Restless Spirits in the Fortress of Louisbourg on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia

Have you ever heard of a haunted fortress or old battleground? I grew up near a few in Tennessee, rumored to have regular ghosts roaming the grounds. I never thought much about it until I stumbled across a few other stories of similar sites thousands of miles away. In Nova Scotia, Canada, there's a place called the Fortress of Louisbourg that is considered a hot spot of ghostly activity.

It's easy to imagine that locations of past wars would be prime spirit stomping grounds—but if this is true, what exactly makes these sites so paranormally active? Common haunting theories include residual energy, intelligent spirits, psychological factors, electromagnetic fields, quantum connections, geological influences, and selective delusion driven by social contagion—you know...like how beliefs and behaviors are amplified and validated through social media interactions.

Haunted locations are always fascinating to explore because of the typically rich history. Not only that, but it's intriguing to find overlaps in ghost stories across sites like the famous "white lady" stories reported worldwide. Let's travel to the Fortress of Louisbourg, a site steeped in military history and rumored to be home to its own spectral "white lady" and other eerie legends.

Where is the Fortress of Louisbourg?

Nova Scotia is a province in southeast Canada comprising around 3,800 islands. It's a maritime province famous for rich fishing, a long history of shipbuilding, and its coastal, rustic charm. In the northeastern end of the province lies Cape Breton Island, the largest and most populous island in Nova Scotia.

Cape Breton Island is like a mini-Scotland—with rolling hills and deep Gaelic cultural roots and traditions. Scottish settlers migrated to Cape Breton Island in the 18th and 19th centuries, bringing music, dance, storytelling, and language. Today, Cape Breton Island is one of the last places in North America where Scottish Gaelic is still spoken.

Cape Breton Island is rich with eerie folklore and ghost stories, not just at the Fortress of Louisbourg. There's a place called The Fairy Hole Cave that's known for strange whispers and mysterious lights, believed to be the work of spirits or fairies. Another peculiar tale comes from The Louisbourg Playhouse, built for a 1967 film, which has a haunted reputation with reports of unexplained noises and ghostly sightings in period costumes. Offshore, the Ghost Ship of Northumberland Strait is a legendary apparition sometimes seen ablaze before vanishing. Nearby, Oak Island is infamous for its cursed treasure pit, surrounded by deadly traps and fatal accidents. In the Cape Breton Highlands National Park, the Lone Sheiling, a Scottish-style hut, is enveloped in an intense, unsettling silence, rumored to be haunted by the spirits of early settlers. And, of course, on the southeastern tip of Cape Breton Island, you'll find the Fortress of Louisbourg, which has its own ghostly tales.

The Fortress of Louisbourg is a historic site established by the French in 1713 for its strategic vantage in defense, trade, and access to the Atlantic.

Getting to the fortress means navigating winding roads that hug the coastline, presenting views that are nothing short of cinematic: rugged cliffs, expansive seascapes, and even bald eagles soaring through the skies. (That's right, America, you don't have bald eagles on lockdown. Next time you see a bald eagle on U.S. currency or a government building, just think...that bald eagle could have been Canadian.)

History of the Fortress of Louisbourg

Louisbourg started as a French settlement in 1713 and quickly became a fishing port, then a commercial port and fortress. By 1720, the walls of the Fortress of Louisbourg were constructed.

The Fortress of Louisbourg, named to honor King Louis XIV, reflected his era's focus on strengthening French maritime power and colonial expansion. Combining "Louis" with "bourg," meaning town in French, the name highlighted its function as a military stronghold and a colonial hub, symbolizing the fortress's importance in France's global ambitions during the early 18th century.

The fortress was a linchpin during the struggle to control the area as part of the larger invasion and European colonization of the Americas. French forces were in intermittent battles with the Wabanaki Confederacy, creating an unstable base for French expansion.

Wabanaki Confederacy

‍"Wabanaki" means "People of the Dawn," reflecting the Confederacy's location in the easternmost part of North America.

In the early 18th century, the Wabanaki Confederacy, comprising the Mi'kmaq, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, Abenaki, and Penobscot tribes, was actively engaged in protecting their ancestral lands and cultural autonomy in northeastern North America. They faced challenges from European colonial expansion, particularly from the British, and frequently allied with the French to resist British encroachments. The Confederacy played a strategic role in the colonial conflicts of the era, using diplomacy and warfare to navigate the pressures of European colonization.

There has been a revival of the Wabanaki Confederacy in recent years, driven by a renewed interest in indigenous sovereignty and cultural preservation. This resurgence has included revitalizing traditional customs, languages, and ceremonies and strengthening intertribal relationships across the member nations. Additionally, the Confederacy has been actively involved in environmental advocacy and legal battles to protect ancestral lands and water rights, demonstrating their enduring connection and commitment to their heritage and territories.

