Inside 'haunted' centuries-old castle which now lies abandoned at the mercy of nature

Stunning pictures show a ruined castle - after once being home to a Prime Minister and a Hollywood actress' family. Sprawling Dalquharran Castle sits in a South Ayrshire forest in Scotland - just over six miles from the coastal town of Girvan.

It has been abandoned for 70 years following WW2 as it was too large and expensive to maintain - and now has trees surrounding it and even through it. Former Prime Minister Herbert Asquith stayed there - as did the great-grandfather of Helena Bonham Carter.

The lead roof was removed in 1967 so the owners could declare it as uninhabitable and avoid paying rates. The castle was designated a category A listed building in 1971, its listing describing it as "a castle-style mansion by Robert Adam, circa 1790".

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The interiors were in good condition in the late 1960s, but photographs published in early 2017 confirmed that the interiors were in total ruin - and entry into the building was prohibited for safety reasons.

The property lies near the village of Dailly, a few miles inland from the Firth of Clyde between Girvan and Turnberry on the western coast of Scotland, about 16 miles (26 km) southwest of Ayr.

Rumours suggest that the castle is haunted. The White Lady is said to be the ghost of a woman who plummeted to her death off the walls of the castle while clutching her child.

She is said to be seen occasionally on moonlit nights peering solemnly from an upper window, sending a chill down the spines of people who see her. It has been reported that apparitions of her have been spotted by a number of witnesses over the years.

While talking about the property, one Facebook user said: "We visited this and my partner went under to bottom floor and phone switched off completely creepy place."

"I live in the village where this castle is. I have been there numerous occasions. There is definitely something there," said another.

"Was there last night and heard very strange noises has anyone every experience these noises before," added a third.

The first recorded lord of the property which already included a castle, was Gilbert Kennedy, as stated in a 1474 Charter for the nearby Crossraguel Abbey; the estate was later owned by the Kennedy family for centuries.