Bannockburn House By Jack Ziska

History  

We are not certain when exactly Bannockburn House was built, though it is widely believed that  the Jacobean building most evident today was built by Sir Hugh Paterson, 1st Baronet of  Bannockburn, between 1673-1675. Records from this time are rather scarce, though we  constantly endeavour to discover more at the National Archives. Before Bannockburn House was  built we know another building existed on the land, Drummond Hall. Maps from the 16th and 17th  centuries show Drummond Hall on the same parcel of land now occupied by Bannockburn  House. Archaeological explorations are yet to discover a footprint for Drummond Hall, which  makes it likely that Bannockburn House sits on the foundational footprint of the old Drummond  Hall. Also on the land occupied by Bannockburn House are; A Roman road dating to 55AD, The  bloody fauld in which much of the fighting was done during the battle of Bannockburn in 1314,  portions of the battlefield of Sauchieburn in 1488 in which King James III was allegedly murdered  by his own son, and several mining pits, of which one is believed to be from the 16th century.  These provide the house with a fascinating history, and the makings of hauntings, before the  house itself ever existed. The landscape itself lends it to being haunted.  

The Paterson Baronets, 1675 -1787  

Sir Hugh Paterson, 1st Baronet, purchased the land in 1673 and the title along with it. Paterson  was a very influential man, a successful businessman (mostly through coal mining) and would go  on to become a writer to the signet, a powerful legal and political position, during the reigns of  King Charles II and of King James VII & II. Loyalty to the Royal House of Stuart would go on to be  a theme with the Paterson Baronets, they owed their position and some of their success to their  favour, and this would not be lost on the Patersons as James would lose his throne to the  Glorious Revolution in 1689. The removal of the Catholic James would be widely popular in the  lowlands of Scotland, but not with the Patersons, who would ally with supporters in the Scottish  Highlands to reinstate James to his throne.  

Sir Hugh Paterson, 3rd Baronet (all 3 Paterson Baronets were called Hugh Paterson) would be the  most involved with the cause that would become known as Jacobitism (this comes from the latin  for James Jacobus, making the followers of James Jacobites). Initially involved in the Jacobite  rising of 1715, which would end at the Battle of Sherriffmuir, Sir Hugh found himself exiled on the  continent for his participation. His wife, Lady Jean Erskine, was able to maintain her habitation at  Bannockburn House through shrewd politicking. Sir Hugh acted as a Jacobite agent and spy  while on the continent, but was eventually allowed to return to Scotland in the 1720s following a  pardon. Sir Hugh's involvement with Jacobitism was not over however, for another rising, this time  led by the charismatic Bonnie Prince Charlie, would begin in 1745. In January of 1746 the  Jacobite army would use Bannockburn House as a military headquarters during their siege of  nearby Stirling Castle. On January 17th of that year the house would also be used as a command  post by the army during the Battle of Falkirk Muir, with it likely being used as a field hospital  following the engagement. Prince Charlie would live in the house, as Sir Hugh's guest, for several  weeks. He would temporarily fall ill, and be nursed back to health by Sir Hugh's niece, Clementina  Walkinshaw. This romance would continue long afterwards, with Clementina bearing Charlie's only  legitimised heir, Charlotte, Duchess of Albany. During his stay Charlie is thought to have been  subject to an assassination attempt by gunshot through his bedroom window. This was initially  dismissed as rumour, however, in summer 2024 volunteers discovered a bullet hole made by  musket within the wall of the Princes bedchamber. Before leaving the house, Prince Charlie would  meet the civic leaders of the City of Stirling, who would present him the key to the City, as well as  their unconditional surrender. This key would be found behind a wall panel during renovations in  the Victorian period and is now on display in the Stirling Smith Museum. 

The Ramsays 1787-1883  

Following the Jacobite rebellions the fortunes of the Patersons would wane, and Mary  Paterson would sell Bannockburn House to the Ramsays of Barton and Sauchieburn in 1787,  following the passing of her father. The Ramsays were a prosperous family, who played a major part in the foundation of the Royal Bank of Scotland. The Ramsays did not use Bannockburn  House as their main residence, however Sir James Ramsay Gibson Maitland, known as a bit of a  playboy in his youth, would use Bannockburn House to host a lavish ball. This ball hosted the  young men and ladies of all the prominent local families, and as the night went on became  raucous and disorderly. Local press reported the following day that the partying became so  excessive, and people so drunk, that many local aristocrats embarrassed their parents to such a  degree that many of them paid the papers NOT to publish the escapades of their children. One  lady is reported to have been so drunk that she gave birth to her child without noticing. The  Ramsays would rent the house out to tenants for most of their ownership. 

