Most haunted

Get into the spirit of Halloween and scare yourself silly with these hair-raising experiences

Ghost busting

Join the professionals at The Feathers Hotel in Shropshire on 31 October for some paranormal investigation. Psychics use ghost-hunting equipment to track ghosts such as the lady in room 211, who drags guests out of bed by their hair!
The Feathers Hotel, The Bull Ring, Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 1AA. www.hauntingbreaks.co.uk
Scare factor: 9/10

Going underground 

Unearth Edinburgh’s murky past with a Ghost & Ghouls walking tour. It combines dramatic storytelling, gruesome history and a visit to the city’s eerie vaults.
Mercat Tours, 28 Blair Street, Edinburgh EH1 1QR
www.mercattours.com
Scare factor: 9/10

Scream park

From 17 October until 2 November, Alton Towers Resort hosts Scarefest, with ghostly attractions across the park. At the Alton Towers Hotel, where there’ll be Trick or Treat themed rooms, guests may discover something menacing in the furnace room! Alton Towers Resort, Alton, Staffordshire ST10 4DB.
www.altontowers.com
Scare factor: 8/10 

Gory, Gory, Hallelujah!

For old-fashioned blood and guts, the York, Edinburgh and London Dungeons won’t disappoint. Interactive exhibitions include torture through the ages, and for
a spine-chilling experience, try the Labyrinth of the Lost at the London Dungeon, where sinister figures haunt the endless tunnels.
www.thedungeons.com
Scare factor: 8/10

Jailhouse shock

If the Chamber of Horrors at London’s Madame Tussauds isn’t scary enough for you, then visit Scream, where a maximum-security prison has been taken over by the inmates. Check out the gruesome history of Madame Tussaud herself and how the original waxworks were made.
Madame Tussauds, Marylebone Road, London NW1 5LR. www.madametussauds.com/london
Scare factor: 8/10

Spooks on a plate

Pluckley in Kent is said to be the most haunted village in Britain, thus perfect for a spot of spirit-watching. With more than 14 reported spooky sightings – from a phantom coach and horses to the hanging body of a schoolmaster – there’s plenty to keep you on edge!
www.pluckley.net
Scare factor: 7/10

Fangtastic

It may be the UK’s favourite seaside resort, but Whitby in North Yorkshire has a more sinister claim to fame – it inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Follow in the footsteps of the Prince of Darkness with a night-time tour with the Man in Black, which takes in the desolate cliff-top ruins of Whitby Abbey.
www.whitbywalks.com
Scare factor: 7/10

Ghouls galore

Spend a night at Nanteos Mansion, near Aberystwyth in Wales, and you might to bump into an uninvited guest or two. Apparitions spotted include a woman wandering the hallways looking for her lost jewels, harpist Gruffydd Evan who played in the music room for 69 years, and an unseen servant boy who whistles as he wanders along the corridor. Nanteos Mansion, Rhydyfelin, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion SY23 4LU.
www.nanteos.co.uk
Scare factor: 6/10

Tower of terror

Since being stabbed to death by his manservant in 1628, Sir Fulke Greville has haunted Warwick Castle’s Watergate Tower. His brutal murder has now been recreated in Ghosts Alive, a gruesome live-action experience featuring actors and lighting effects.
Warwick Castle, Warwickshire CV34 4QU.
www.warwick-castle.co.uk
Scare factor: 6/10

Doomed affair

When the abbot of Dryburgh Abbey found out that one of his monks was having an affair, he had him killed. His lover was so distraught, she drowned herself in the river – and her forlorn ghost, the Grey Lady, now haunts the area around the Dryburgh Abbey Hotel.
Dryburgh Abbey Hotel, St Boswells, Melrose, Scottish Borders TD6 0RQ.
www.dryburgh.co.uk
Scare factor: 6/10

Spooky spirits

Pop in for a drink at The Dolphin Inn in Penzance, Cornwall, and you may encounter a different kind of spirit than you were expecting. A lady in Victorian dress often flits across the main bar, an old sea captain in full naval regalia plods around upstairs and a fair-haired young man sometimes appears at the end of the landlord’s bed.
The Dolphin Inn, Newlyn, Penzance, Cornwall TR18 5HZ (01736 364 106).
Scare factor: 5/10