Best Haunted Hotels: Bellinter House
Tucked in the quiet woods of County Meath is a hidden treasure of Georgian elegance. The Bellinter House has everything a traveler looking for an unusual journey could want: history, luxury, access to interesting local sites and yes … a friendly spirit to boot.
I stayed at Bellinter for two nights on my first trip to Ireland. I chose it for it’s history, as I absolutely love to stay in old places that have been converted into hotels and lodges. The current buildings date to the mid-1700s and were part of a wealthy estate. My room was part of the converted stables and very nice. They also offer main house rooms, a lovely spa with outdoor hot tub, restaurant and a cute little “pub” bar room. The staff were all wonderful and most of the other guests were Irish and there for a wedding. I had a blast making some new friends with other guests and this place really made me fall immediately in love with Ireland.
The Bellinter Weeping Beach
One truly magical and unique aspect of Bellinter (besides the spirit I’ll tell you about below) is the massive weeping beach tree on the lawn of the estate that is used as a setting for weddings. It’s decked out in fairy lights and on a lucky night that’s not hosting an event, walking quietly into the hollow under a 40-foot twinkling canopy is truly an extraordinary experience.
The Bellinter House Spirit: The Scotsman
I never expected to conjure a Scottish spirit in the heart of Ireland. Perhaps it was my Braveheart mojo.
It was well after midnight on a cool fall evening in September. A wedding held earlier was winding down, with a few die-hard partiers still straggling about the grounds in merriment. I had gotten a nice bottle of red from the hotel bar and wondered out onto the main lawn where a massive low stump had been left from a very old tree that had been cut down. It seemed like the perfect place to camp out and set up my flashlight.
For ghost hunting, I use a mini maglite that twists on and off. This is important, as a click on/off doesn’t work. I twist it so that it’s just barely turned off, but easy for a spirit to use energy to jump the circuit and turn the light on and off at will. I use yes and no questions and allow the spirit to use the light to answer — yes (light on) and no (light off). Read more on my method of ghost hunting in this post.
I was on the phone with my family in the states when the light suddenly came on. I asked it to turn off and coached it to try again. It took a bit before the spirit was able to successfully control the light enough to actually start answering questions. The conversation that followed was short but very interesting.
Thank you for coming to say hello. I’d love to learn more about you.
Are you a man?
Yes (light turned on - I waited and asked him to turn the light off again so I could continue asking questions.)
Are you a woman?
No (light remained off)
Sorry, but I hope you understand. I need to make sure you’re able to control the light enough to answer questions and it helps to verify. So you are a man?
Yes (light turned on)
Thank you for understanding. Did you live here?
Yes
Did you live in the house?
No
Did you work in the house?
No
This estate dates back to the 1700s. Did you live here in the 1700s?
No
Did you live here before the house was built?
Yes
Oh wow. I don’t think I know the history of the area that far back. Were you a farmer?
No
Did you raise animals, like sheep?
No
So you didn’t farm and didn’t raise animals but you lived on the land.
Yes in agreement
Well I’m a bit stumped. But I noticed you came to say hi when I was talking with my family about their dog. Do you like dogs?
Yes
Me too. I love them.
Light went bright in agreement
Are you Irish?
No
Really?! Wow. That is interesting. Are you Scottish?
Yes
(I was about to go on a Braveheart movie site tour the next day so Scotland was top of mind and I asked. Who knows, maybe that’s why he came!)
My goodness. So you were a Scotsman living on this land before the 1600s. I’m not sure why you were here but I’m glad you came to talk to me.
At this point it was getting very late (almost 2am) and I was at a bit of a loss for where else to take the line of questioning. I just didn’t have intel to guide further probes. He also seemed to be happy to just hang out and join in the Friday night merriment my family was enjoying on the phone so I ended the formal questions and just enjoyed his company.
The next day in Trim at a bar while enjoying my first official Guinness in Ireland, a man at the bar started talking about the history of the area. I asked if there was any Scottish influence and he said, “Yes, we had Gallowglass (gallóglaigh) which were Scottish warriors for hire that came over and many stayed.” I looked this up and sure enough, Gallowglass were contracted and brought over from the 13th century up to the 1600s. I never thought to ask my Scottish spirit friend if he was a warrior. I hope to go back to Bellinter one day and see if he’d like to come say hi again and let me know.
My first Guinness in Ireland in nearby Trim
As a side note, there are multiple Braveheart movie locations near Bellinter:
Bective Abbey - 5 minutes from Bellinter
Trim Castle - 15 minutes from Bellinter
Looking to visit Ireland?
Check out my 10-day self-guided road trip that delivers a great combination of must-see sights and off the beaten track adventures. Or I can work with you to plan a custom unusual journey that’s all your own.
Delight in the quaint towns, charming pubs and friendly people of the Emerald Isle.
SUGGESTED LENGTH: 10+ days
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: Sip a Pint at Irelands Best Pubs, Village Setting of the Movie “Circle of Friends,” Medieval Monasteries, Stay in a Haunted Castle, Hang with Puffins
This trip book comes as a beautifully designed, flexible itinerary in downloadable PDF format that includes:
The perfect mix of cities, sites and experiences to immerse you in the culture you’re visiting
Suggested lengths of stay to guide your planning
A range of carefully curated restaurant and hotel recommendations for all tastes and budgets
Thoughtfully planned routes and travel times to maximize every moment
