the darkness
February 19, 2010 at 3:30 am
I SEE MORE THAN JUST ONE FACE IN THE ARCH WAY OVER THE LITTLE BOYS HEAD NOT THE LITTLE GIRLS HEAD
January 28, 2011 at 5:08 pm |
wow u must b on crack or some other drug, look @ it closely or enlarge it . it is someone standing there and not a ghost
April 2, 2009 at 7:07 am |
This looks remarkably similar to the first image, which would support the theory that it’s a trick of the light on the wall in that stairwell.
April 2, 2009 at 3:16 pm |
but its two different windows.. from different angles..
April 2, 2009 at 8:08 am |
Oh!
My God!
it’s really?
But I live Korean I don’t scare
April 2, 2009 at 3:51 pm |
haha this is great
April 2, 2009 at 4:09 pm |
I live in the USA and I’m scared!!!!
April 2, 2009 at 6:22 pm |
I think it´s really a ghost, because i practice Allan Kardec´s spiritism, and that is a little common in my life. Actually i already saw a ghost with my own eyes here in my house, and i don´t believe this is just fantasy. Congratulations for your work.
April 2, 2009 at 10:51 pm |
I am very intrigued with these photos and was even more intrigued with your mention of allen kardec as i am a true believer of his work and spiritism, i am a firm believer of the afterlife and always eager to talk to others on this subject, contact me on jlderbyshire@ntlworld.com as it would be great to chat with others who believe on the same subjects.
April 2, 2009 at 8:44 pm |
There should be twenty-four hour live night vision webcams in the castle setup on a website and saved for a number of days to be analysed by all…maybe somebody will see something.
I am aware these things cost money and I personally am all about seeing the logic of science and therefore slightly agnostic…but I for one would gladly pay to see something like this setup.
April 3, 2009 at 3:35 am |
Sorry, but this photo is clearly a person in a pink shirt, carrying a jacket over their wrist. They would be facing left coming down the stairs. You can see their upper arm, bent elbow and lower arm. Of course the person taking the photo didn’t see anyone in the window. She was focusing on taking the photo of her family, in a tourist attraction. You wouldn’t notice someone walking past a window in the background. You can’t see the person’s head because the arch the three family members are standing under is in the way. There are other pictures to actually go “oooh spooky” over have more credibility than this (being a ghost).
April 3, 2009 at 1:38 pm |
I’m of the opinion that its actually two bags being carried and not a coat- one carrier bag in the right hand and a handbag over the right shoulder pushed toward her bum as she’s coming down the stairs.
April 3, 2009 at 4:12 pm
Could be! Hard to tell with a old, slightly out of focus, photo. Either way, it is another tourist walking past the window.
April 3, 2009 at 9:29 am |
I think it’s impossible to say this is anything other than a standard tourist walking around the building. The ‘figure’ in the window is impossible to judge as you can’t make out any definite form or face, so it cannot be compared to the ‘winning’ photo.
@Joel I think that sounds very sensible. Richard Wiseman should do this as part of a follow up to this experiment. I also suggested in an earlier post that a video version of this experiment should also be conducted
April 3, 2009 at 12:59 pm |
To be fair the possiblility of it being an actual person who just happened to walk through shot is quite a bit higher than that of it being a ghost so I think I’ll stick with that. The picture taker could have checked there were no people in the shot but then by the time she has looked through the camera, lined up the shot and hit the shoot button someone could quite easily have entered. If I had a pound for every shot I’ve had ruined by people in the background I’d be a very wealthy man, I didn’t intend for them to be in the shot but they were and it couldn’t be helped. The opening is quite small and it would have taken someone a fraction of a second to move across it, they would have been gone prior to the picture taker looking up from the camera. It’s not at all supernatural in my opinion, just very good timing from an unsuspecting member of the public.
April 3, 2009 at 4:06 pm |
The person taking the photo may not have even checked to make sure no one else was in the picture, not in a shot like this. Someone walking past an opening like that would make no different to a family snap. It is when people walk between the subject and the camera that you stop taking the picture. Family photos of an outing aren’t what one would call artistically intensive. “Here’s a good spot. Say cheese!” (‘stop fidgeting Jeremy!’)
