Worthy of several Game of Thrones plotlines and then some, these heritage homes have seen everything from grisly murders and executions to arson attacks and witch trials, plus more than a few sinister spectral residents. Feeling brave? Let's uncover the chilling past of 17 of the world's most beautiful stately homes and reveal the skeletons lurking behind their regal façades. 

The Morris-Jumel Mansion is Manhattan's most venerable surviving house. Built in 1765, the building served as George Washington's HQ for a time during the American Revolution. The amazing American estate was acquired in 1810 by French-Haitian merchant Stephen Jumel who set up home there with his wife Eliza.

Rags-to-riches Eliza was looked down upon by some in New York society, though her obituary in the New York Times states that she was "deep and shrewd and able enough to maintain her position against the combined attacks of those who envied her". When her husband died at the mansion in 1832, her marriage to ex-vice president Aaron Burr in the months following Stephen's death created something of a stir.

Sitting atop an extinct volcano, Edinburgh Castle towers over the Scottish capital, protected by grand, fortified walls. But the historic fortress, which dates from the 12th century, has a macabre past and was the scene of the Black Dinner, an infamous event that inspired one of the most shocking Game of Thrones moments, the bloody Red Wedding massacre.

Almost 700 years old, Lancashire's Samlesbury Hall, which was the seat of the staunchly Catholic Southworth family for centuries, has a history peppered with tragedy and ghoulish goings-on. Jane Southworth, who married into the clan in 1598, was accused of witchcraft and forced to undergo a degrading trial to prove her innocence. Thankfully, she was acquitted and spared an agonising death sentence.

The impressive stately home passed to the Harrison family in the 19th century, headed up by Patriarch Joseph Harrison. Joseph's son William is thought to have committed suicide in the house in 1879 following a painful accident. His phantom may be behind other paranormal phenomena that have been reported in the house, which include room bells ringing on their own.

The Monte Cristo Homestead in Junee, New South Wales has been dubbed the most haunted home in Australia. A hotbed of paranormal activity, the property was built in 1885 by local pioneer Christopher William Crawley and belonged to the Crawley family until 1948. The historic house lay empty until 1963 when it was snapped up by Reg and Olive Ryan, who restored it to its former glory.

Once a grand stately home, Leap Castle in County Offaly was built by the O'Bannon clan but was the seat of the ruling O'Carroll chieftains for centuries. The O'Carrolls were notorious for their ruthlessness – after enlisting the O'Neill clan to assist them in a battle, they rewarded the family by slitting their throats. The O'Carrolls broke faith with their allies the McMahons in a similarly murderous way, slipping deadly poison into their drinks at a victory banquet.

Leap Castle passed to the Darby family in the 17th century. English soldier Captain Darby acquired the estate following Oliver Cromwell's conquest of Ireland. The Darby family remained at the castle until 1922 when it was torched by the IRA. The property was bought by a descendant of the O'Bannon clan in 1974 and underwent some renovations. The castle has since changed hands again and restoration work is continuing on the struggling stately home.

Whether Edward II and Gaveston were an item is open to question, but the king spoilt his favourite with titles, land and jewels, and the duo were said to be virtually inseparable. Rumours of an intimate relationship between the pair were rife during and after Edward II's reign, and these were later fictionalised in Christopher Marlowe's play, Edward II. However, the tale takes a rather gruesome turn...

The grandest and largest privately owned home in America, Biltmore was built for George Washington Vanderbilt II, patriarch of one of the world's most famous families, in the late 19th century. The colossal Gilded Age mansion sprawls over 178,926 square feet and has a storied history, some of which is pretty weird to say the least.

Austria's Moosham Castle was built on the foundations of a Roman fortress and dates back to the late 1100s. While it may look like a fairy tale castle, the medieval estate served as the prison for the local area and was the site of the horrifying Salzburg Witch Trials, which took place in the 17th century and claimed many innocent lives.

Situated on the banks of the River Rhine, the picturesque Castle of Doorwerth was erected in the 15th century by Robert van Dorenweerd. The estate was under the ownership of the wealthy Dorenweerd family until the early 17th century when it passed to a German aristocrat, Count Anton I van Aldenburg. The property was vacated at the end of the 18th century and the abandoned palace suffered years of neglect.

Muncaster Castle near Ravenglass in Cumbria has been the seat of the Pennington family for more than 800 years. The enchanting stately home is teeming with ghosts if the many reports of sightings are to be believed. They include the phantom of murderous jester Tom Skelton, who is believed to be the original Tom Fool.

Not long after the completion of the two properties, Edward shot himself in the head, while Charles's mansion was set later alight. Only Edward's former home now stands. The spirits of the Kreischer sons are said to encircle the spooky abandoned property. 

François de Bonivard is Chillon Castle's best-known prisoner. Immortalised in Lord Byron's poem, The Prisoner of Chillon, the devout scholar was imprisoned for his heretical Protestant beliefs. As the poem goes, he remained there for six years chained to a pillar, however, in reality, it was only six months.

Not long after the amazing Canadian mansion was finished, Pellatt's financial fortunes took a turn for the worse. His luck dried up and many of his investments failed. Pellatt and his wife were driven to near-bankruptcy and forced to let go of their beloved Casa Loma in 1924. Their ghosts allegedly haunt the house, which isn't surprising given the couple's reluctance to leave.

Another ghost said to reside at the property has been labelled the White Lady. Thought to be the ethereal phantom of an ill-fated maid who worked at the house in the early 1900s, she has purportedly been seen by several guests and members of staff sauntering through the corridors and rooms.

Steeped in history, Glamis Castle in Angus, Scotland dates back to the 11th century and features in Shakespeare's Macbeth as the residence of the eponymous character. The ancestral home of the Earls of Strathmore and Kinghorne (the Lyon family), the castle was extensively restored in the late 17th century. A house with a strong connection to the British royal family, Glamis was the childhood home of the Queen Mother, who was a Bowes-Lyon, and the birthplace of her daughter, Princess Margaret.

Several dark legends are associated with the castle. The best-known is the Monster of Glamis, the name locals gave to a child with a physical disfigurement who was supposedly born into the Lyon family and cruelly locked away in a secret chamber. According to a 1908 publication by Oxford University Press, the story goes that the secret was only to be known by the Earl of Strathmore, his heir-apparent and the estate manager.

A number of ghost sightings have been reported at Greystone Mansion. These range from a sombre man wearing a black suit to the phantom of Lucy Doheny, Ned's widow. Now an in-demand location for TV and film, scores of shows have been shot at the famous movie home, including Gilmore Girls, Murder, She Wrote, The Big Lebowski and X-Men.

As the tale goes, Countess Agnes's father and brothers were away from the castle but Agnes donned armour and a sword and began fighting off the intruders. After a valiant fight, she was struck and fatally injured.  Upon lifting the visor, Burg Eltz's valiant defender was revealed to be none other than Countess Agnes. Her ghost is said to haunt this bedchamber in the castle.