A NORTH Ayrshire castle is welcoming thrill-seekers who want to spend Hallowe’en in its haunted halls.

Law Castle in West Kilbride is open for bookings and has caused a flurry on interest as spooky season approaches.

Originally built in the 15th century, the fortress was constructed as a wedding gift for Princess Mary, the eldest daughter of James II of Scotland upon her marriage to Thomas Boyd the Earl of Arran.

Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald:

Six centuries later it is available to rent as a luxurious and exclusive holiday home.

What is now the formal great hall of the unusual home once served as a courtroom. It comes complete with a pit prison behind a flagstone trap door. There’s also a ‘murder hole’ through which hot oil could have been poured over unwelcome visitors outside.

Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald:

This landmark property lies in its own grounds at the foot of Law Hill, just inland from the coast.

In 2008, ghost-hunters investigating spirit activity in Law Castle got more than they bargained for when they were psychically attacked.

A group of 15 members from Ghost Hunters Scotland spent the night in the castle in the hope of contacting spirits by means of seance and ouija board.

However, one spirit was none-too-impressed and attacked group member Sharon McKee.

Ardrossan and Saltcoats Herald:

She told the Herald: “We were doing a seance in one of the bedrooms when something psychically attacked me and transfigured its energy on to me.

“It was a strange sensation.”

The category A listed building is now a guesthouse for up to 14.

Inside there are five floors in the towering fort with original stone fireplaces, a secret stone staircase and four-poster beds dressed with velvet drapes.

On the darker side is the castle’s original ‘murder hole’ – a medieval defence mechanism that allowed defenders to pour boiling oil down upon attackers.

There is also the pit prison, a remnant of the castle’s history as a courthouse, accessed via the secret flagstone trapdoor.

Those brave enough can book the whole castle for the Halloween weekend for £2,193 for the two-night stay for 14 people. Find out more at lawcastle.com