The Wilsons, 1883-1909  

Colonel Alexander Wilson would purchase Bannockburn House from the Ramsays in 1883, having  rented the House for some 20 years previously. A colonel of the local militia, Colonel Wilson was a  prosperous mill-owner, from a family synonymous with tartan weaving and manufacture. He was a  larger than life local personality who was a pillar of the local community. Colonel Wilson would add an extension to the south-facing portion of the Jacobean building, while also adding a  sheltered porch over the front door, and removing a floor in the house to open up the Laigh Hall,  exposing the ornate plasterwork the building is known for to the eyes of visitors entering the  House. Colonel Wilson would put his own influence on the house the same way he did on his  local community. Colonel Wilson would employ most of the town of Bannockburn in his textile  mills, some of which still exist today, and would lead Scotland's shooting team in international  competitions. The Colonel would pass away in 1906, and the fortunes of his family began to  decline without his helmsmanship. The House would once again be sold in 1909, this time to the  Mitchell family. 

The Mitchells, 1909-1962  

James Mitchell, the Sheriff Substitute for Stirling, would purchase the House from the Wilsons in  1909. The Mitchells would be a family racked by tragedy. Three sons were born to the Mitchells,  one would not survive infancy, and the other two would pass due to injuries sustained during the  great war. James Mitchell would only be survived by his daughter Annie Mitchell, following his own passing in 1923. Miss Mitchell continued living in the House until the 1960s when she had to  downsize due to ageing and the struggles of maintaining such a large property alone. She was a  generous benefactor of local causes, and funded the construction of a new church in  Bannockburns Hillpark area. Many older locals still fondly remember Miss Mitchell as a kind and  generous lady, who loved her House and her community.  

The Bannockburn House Trust, 2016 - Present  

Following the occupancy of Miss Mitchell, the House would be passed between the Pickards and  the Drakes, absentee millionaires who never occupied the house and began a period of decline  for Bannockburn House. Peter Drake would put the house up for sale in 2016, which the  community of Bannockburn purchased for 850,000 pounds, the biggest community buyout in UK  history at the time of writing. They formed the Bannockburn House Trust to take care of the  house, restore it and protect it, with the aim of developing it into a community asset and historical  attraction. Following the buyout, volunteers eagerly started work on restoring the house, and  that’s when stories began to circulate of paranormal activity.. 

Paranormal Activity  

The mention of historic characters here provides context to hauntings, and is not intended to  defame or disrespect these individuals. Although they are thought responsible for hauntings given  their name, this is only believed and is not intended to be represented as a matter of fact. 

The Factors Room  

Adjacent to the Laigh Hall sits the factors room, thought to be a former office of an estate factor  who would have overseen activities on the Bannockburn Estate. The room is small, in good condition, and is easy to heat in a building with no working gas. In the early days, to ensure  compliance with insurance and security measures, volunteers would take turns as a  nightwatchman. This room was perfect for someone to spend the night in relative comfort.  Robert, a former Policeman and generally no-nonsense man, decided to take the first few nights of  shifts watching the house. He was not a believer in the paranormal, nor one for ghost stories. As  he lay down to sleep he heard all the usual noises of an old house, creaks, groans, animals in the  gardens, he had heard it all before and was not bothered one bit. He slipped off into sleep easily.  The following morning he awoke, and saw the door was sitting wide open. That was strange he  thought, the door was sturdy and is not of a habit to open on its own. But maybe he didn’t close it  properly last night? He went about his duties for the day, and in the evening once again returned  to the factors room for sleep. This time, to be sure, he moved the leather armchair up against the  door, to ensure it would not open again. The following morning the door was once again wide  open, this time with the armchair moved to the other side of the room. Robert did not spend  another night in the House. 

Mabel  

From the very beginning of the Trusts tenure, right up until present, volunteers have heard  footsteps, loud and clearly, walking from the kitchen area upstairs to the master bedrooms. The  floors between these locations are exposed stonework, and so are not likely to creak and groan  the way the wooden floorboards are. They follow a clear pattern and always sound the same. This  is thought to be a dutiful servant taking food from the kitchen to the master of the house. The  volunteers have labelled her ‘Mabel’, and the name has stuck. Mabel is often heard making her  rounds of the house, and the activity is observed so regularly it is scarcely remarked upon as a  result. We believe Mabel has been captured on devices, and is on occasion seen as an apparition.  