While the Fortress of Louisbourg started with the French, the British had their eyes on it from the beginning. Seizing control of the fortress (and surrounding area) was a major component of a British strategy to weaken France's colonial empire so that the British could claim control of North America.

So, in 1745, British forces beseiged Louisbourg. The British won and took control but then handed it back to the French only three years later as part of the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle, ending the War of the Austrian Succession. It was a strategic diplomatic move, trading Louisbourg for territorial gains elsewhere, particularly in India, and aiming to maintain the balance of power in Europe. The return was unpopular among British colonists but considered necessary by the British government for broader international objectives.

In 1756, the Seven Years' War started due to escalating territorial and power conflicts between major European powers, especially Britain and France, over colonial possessions and trade dominance in North America and elsewhere. If that sounds familiar...it should. Just look up two paragraphs. So, in 1758, the British again besieged the Fortress of Louisbourg, and the French surrendered after six weeks—putting the area back into the hands of the British.

After recapturing the Fortress of Louisbourg in 1758, the British decided that the best way to prevent a French comeback was simply to tear the place down. By 1760, they methodically demolished the fortress, effectively snuffing out its role as a pesky French stronghold. This cemented British control over the region and ensured the French couldn't use their favorite North American fortress as a base in future skirmishes. This move was part of the British strategy to limit French influence in North America.

"Pray, you admire my fortress, do you? Attend most closely.
‍[Obliterates the fortification with great pomp.]
‍"And what say you now of its grandeur?
"[Laughs reservedly in the Queen's English.]

Current estimates indicate that during the first siege of Louisbourg in 1745, around 500 British and colonial forces and approximately 300 French troops were killed or wounded. In the second siege in 1758, British casualties numbered about 172 killed and over 300 wounded, with French casualties likely much higher. So, in a relatively short span, the fierce battles at and around the small area of the Fortress of Louisbourg resulted in well over 1,000 casualties.

The Fortress of Louisbourg was reconstructed in the 1960s, timed with Canada's centennial celebrations to strengthen national identity and historical awareness. This major preservation project highlighted the fortress's historical importance as a critical military and commercial post in 18th-century North America, involved in the colonial struggles between France and Britain. The reconstructed Fortress of Louisbourg stands as a National Historic Site, where history buffs can explore the restored bastions and barracks as if stepping back into the 18th century.

With such a turbulent history of violence and death, it's no wonder that people report seeing ghosts there, particularly because the living keep doing reenactments there.

The Stone Tape Theory

‍The Stone Tape Theory is a paranormal hypothesis suggesting that materials like stone can absorb and store emotional or traumatic energies from past events and then replay these events as ghostly apparitions or sounds under certain conditions. This theory is often used to explain recurring hauntings at historical significance or trauma sites.

Lingering Spirits in the Fortress of Louisbourg

The whole area in and around the Fortress of Louisbourg is packed with ghost sightings. One of the most well-known is the spirit of a French soldier who patrols the grounds near the ​King's Bastion​. Visitors and staff alike have reported seeing him, and he's often described as "sorrowful" with a weathered uniform marked with signs of battle. Some say he's easier to spot on foggy nights.

Another frequently reported sighting is of a "White Lady"—a spectral figure that walks along the ramparts, often at dusk. According to some, she was the wife of an officer who died at the fortress, and she is still searching for her husband. Some reports have said there was a sudden temperature drop around her and that occasionally, a wailing can be heard. There have also been sightings of a ghostly nurse exhibiting the same behavior, so it's unclear if these two are separate entities.

Nearby stands the ​Louisbourg Lighthouse​, built in 1734. It's still operational, making it the oldest operational lighthouse in North America. There have been sightings of a lighthouse keeper who sometimes walks a path outside, carrying a ghostly lantern. And, on stormy nights, an unsettling moaning can be heard above the rain, thunder, and crashing waves. Interestingly, in 1736, the lantern in the lighthouse was destroyed by a fire, but the stone tower remained unscathed. Then, in 1758, the lighthouse was severely damaged during one of the sieges of Louisbourg by the British and left abandoned. In 1842, a second lighthouse was built—but it was destroyed by a fire in 1922. A third lighthouse was built a year later, which is the one standing there today. That's plenty of historical opportunities for a lighthouse keeper's ghost to take up residence.

Back in the fortress, there are tales of a young drummer boy who was killed during one of the sieges and that his ghost sometimes still drums during the night. Some visitors and staff have also said they've heard a baby crying in the middle of the night, only to find nothing when they go exploring. And, possibly related to the White Lady—there have been reports of a woman in a long, flowing dress seen in the windows of officers' quarters, and some say she was one of the many victims of a devastating outbreak of a disease. This ghost, though, is said to leave behind the scent of floral perfume in places she's been seen.

