By Steven McKenzie, BBC Scotland Highlands and Islands reporter
Is the largest arts venue in the Highlands haunted? Many who work at Inverness’ Eden Court believe so, after years of eerie occurrences. Reports of a ghostly green lady and phantom footsteps have circulated, though some suggest rational explanations for these unsettling sights and sounds.
Eden Court is a blend of old and new, featuring cinemas, bars, and one of Scotland’s largest auditoriums. The oldest part, the Bishop’s Palace, is said to be haunted by a ghost known as the green lady, named for her distinctive color. Deputy stage manager Paul Findlay, who has been with Eden Court for 27 years, has a keen interest in the supernatural. “I grew up in Orkney in an old farmhouse that was said to be haunted,” he recalls. “A couple of times, I’ve walked through the Bishop’s Palace when the lights are off. I’ve reached the bottom of the stairs and thought, ‘I don’t want to go any further.’ It feels like I’m going to see something I don’t want to see.”
One of the “most haunted” areas is a room beneath the main theatre’s stage. Paul says, “Whenever I leave that room, I always feel like I’m being followed.”
Holly, another staff member, shared her experiences with BBC Scotland’s digital platform, The Social. “We’ve had quite a few instances of staff seeing the green lady at the top of the Bishop’s Palace stairway. If you look into a mirror there, you might see her standing at the top of the stairs or walking up them. I haven’t seen her myself, but there have been many accounts.”
Other reported experiences at Eden Court include whispered conversations and a haunting laugh. The Bishop’s Palace, dating back to the 1870s, has been the site of numerous eerie sights and sounds. A bar manager once heard footsteps while locking up late at night. He told the person to “hurry up,” but when he turned around, no one was there. Spooked, he ensured he had company at closing time for about a week afterward.
A duty manager reported hearing a woman crying while locking up in the front foyer next to the box office. She checked the entire place but found no one. Male ghosts are said to haunt the bars, and there have been reports of a phantom child and a couple that vanish into thin air.
Marketing manager Neil Hepburn notes the generations of ghost stories associated with the venue. “If a building can create such enduring stories amongst its residents, then the question of a rational explanation for all the sightings feels irrelevant. If you’re working in a cavernous theatre late at night, reason can go out the window.”
Parapsychologist Ciarán O’Keeffe, head of the School of Human and Social Sciences at Buckinghamshire New University and a regular contributor to the BBC’s Uncanny series, offers explanations for these spooky experiences. “Quite a few coincide with late-night activity—cleaning up, responsibilities for front of house or the bar. Any environment that has been busy and then becomes suddenly quiet is going to be naturally spooky.”
He suggests that people might be seeing and hearing things while in a hypnagogic state, usually associated with the stage between wakefulness and sleep but sometimes experienced during routine tasks. Dr. O’Keeffe adds, “Environmental influences could be something like electromagnetic fields. They can affect the brain to the extent a person has hallucinations. You can feel the hairs on the back of your neck go up, giving the sensation somebody is behind you.”
Dr. O’Keeffe is particularly interested in the green lady sightings, which he describes as unusual. “I’d be interested to find out more about the theatre’s lighting,” he says.
The Social’s video, “Tales of the Haunted Theatre of Inverness,” was created by Daniel Flynn and Donald Edgar and presented by Grace Nicoll. The video explores the various ghost stories and eerie experiences reported at Eden Court, adding to the venue’s mystique.
As the largest arts venue in the Highlands, Eden Court continues to captivate both audiences and ghost hunters alike. Whether the stories are rooted in the supernatural or have rational explanations, the tales of the green lady and other spectral figures add an intriguing layer to the venue’s rich history.
