The most haunted Airbnbs in the UK for Halloween 2026

Spook factor? 👻👻👻👻👻

Reviews say you have to see this place in person to believe it, and we don’t doubt it. Decorated in Scottish Art Nouveau style, this Airbnb will feel like you’ve stepped into an old spooky novel. In fact, the room is decorated like the bed chamber of a seven-year-old Edwardian child, no less, complete with books and toys. Plus, you get access to the entire haunted house too while you’re there. This is a real immersive experience. You can book in for two or bring all your pals. If you’re looking for something really spooky, this is the place. 

Time Out tip: Ask about the guided tour with John Tarrow, the creator of Talliston and author of its accompanying novel The Stranger's Guide to Talliston. He'll walk you through all thirteen rooms, including the Japanese teahouse and the New Orleans kitchen, not just the one you're sleeping in.

Location: Great Dunmow, Essex

Sleeps: One double bedroom. Sleeps two guests

Perks: Access to the whole house including a Victorian living and dining room, Japanese teahouse, New Orleans kitchen and Boathouse bathroom, candlelit decor, free parking

Price: Around £166 a night

Spook factor? 👻👻

Up in the forest above the River Tweed, you’ll find Neidpath Castle where Mary Queen of Scots used to lay her head; but it’s not her ghost you’ll be shacking up with. The castle was owned by Sir William Douglas in the late seventeenth century, who banned his daughter Jean from marrying the man she loved. She lay sick and staring out the window, praying for her lovers’ return – but when he did, he didn’t recognise her, and rode on past. Jean died from the anguish, but her ghost remains at the castle, sporting a long brown dress with a white collar. Make sure you say helloo-oo!

Location: Scottish Borders

Price per night: £457-673 per night. Two-night minimum during Christmas and New Year. 

Rooms? One. Sleeps two guests.

Spook factor: 👻 

Sunday service this is not. This 13th century chapel a mile from the beach near Bridlington has traded hymn books for a two bedroom holiday let, though it's kept its original stained glass and, brilliantly, its font, which now moonlights as the dining table. No specific ghost on record, but eight centuries of prayer under one roof buys you atmosphere in spades.

Time Out tip: Skip Bridlington's main beach and walk the mile to Fraisthorpe instead. It's the quieter stretch locals actually use, with none of the amusement arcade crowds, so bring your own supplies as there's nothing on the sand itself

Location: Fraisthorpe, East Yorkshire, a mile from the beach near Bridlington

Sleeps: Two bedrooms. Sleeps four guests

Perks: Original stained glass windows, underfloor heating, EV charger, open plan kitchen and living area, southerly views

Price: From £255 a night.

Spook factor? 👻 

Set within the Shropshire Hills in the isolated, solitary England countryside near the Welsh border, Warren Bothy cottage has no nearby neighbours or road access for quick getaways should you come across the paranormal. However, in the age of convenience and modern amenities, the real terror of this Airbnb is the necessity of self-reliance. Your only heat source is a log burner. Your only food source is whatever you bring that you can keep in a cooler (bring ice) and cook on a small hob, and the only hot water is in your outdoor shower. But it’s worth the risk to get off grid, tell some fireside ghost stories and get lost in the night sky. Just don’t actually get lost. No one will hear you. Scariest bit? No wifi either.

Spooky factor? 👻👻👻👻

Pluckley isn’t just a bit spooky; it’s Guinness World Record certified. A little scared? You should be. It’s the most haunted village in Britain and has been since 1989. We’re talking twelve to fourteen ghosts on the books, from a Red Lady buried in a lead coffin to a man who reportedly screams his way down a lane aptly named Dicky Buss’s Lane. Once you've had your fill of village folklore, retreat to this one bedroom cottage for a wood burning stove and a showstopping copper bath. Sceptics welcome, but don’t blame us if you leave a believer.

Time Out tip: Take a torch and walk into Dering Wood after dark. It's the epicentre of Pluckley's ghost stories and locals still call it the Screaming Woods

Location: Pluckley, Kent, a short stroll from the village and its pubs

Sleeps: One bedroom. Sleeps two guests

Perks: Wood burning stove, statement copper bath, private patio, dog friendly, free parking, close to Sissinghurst Castle Garden.

Price: From £200 a night. 

Spook factor? 👻👻

This lighthouse cottage might look nice enough (if a little isolated…) but it’s surrounded by some seriously spooky history. St Catherines Lighthouse is situated just outside of the hamlet of Niton, the southernmost point of the Isle of Wight. The lighthouse was the scene of a tragedy during WW2 where its three keepers were killed by a bomb, and they were buried at the nearby church. It is said their ghosts still walk the grounds, but apart from that it's delightfully modern, bright and spacious. 

Time Out tip: The three keepers, William Jones, Richard Grenfell and Charles Tompkins, are buried together in a single grave at St John's Church in Niton, a short walk from the lighthouse, with a memorial plaque inside the tower if you want to pay your respects properly.

Location: Niton, Isle of Wight.

Sleeps: Three bedrooms. Sleeps five guests.

Perks: Entrance hall, sitting room, dining room, private courtyard, coastal views, close to Ventnor.

Price: From £311 a night.

