Old King's Highway
The Old Kings Highway was originally opened as a Hostelry in 1741. Before this the location on the green was the site of a large Monestry. The original wall of which still exists as one of the standing walls of the Old Kings Highway. There are many stories in the area of the Aberdeen green, which highlight its historic importance as a landmark of the city. The Old King’s Highway has a number of ghostly goings on which have been told by staff and punters over the years, including what appears to be poltergeist type activity.
In the basement of the pub many of the staff working on a close have experienced the sensation of being watched and feeling a sudden chill. One night a staff member reported that after turning off the generator and returning up the stairs, they heard their name being called out sharply. At the same time, they experienced a sudden 'chill', and frightened hurried up the remainder of the stairs and out the building. The staff office is also in the basement, and it is reported that one evening whilst working late a staff member saw a pot of paper clips appear to 'fly' off the desk onto the floor as if flung by an unknown force.
When you enter the Old Kings Highway you arrive in the ground floor bar which is a beautifully atmospheric room. It is here that a punter whilst sitting at one of the tables saw a fork jump out of a glass in front of them onto the seat they were sitting on. Another rather unusual story is reported here. One night a staff member was chatting to her friends at the bar when someone’s mobile began to ring. The mobile belonged to one of the women seated at the bar, however, when they looked at who the caller was it said the Old Kings Highway. The phone for the pub was still on the receiver and nobody had touched it. The call rang out and the women joked that it was the 'ghost’, at which point the lights at the end of the pub started to flicker. All of them experienced an unusual 'chill'.
Upstairs in the pub staff have also reported seeing shadows in the mirrors surrounding the room, and the apparition of a man and a lady have been seen near the windows at the front of the pub. This area is also prone to mysterious pools of water appearing on the floor which cannot be explained.