Jedburgh Castle Jail, Scotland

Formerly a castle that was bitterly fought over during the Scottish Wars of Independence, the Jedburgh Castle Jail & Museum details the history of life in a 19th-century prison. It’s actually considered one of the most haunted jails in the country.

Jedburgh Castle Jail was built in 1823, purposely resembling a castle to pay tribute to the medieval castle ‘Jethart’ that once stood on that same spot. The 12th Century Scottish castle was originally built by David I but as a Royal Castle. In fact, his grandson and successor, Malcolm IV, died there in 1165. It changed through hands numerous times between the Scottish and the English, but when William I was captured by the English, in order to secure his release, the Scots agreed to hand over five of their castles to the English, this included Jedburgh.

Alexander III, who became King of the Scots in 1249, was married at this castle and was said to have been visited by a ghostly apparition who foretold his death. This apparition was said to have appeared many times, always with similar and morbid warnings which actually came true when Alexander fell, with his horse, from a cliff at Kinghorn. In 1246 it again came under English rule and stayed that way until 1409 when the Scots finally managed to retake it, and tiring of the English decided to demolish it once and for all so the English couldn’t use it as a fortification against them ever again. It didn’t work, Castle or not, the English continued to raid and plunder Jedburgh.

The site was later used for executions and became the site of Jedburgh’s gallows, and the name Gallows Hill remains. It also was known as Jedburgh justice on the context of hanging them first and asking the questions later. It’s now a beautifully thought out and clean location, you wouldn’t believe it was a jail but there are plenty of stories of ghosts, stories of the people that lived and worked here, it’s a eerie and haunting atmosphere waiting to whisper it’s past.

There is a small area in the exhibit museum, with some insight into prison life and what the prisoner would do once they walked through the gates of Jedburgh Castle. This room was the governors house and it was the first port of call for the inmates, a round turret room was a wash room with water from a well drawn by a pump at the door, it’s here that the prisoners would be bathed, weighed and given a haircut and then they would find out names and anything else they needed to know before entering the cells. They were also assessed and asked if they were fit to do labour, details of what brought them here in the first place and it was the place were their punishments would be recorded in the prison register. Some of the crimes committed by children have been written down here and some of them are sad to read.

The visit to the jail is completely free, which is incredible but you are able to offer a donation to be able to keep the charitable organization going and free to visitors and tourists. They have an abundance of history and information, dating from Roman times to present day with a moving and clever way to understand of the criminal system at that time. Well worth a visit, one place of many on the Scottish borders that is a must visit, as is the town just a few meters away.

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