Is it just me or does the little girl look like the eyebrow raising girl in the Cadbury commercial?
April 3, 2009 at 9:08 pm |
Lol.. now watch all the other countless photos of people in the background at this castle start getting posted.
April 3, 2009 at 11:24 pm |
I think I see half a face (the other half in shadow) You can see an eye and maybe a nose. And it looks like they have a freaky pink hat. The paleness really reminds me of the period the ghost would be from. I do believe in ghosts (especially after seeing many of these pictures) and there could certainly be some in this castle.
April 4, 2009 at 5:49 am |
I have to admit this is intriguing but the fact that it looks so much like the winning photo has me wondering if maybe it might just be a mannequin or something. Just because someone says they were told there aren’t any actors or mannequins onsite doesn’t make them honest people. I’d like to know if that is an area where people can walk into and see photos from inside. For all we know, there ARE mannequins dressed up around the site.
I’m kind of on the fence about this place. The faces are creepy but I need more corroborating evidence.
April 5, 2009 at 1:45 pm |
there are no mannequins or actors in costume employed there. Its simply the castle, no extras, no actors nothing.
Also if it were a mennequin it wouldn’t be in the stairwell. I’m sticking with a random tourist
April 5, 2009 at 2:52 pm |
Is it just me or can anyone else not see anything?
The only thing I can see is a red thing at the top window…
Is that is meant to be the “ghost”?
Or could someone point it out to me?
April 5, 2009 at 4:31 pm |
I saw this photo on another webiste and saved the image to my hardd drive to enlarge it and get a better look at it. I also saw what looks like a smiling face between the little girl’s head and her father’s elbow. I’m sure it just brickwork, but have a look and see what you think.
April 6, 2009 at 12:24 am |
It *is* just brickwork.
April 5, 2009 at 10:26 pm |
if you look up into the black bite straight across from the window you can almost see a face in the darkness also freaky
April 5, 2009 at 11:15 pm |
It´s funny, I can clearly see a red face with long black hair around, falling over a white band. I can even see it has eyes staring at the camera, a nose and a mouth.
April 6, 2009 at 12:21 am |
You should lay off the hallucinogens.
April 6, 2009 at 12:38 am |
Lol. But it´s so clear, my mom saw it too.
April 6, 2009 at 12:43 am |
It’s not clear at all. The whole quality of the image isn’t clear, it was taken over 30 years ago! And what kind of face is red? If you try that hard to see a face, eventually, you see one. Pareidolia in action here. Read up about it.
April 6, 2009 at 12:52 am |
Yes, it may be the case, people see what they want to see.
April 8, 2009 at 2:05 pm |
The thing I find most intriguing about the two photos is the supposed “ruff”. In the current pic, the lower or bottom portion of the collar is more visible. In the old photo, it’s more visible from the top. If these are tourist’s bags or a jacket, it’s interesting they make the same pattern as the ruff in the newer photo (green on cream, with green underneath)….Coinkydink! Or no??
My mom and I discussed the plausibility of the photos. While the “person” depicted in the the recent photo is indeed cartoon-like, we figured people centuries ago could not avail themselves of plastic surgery…and human features have continued to evolve and refine, if you will. If this is a ghost of a person who lived, maybe their facial features were malformed by disease of some kind of genetic abberation?
My intuition tells me this is the ghost of a jester. He’s sad.
April 9, 2009 at 5:02 pm |
So what was the guy in the middle saying at this moment? “Just take the f*cking picture!”
April 9, 2009 at 5:26 pm |
In this photo, the face looks a little odd until you enlarge it quite a bit.
There is a clear parting to the hair, the eyes are shadowed by the bar and I think the hair is gathered in a ringlet at the right hand side.
I think the reason the face on the first photo looks odd, is that the bars are distorting it…but the collar is definitely the same.
