We’ve all heard eerie tales of haunted castles, creepy houses, and possessed dolls - the basic ingredients of a good ghost story.
But what if the roads we drive every day - those mundane motorways and shadowy streets hold more chilling secrets than we realise? Could it be that even our daily commutes are haunted by the restless spirits of the past?
Surprisingly, the haunted roads and byways crisscrossing the UK are filled with spine-tingling legends. Join us on a spectral road trip as we take a ghoulish drive along the country’s most haunted roads…if you dare…
The A(rgh!)75, Scotland
If you're brave enough, buckle up and take a ride on the A75, which runs for roughly 95 miles through the heart of historic Scotland. This eerie stretch of road cuts through the chilling stomping grounds of infamous Victorian body snatchers Burke & Hare - it’s no wonder it’s one of the most haunted in the entire UK.
According to paranormal investigators “Mostly Ghostly”, this road has witnessed screaming hags, eyeless phantoms, and a menagerie of ghostly creatures that would make even the bravest of souls shiver.
Legend has it that one lorry driver was so terrified by what he saw on this road, he quit driving for good. Other sightings include mediaeval parades with lanterns, wandering through the fog, and even phantom furniture vans that vanish into thin air.
If you’re up for the biggest scares, steer your car toward the Kinmount Strip or between Annan and Gretna—where the ghosts seem to be most restless.
The Creepy Cavalier – A456, West Midlands
It’s 1 AM, the dead of night. You’re driving along the A456 in the eerie stillness of the early hours when you pass the glowing Gypsy’s Tent Pub on the side of the road. You assume there’s a party inside, but suddenly, a figure in a tall, round hat and flowing cape bolts into the road.
You swerve, the sound of screeching tyres in the air, but it’s too late. You hit them.
You get out of your vehicle, but there’s no damage. No body. In fact, the figure has vanished as if it never existed.
This is exactly what happened to Detective Constable Roger Ryder in the 1980s when he encountered the ghostly apparition of “The Cavalier”. No, not the car—but a spirit from the time of the English Civil War. And he wasn’t the only person to have met this creepy cavalier.
Could this spectral figure be a soldier who fought in the bloody battles of the 1600s, now doomed to wander the West Midlands?
The Devil’s Highway – A666
Could the A666 be more than just an “Omen-ous” road number? Some say yes—after all, 666 is traditionally the Number of the Beast. Is this His road too?
Running through the dark moors of Bolton, the A666 has been plagued with sightings of eerie figures vanishing into the mist as quickly as they appear. One driver reported a ghostly figure in white begging for help — captured on his dash cam, or so he claims. The footage has mysteriously vanished.
Local legend links these apparitions to a monk, executed in nearby Turton Tower during the Civil War. He is said to only appear in January, the same month he met his grisly fate. As if that’s not spooky enough, accident rates on this stretch of road are three times higher than any other in Greater Manchester. Coincidence? Or something more sinister?
The Beast of Bodmin – A30
First sighted in 1970, the Beast of Bodmin is a cryptid straight out of nightmares. Described as a mix between a huge black panther and an oversized house cat, this mysterious creature has stalked the A30 for decades.
Is this the Beast of Bodmin? Or a regular cat?
Over 60 sightings have been reported since 1970, but despite a government investigation in 1995, no solid evidence has been found, but the tales keep coming. One woman claimed to have seen the creature herself, darting across the road in front of her car.
Was it a “massive black dog”, or something more terrifying— black panther with eyes that pierce the darkness? For anyone brave enough to explore, Bodmin Moor is home to some of the UK’s most spine-tingling ghost stories, and Bodmin Jail offers a chilling dive into the history of Cornwall’s creepy folklore.
Haunted Hampstead – The B519
For those of you haunting the capital, we’re ending our journey in London with the spectre of Dick Turpin and his ghostly steed, Black Bess. Though hanged for his crimes in York, it’s said that Turpin’s restless spirit still roams the lanes of Hampstead, galloping through the misty night.
The Spaniard Inn, perched at the intersection of Spaniards Lane and Hampstead Lane, is over 500 years old and steeped in ghostly tales. Dick Turpin is just one of the many spirits said to haunt its halls. Another is an unknown woman in white, forever searching for something lost to time.
The Spaniard's Inn 18th C - V&A Museum
And if that’s not enough to give you goosebumps, Bram Stoker gave the pub a chilling cameo in his horror masterpiece Dracula. It was here that Van Helsing himself paused for a drink before taking on the Prince of Darkness. Even gothic icon Lord Byron and his fellow poets once darkened its doors.
Who knows what other phantoms you might encounter beneath its ancient rafters?
The End…?
The UK’s roads are full of ghostly tales and eerie encounters. From beasts on the moors to phantom soldiers and vanishing figures, these haunted highways hold secrets we may never fully understand.
As the fog creeps in and the nights grow longer this Halloween, keep your eyes peeled.
Whether you’re navigating the winding A75 or creeping down the shadowy lanes of Hampstead, you may find yourself in for a ghoulish surprise.
So this spooky season, drivers beware — you (could) be in for a scare!
Sources:
Roger Ryder’s Cavalier Account
The Spaniard’s Inn - haunted highways
