Ballygally Castle Hotel

Ballygally Castle stands on the Antrim coast near Larne and dates from 1625, when it was built by James Shaw, a settler from Scotland, in a style closer to a fortified Scottish house than a traditional castle. It is one of the few buildings of its age in Northern Ireland still in everyday use, having been extended over the centuries and eventually incorporated into a hotel that now surrounds the original tower.

The castle is well known for its ghost stories, centred on Lady Isabella Shaw, who by local tradition met a tragic end at the castle and is said to wander its rooms. The hotel even keeps a small "ghost room" in the old turret. Guests and visitors report knocking, footsteps and other odd happenings, but these remain anecdotal tales and tradition rather than documented history.

Ballygally lets you enjoy legend without losing sight of record. The building's genuine 17th-century origins are clear in its architecture, so the ghost stories can be appreciated as folklore layered onto a real and unusually old surviving house.

Ballygally Castle operates today as a hotel, part of a well-known Northern Irish hotel group, with the historic tower forming part of the building. It is open to residents and to diners rather than being a ticketed historic attraction.

Because it is a working hotel, casual sightseeing inside is limited; visitors are asked to respect paying guests and staff, and to enjoy the exterior and coastal setting considerately.