Most ghostly sighting reports seem rather innocuous, except for a troublesome spirit lingering in the bakery. It's said to throw objects at people, sometimes shoving them, and occasionally move around large machinery.

One theory of hauntings claims that when people are buried in unmarked graves or graves are disturbed, it "wakes up" the dead. Turns out that there's an old cemetery near the Fortress of Louisbourg that dates back to the 18th century—the time of all the battles. Supposedly, many of the casualties from the sieges were buried in unmarked graves there. Over time, erosion started washing away their remains. In 2017, ​anthropology students from the University of New Brunswick, along with Parks Canada, began efforts to dig up approximately 1,000 coastal graves and relocate them before they washed into the Atlantic Ocean​.

Brutal sieges, over a thousand dead, fires, demolition, unmarked graves, and exhumations, period reenactments—seems like a recipe straight out of a horror movie, perfect for paranormal activity.

So, what do you think of the Fortress of Louisbourg? Actual ghosts or just figments of our imagination? The aforementioned Stone Tape Theory offers an explanation, but so far, no one has been able to fully prove (or disprove) hauntings or the existence of ghosts. Although the idea of emotional imprints made on a site of violence or tragedy is pretty intriguing.

I'm going to throw another theory out here. What if places like the Fortress of Louisbourg are haunted (assuming ghosts are real) because the activity of the living stirs up the dead? Not in the classic 'you built a house on burial grounds' kind of way—but more in the sense of the living simply confusing the dead because we're stomping all over their resting place with uniforms, equipment, and firearms that they recognize. So, they wake up and proceed to join in on the very activity that killed them? A cannon fire alarm clock for the dead?

I certainly wouldn't want to be woken from eternal slumber back to a battle I've already fought and died in.

Relevant & Related

• Visit the ​official website for the Fortress of Louisbourg​ and learn how to visit. There is also a ​wealth of information at Fortress Louisbourg Association​, including a ​haunted tour​.
• Even more ​photos of the Fortress of Louisbourg on Nova Scotia's official website​.
• In for a ghost hunt? Try ​Ghost Case, Season 1 - Episode 5: Fortress Louisbourg​. There's another by ​Paranormal Lockdown: The Prison That CHANGED US FOREVER - Prison at Fortress of Louisbourg​.
• There's a novel set around the ​Fortress of Louisbourg: A Raven's Calling by Ginette Therrien​.
• Can't get enough ghost hunts? There's no shortage of those because of the tales of spirits at the Fortress of Louisbourg. Here's another one at ​Paranormal Portals, Season 3, Episode 5 - Fortress Louisbourg​.
• Even more at ​Historic Louisbourg Fortress - Ghost Cases with Paul Kimball and Holly Stevens​, as well as their return for a second visit in ​The 18th Century Ghosts Haunting The Historic Fortress Of Louisbourg​.

Surprisingly, considering how famous the stories of ghosts are, I didn't manage to turn up much in the way of horror set at the Fortress of Louisbourg or even films or TV shot on Cape Breton Island. There are, however, a few notable ones filmed in Nova Scotia:

• ​The Lighthouse (2019)​: Although technically set in New England, this psychological horror film directed by Robert Eggers was shot in Nova Scotia. The film stars Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson as two lighthouse keepers who start to lose their sanity when a storm strands them on the remote island where they are stationed. The stark, bleak setting around Yarmouth County in Nova Scotia perfectly complements the film's intense and eerie atmosphere.
• ​Dolores Claiborne (1995)​: - Based on Stephen King's novel, this psychological thriller isn't a horror film in the traditional sense but contains many elements of suspense and dark themes. It was filmed in various locations in Nova Scotia, including Lunenburg and the picturesque village of Stonehurst. The film features Kathy Bates in a leading role, dealing with complex family secrets and a murder investigation.
• ​Haven (TV Series, 2010-2015)​: While not a film, this television series is worth mentioning because it was shot entirely in Nova Scotia and often features supernatural and horror elements. The show is loosely based on Stephen King's novella "The Colorado Kid" and features many eerie, suspenseful storylines set in a small town plagued by supernatural afflictions.

You might enjoy these other articles:

• ​Glaistig of Scottish Folklore​
• ​Legends of Sandwood Bay in Scotland​
• ​Ghosts of Raynham Hall Museum in Oyster Bay, New York​
• ​Restless Spirits of Bachorza Manor in Poland​
• ​Haunting of the Fairmont Empress in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada​
• ​Restless Spirits of St. Michan's Church in Dublin, Ireland​
• ​Ghosts of Omenainen Island​

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