Spook factor? 👻👻👻👻

Come for the spooky exterior, stay for the spectacular design within. Dollarbeg Castle is mistakenly haunted looking from the outside, but it’s actually a super cosy stay for four. The castle was built in 1890 after it was acquired by William Henry Dobie, but it went on to house the RAF during World War 2. With two bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, three bathrooms, a dining room and a huge back garden, this is the perfect place for an absolutely mega Halloween-themed game of hide and seek. 

Time Out tip: Ask to see past guests' ghost o meter readings before you arrive. Previous visitors have logged their own encounters in it, and it's a genuinely good way to know what you might be walking into before you book

Location: York, North Yorkshire

Sleeps: Two bedrooms. Sleeps four guests

Perks: Rustic period interiors, ghost o meter provided, views over York Minster, walking distance to the city's ghost tours

Price: From £150 a night.

Spook factor? 👻 

Okay, so this place is pretty nice now that it’s been refurbished, but what could be creepier than staying in an old Fever Hospital from 1910? And that’s not all its history as a building – prior to being a hospital, it was also a rope mill (with the original wheel still in place) and a dairy. The hosts make no mention of passing ghosts, but we wouldn’t be surprised if there was something supernatural still lurking around. 

Time Out tip: The original rope mill wheel is still in place inside, worth asking your host to point it out, it’s the kind of detail that’s easy to miss if you’re only there for one night.

Location: Masham, North Yorkshire.

Sleeps: Five bedrooms. Sleeps 12 guests.

Perks: Original rope mill wheel, fully refurbished, close to Masham's breweries.

Price: £640 a night, two night minimum.

Spooky factor? 👻👻👻

Warwick Castle has a body count worth of resident ghosts, Sir Fulke Greville among them, stabbed by his own manservant and still said to be knocking about the place. This tiny two hundred year old folly won’t put you inside the castle walls, but it will put you in your own miniature medieval fortress just down the road, panelled walls, a skylight over the bed and a knight standing sentry included. Restored with help from BBC’s My Unique B&B, it’s proof that a folly doesn’t have to be foolish.

Time Out tip: Ask hosts David and Jill about their racing days over breakfast, David won the FIA World Rally Championship in 1981 and Jill competed as a rally driver herself, a better story than most of the ghost lore going round Warwickshire.

Location: Priors Marston, Warwickshire, around 45 minutes from Warwick Castle.

Sleeps: One bedroom. Sleeps two guests

Perks: Wood fired hot tub (extra charge), village pub within walking distance, substantial breakfast pack, medieval themed decor, private outdoor seating

Spooky factor? 👻

Forget the creeps you get from somewhere haunted, as this one comes with a conspiracy. Riber Hall Manor has stood in the Derbyshire Dales since the 1400s, and rumour has it there's a secret passage running from the building to Dethick, birthplace of Anthony Babington, the nobleman who plotted to assassinate Elizabeth I and spring Mary Queen of Scots. Mary herself is said to have been held here. No ghosts confirmed, but plenty of Tudor intrigue for your money.

Time Out tip: Walk the ten minutes up to Riber Castle ruins, known locally as Smedley's Folly. It's said to be haunted by a Blue Lady and a soldier.

Location: Riber, a hamlet above Matlock in the Derbyshire Dales

Sleeps: Private room with a four poster bed

Perks: Breakfast included, oak panelled dining room, Superhost, close to Chatsworth House and the Heights of Abraham

Price: From £108 a night.

Spooky factor? 👻 

Margate Old Town sits on a warren of smuggling tunnels, and this Grade II listed cottage dating to 1690 is right in the thick of it. Local legend has tubmen hauling contraband rum and tea up from the beach under cover of darkness, right past where you'll be sleeping. No headless smuggler on the record just yet, but give it time.

Time Out tip: Margate Caves is a short walk away on Northdown Road, and is the actual smuggling attraction to visit. There's hand dug chalk tunnels with murals and ties to the town's contraband trade.

Location: Margate Old Town, Kent, minutes from the harbour and beach.

Sleeps: Two bedrooms. Sleeps four guests.

Perks: Private garden, glass walled kitchen and shower, walking distance to Turner Contemporary and Dreamland, exposed brick bathroom.

Price: From £213 a night.

Spook factor? 👻👻

Pack your broomstick. Nestled right at the foot of Pendle Hill, the village of Barley is the official starting spot for the Pendle Witches trail. You’ll be retracing the footsteps of the Demdike and Chattox families, whose infamous 1612 trials ended at the gallows in one of the most notorious dark-history chapters in English folklore. This 17th-century cottage puts you smack in the center of the action. Tucked away in a secluded courtyard, it comes complete with a roaring wood burner, ideal for thawing out when those misty hill walks get a little too atmospheric.

Time Out tip: Skip the paid ghost walk apps and go straight to the Pendle Heritage Centre in Barrowford, a five minute drive away. It's run by locals and has the actual trial records, far more chilling than any actor in a cloak

Location: Barley, Lancashire, at the foot of Pendle Hill

Sleeps: Two ensuite double bedrooms

Perks: Underfloor heating, wood burner, secluded courtyard setting, Superhost, close to the Forest of Bowland

Price: From £150 a night

🧙 The UK’s most magical and mystical places
🏰 The best castles in the UK
👻 The UK’s spookiest ghost towns
🛖 Weird and quirky stays in the UK
🏨 Ultimate guide to UK hotels and stays