The high cheekbones can be seen on both photos
17th century lady…rather than tudor…?
April 13, 2009 at 3:34 pm |
PLASTIC BAG. NEXT!!
April 14, 2009 at 7:43 am |
Are you sure its a ghost or maybe just a refection, is there any way to send the picture properties, to have more details. It just look like a reflection for me.
April 17, 2009 at 8:53 pm |
If you think about proportions this cannot be a a face, it would be huge. Also, there is no glass there so its not a reflection.
Alex Pryce
Edinburgh Skeptics
May 1, 2009 at 7:21 am |
OMG, I expect I’m gonna go to Scotland someday in order to prove Tantallon Castle’s ghosts !
May 20, 2009 at 12:40 pm |
The father scares me and i think his un is scared too, look at his face!
May 22, 2009 at 1:51 am |
I can’t see nothing above the girl, but in the top left hand section is something with what looks like a red head (not as in hair), a new addition to “The Tweenies” perhaps!!!!
May 27, 2009 at 3:57 pm |
is that the same window?
June 2, 2009 at 9:14 am |
Light flare on the window. Nothing interesting in this photo.
September 3, 2009 at 5:06 am |
i di didnt c the last photo wear can i c that
October 9, 2009 at 12:19 pm |
Fake.
April 26, 2010 at 12:05 pm |
iTS the Phonejacker!
May 11, 2010 at 10:54 pm |
What a load of shit
May 11, 2010 at 11:02 pm |
Ball shit
July 21, 2010 at 3:05 pm |
in the bottom right, through the railings at the bottom, Is what looks to me like a monkey or a gorilla :S
August 23, 2010 at 9:45 pm |
@Spooky Scientist, Anonymous, and John Boy:
If you’re going to say an “alleged” ghost photograph is fake, atleast elaborate on why you think that. Expressing such an opinion without any evidence, just generally makes you look like an ignorant A-hole.
Now, to the main topic. The supposed ghost is certainly more plausible than most. While you guys say it has red hair, I think it’s actually a crown….If you look closely, there is a definative red dome shape above the head, with a golden streak going up the middle. And on the shoulder, it looks something akin to a fur coat. Do you see where I’m going? If this is a legit ghost, than I believe it’s a KING. Maybe posing for his last portrait? Hmm? Anyway, it’s an interesting photo to say the very least.
September 6, 2010 at 2:30 pm |
பையன நீ வச்சுக்கோ, புள்ளைய இங்க அனுப்பு…..
October 3, 2010 at 11:52 pm |
Scariest ghost photo WE’VE ever encountered.
Look how the ghost has a hold of those two children… Frightening!
October 17, 2010 at 2:45 pm |
???I don’t get it. You know… I don’t wanna be rude… It’s just… Eyes can cheat. Probbly its just an object from other room. Everithing is posible.
October 27, 2010 at 9:26 pm |
Has nobody actually noticed another figure in the aperture next to the girl?
January 28, 2011 at 5:41 pm |
The real creepy ghostly figure in this picture is the old man holding the kids hands. And there is nothing beside the girl!!
February 17, 2011 at 8:35 am |
It’s Mr Blobby.
June 23, 2011 at 5:34 am |
not sure what that is , but it would be a good idea for more investigations to be done on this castle and this window and whether there is anatural effect at play or is something paranormal
September 13, 2011 at 12:23 am |
Bit surprised that no one has acknowledged the fact that the window where the ‘figure’ appears in this older photo is definitely the one above the window where the figure appears in the more recent photo shown earlier on the site. A quick comparison of the bricks around each window confirms this… not sure how relevant that info is but thought I’d contribute to this old discussion!
February 4, 2012 at 10:26 pm |
FAKE! IT LOOKS KINDA LIKE A LANTERN
January 9, 2013 at 6:27 am |
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I actually admired every single element of this post.
Many thanks -Sammy
April 8, 2013 at 6:10 pm |
Don’t even see anything, this is crap.
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February 11, 2015 at 11:27 am |
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