Devil seen perching on a boulder every Halloween in one place in Scotland
As Halloween approaches, dozens of eerily specific ghost sightings across the UK emerge, according to the Paranormal Database
Across the UK, legends abound of spirits that only make their presence known once a year, when it's said the veil between our world and theirs is at its thinnest.
The Paranormal Database documents dozens of spine-chilling events reported to occur every October 31 - from phantom monks silently drifting through the ruins of abbeys to spectral pigs wandering through foggy fields.
In certain towns, locals recount the haunting sound of submerged church bells or even sightings of the devil himself hovering in mid-air.
These bone-chilling tales, passed down through generations, form part of Britain's Halloween folklore, where history, myth and mystery converge under the glow of the October autumn moon.
Scotland provides some of the most striking tales. In Dollar, Clackmannanshire, a suspended boulder called the Deil's Cradle allegedly hovers in the air on Halloween night whilst the Devil perches upon it, encircled by witches until sunrise.
One of the most unsettling is reported to take place in Bournemouth Town Hall, where each Halloween night a soldier from the First World War is said to appear to drink from the water supply. Allegedly of Indian descent, this spectral figure is accompanied by other apparitions - phantom horses and carriages clattering outside the building, and even a ghostly cat prowling the rooms, reports the Mirror.
In Great Maplestead, Essex, the spirit known as Polly is remembered not by sightings, but by flowers. Locals claim that every Halloween, fresh blooms mysteriously materialise at the crossroads where she was buried centuries ago.
Polly Mills was accused of witchcraft after her body was discovered in a castle lake. Her burial at a crossroads, an old custom believed to prevent witches' souls from rising again, has only added to the enigma.
Further up north, in Hindlip Hall, Hereford and Worcester, the ghost of Lady Hobbingdon is believed to roam every October 31. In her lifetime, she was known for aiding priests evade persecution by leading them to hidden chambers in her residence.
Now, it's said that her spirit continues this duty, guiding unseen footsteps across the grounds with a spectral white calf at her side. Over time, witnesses have also reported seeing a young lass in a tartan frock, wandering the estate and softly weeping for her mum.
Every All Hallows' Eve, Hertfordshire appears to buzz with ghostly goings-on. In Abbots Langley, a maid who passed away suddenly centuries ago is rumoured to rise from her grave and return to the vicarage she once served.
Some tales refer to her as a vicar's daughter, others a mistreated servant, but all concur she materialises once a year - a fleeting figure of sorrow navigating her way through the churchyard.
A stone's throw away in Hitchin, the dilapidated Minsden Chapel attracts both ghost hunters and photographers. The site is reputed to be haunted by a phantom monk - or possibly a corrupt priest - who appears on Halloween.
In the early 20th century, local historian Reginald Hine professed such a fondness for the chapel that he vowed to haunt it himself to deter redevelopment. Following his death, visitors claimed to see two figures in the dark: one clad in robes, the other sporting spectacles, both vigilantly guarding the ruin.
Lancashire's folklore is equally chilling. At Cliviger Gorge, near Burnley, it's said that Lord William Towneley appears on horseback with his faithful hound, eternally pursuing a doe across the moors.
Some suggest the hunter isn't Towneley at all, but a cursed spirit named Gabriel Ratchets, doomed to lead a ghostly pack through the night skies. At Rossall School in Fleetwood, a spectral woman known as Lady Fleetwood is said to roam the grounds on Halloween, her figure disappearing as dawn breaks.
Lincolnshire contributes its own eerie twist. Along Bonnewells Lane in Bransby, there have been reports of a phantom sow leading her young down the road on October 31.
The same lane is haunted, locals allege, by a woman in a rustling silken dress - perhaps a lingering echo of some long-forgotten tragedy.
Far to the north, off Whitby's coast near Black Nab, legend has it that a ship carrying bells stolen from Whitby Abbey sank beneath the waves centuries ago. On Halloween night, those who call out their true love's name near the rocks might hear the wind whisper it back - followed by the faint ringing of those submerged bells.
Northumberland also has its fair share of ghostly tales. In Amble, a ghostly woman is said to leap from the cliffs near Cliff House every October 31, vanishing before she touches the sea.
In North Shields, a spectral black dog haunts the docks - the tormented spirit of a sailor murdered by his own parents after they failed to recognise him upon his return from sea.
Some ghostly tales take a more sinister turn. In Chirbury, Shropshire, local lore suggests that anyone who circles the church 12 times at midnight on Halloween will hear the names of villagers destined to pass away in the forthcoming year.
A similar ritual in Crowcombe, Somerset, is said to reveal the same morbid knowledge - apparitions of those fated to die briefly appear before disappearing into the night.
In Warminster, Wiltshire, bonfires are reportedly seen ablaze atop Cley Hill on Halloween and again on November 2. Eyewitnesses recount figures dancing and chanting in an unfamiliar language, yet when locals ascend the hill, they encounter only darkness and silence.
Local legend purports that the hill was formed by the Devil himself, who dropped a mound of earth there after being duped en route to Devizes.
Meanwhile, around the northern lakes of Cumbria, at Thirlmere, there have been reports of glowing candles moving across the submerged ruins of Armboth Hall - believed to be cursed following the murder of a bride. Bells have been heard tolling from beneath the water, and some claim that all the region's ghosts convene each year at the long-lost Ambroth House near Keswick.
In Netley Abbey, Hampshire, the spirits arrive en masse. On Halloween night, three ghostly figures in white are said to drift along the crumbling stonework whilst phantom church bells ring out across the ruins.
The site is also haunted by a spectre known as Blind Peter, alongside the tale of an adventurer who ventured into a blocked passageway, emerged shrieking for it to be "blocked up," and collapsed lifeless moments later.
The West Midlands offers a more playful supernatural presence. The spirit referred to as Corky is believed to make his presence felt each October 31 at the Court Oak pub in Harborne, shattering bottles of budget plonk in the cellar and occasionally manifesting behind the bar as a man in his sixties.