I have my own experience with Mabel. While stewarding a ghost hunt in 2023, I was standing at  the door from the kitchen that faces the staircase going upwards, where Mabel is believed to  frequent. The time was around 1am, and the entire house was in darkness while the group of 6 I  was attending to performed a vigil. It had been a quiet night activity-wise and I must admit I was  feeling a little bored. From my position the only item of interest was on the staircase landing, a  glow in the dark fire extinguisher panel, the sticker that is luminous. I was watching the sticker,  when all of a sudden amongst the darkness it simply disappeared. I rubbed my eyes, thinking my  mind was playing tricks on me, but following this the panel still was not visible. I was about to  mention this when 2 ladies in the group said they felt a presence from that direction, and felt a  tension in the air. The temperature dropped in the area, but as quickly as it came it went, the  panel once again becoming visible to the eye. Was Mabel keeping an eye on us, making sure we  stay out of trouble in her kitchen? 

The Colonel  

Colonel Wilson was a larger than life individual, very much the epitome of the eccentric country  gentleman. He was known for his love of his dogs, 2 large Irish Wolfhounds, for billiards and  shooting, and smoking his pipe. Within the extension's ground floor the smell of pipe smoke often  travels around without explanation, one moment nothing, the next an overbearing scent of pipe  tobacco. It goes as quickly as it comes. Colonel Wilson is often thought to be responsible for this,  watching visitors to the house with keen interest. A sensitive visiting the house remarked on the  gentleman standing within the dining room of the extension building, describing the Colonel down  to the handlebar moustache. She, having never visited before, mentioned he was responsible for  the smell of pipe smoke, and that although he is thought to enjoy visitors, it is still his house and  he will smoke if he ‘bloody well pleases’. He is thought to be a pleasant spirit, and is simply  observing. His dogs are also thought to be responsible for the feeling of brushing up against  visitors' legs as they pass, a recurring and common event reported by visitors and volunteers. 

Miss Mitchell  

The library on the Houses east wing was the favourite spot of Miss Mitchell during her tenure at  the house, and it is easy to see why. The view from their bay windows looks over the landscaped  gardens, with the chill hills in the background providing a beautiful scene. Miss Mitchell was  known to enjoy watching the gardeners at work, and many locals recall working there in their youth, coming up to the window for payment from Miss Mitchell, so as not to track in their dirty  shoes on her floor. Footsteps from a heeled shoe are often heard in this room, and temperatures  tend to fluctuate irregularly at the spot where Miss Mitchell's chair once sat. The room can be very  quiet activity wise, until someone sits in her spot, in which devices tend to be activated more  regularly, and the room's temperature drops noticeably. We leave Miss Mitchell's spot just for her,  and say good morning and night to her as we open and close the building. 

The voices  

Voices are heard throughout the building, from jovial cheers to heart-wrenching screams. Most  commonly heard in the Laigh Hall area are the voices of two ladies in conversation, who they are  is not actually known, but the tone seems familiar and friendly. Just a casual conversation. This  can be an uncomfortable thing to hear when alone in the building, as the house must be checked to ensure there are no members of the public inside before lock-up. The voices sound so clear at times, it is often mistaken for intruders. They often come from above the Laigh Hall, from a floor that has not existed since the 1880’s. 

Bannockburn House is thought to be one of Scotland's most haunted buildings, and has so many  stories I could not possibly write them all here. I hope you enjoyed what you did hear, and you will  hear more both on Haunted History Chronicles episode, and on my own over at True North  Paranormal. Thank you for reading. Feel free to reach out if you would like any more information, I  would love to hear from you. 

Bannockburn House in the present  

Bannockburn House is operated and run almost entirely by volunteers. It is a charitable trust and  non-profit, with all proceeds going towards the conservation and restoration of the house.  Bannockburn House is unfortunately under threat, and is at risk of being lost. Due to poor  maintenance between the 1960’s - 2016, parts of the house are suffering decay and water  ingress, which threatens the structural integrity of the house. The house had to close due to this in  September of 2024, and as a result generates no income for ongoing building works. The Trust is  entirely reliant on donations from members of the public, and I would like to take this opportunity  to ask for your support. Even just 1 pound would go a long way towards protecting and  maintaining one of Scotland's most significant and haunted historic buildings, ensuring  Bannockburn House is enjoyed and understood by future generations. Work is underway to make  the house watertight, but until more donations are generated the completion of these will  unfortunately not be possible. Any donation would go straight towards building works at the  house, there are no staff salaries to pay, no board of directors or shareholders, your donation  would go straight into the ongoing work on the house's roof. Thank you for your time and  attention, and kind regards, 

Jack Ziska 

Bannockburn House Trust 

https://www.bannockburnhouse.scot/donate/

You can listen to the full episode featuring Jack and his stories of ghosts from Stirling here https://www.podpage.com/haunted-history-chronicles/haunted-history-ghostly-tales-from-stirling-with-jack-ziska/