Mary's visit to Craignethan in 1568 is generally accepted, though the details are vague, and it is the reason the castle turns up in lists of places connected with her. The ghost story is a later layer on top of it. The published accounts give no dates, no named witnesses and no description beyond the missing head, so this is best read as a piece of local tradition. Mary is a very common choice of identity for a headless or royal ghost in Scottish castles, and Craignethan sits among several places that claim her.
A separate account from the same castle, of a figure in historical dress that vanishes, is recorded on its own page.
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