"The Haunted Castle" is an episode of the American limited animation series Clutch Cargo that makes suitable viewing for Halloween. It is the nineteenth episode of the first season. It first aired in 1959.
Plot
The episode opens with Clutch and company flying to Scotland after Clutch gets a message from an old friend in Scotland. Clutch explains that his friend, named Scotty MacTavish, asked him to come by his family castle. Once they land, they spot the castle, which is said to be haunted. The threesome soon hear singing and spot Scotty on the porch of his small house. Scotty explains that he hasn't been in the castle since the day he learned that it is actually haunted. Scotty describes that he heard moaning and groaning, he heard chains rattling, the floor and walls started moving, he saw pictures on the walls move, and then he saw ghosts on the staircase leading to the tower.
Scotty continues by saying that he was not hurt, but found that he was on the porch of his house. Clutch tries to tell Scotty that there are no such things as ghosts, but Scotty says that he didn't believe in ghosts either, until he saw them with his own eyes. Clutch and company head toward the castle to help Scotty, though Scotty warns them of the ghosts and that the noises and a terrible laughter is what scares ya, and right away, they hear some spooky noises. Clutch says it might just be the wind, then they spot a gargoyle at the entrance. Spinner gets another look at the gargoyle, and sees it move. Though Clutch does not.
As Clutch and company stand inside the castle, the gate suddenly closes behind them. As they pass a suit of armor, one of the arms comes down, with a club in the hand. They spot an opened door, and find that it might the throne room of the castle. However, the threesome are being watched by a painting with moving eyes. Suddenly, as Spinner and Paddlefoot sit on the throne, they suddenly disappear into the wall.
The two decide to call out for Clutch so he can hear them, while Clutch searches for them frantically. Clutch finally sits on the throne, thinking it might be a trap or something, and he too vanishes into the wall, and down to where Spinner and Paddlefoot are. Suddenly, thanks to Paddlefoot, they spot some fish swimming around. They soon realize that they're in a room that's down in the castle moat. But as Clutch and co watch the fish, a door in the wall slides silently open, and a ghost appears out of it, and vanishes into the opposite wall.
Spinner soon spots something on the floor, Clutch explains that it's parchment. There's also a message on it, the message reads: "Ring around the oak tree sixty inches from the center. Point due north and look ahead for something you can enter. Once inside, you'll look around for something you can beat. You're getting closer all the time to a fascinating treat. Now underneath the thing you beat, you'll find a little door. Just raise it up and enter, and soon you'll know the score."
Suddenly, Spinner spots a wall moving, and Clutch reaches out and grabs something that he finds. However, the thing, or person, he grabbed is Scotty, who went looking for them by going through a tunnel under his house. Suddenly, Scotty falls down into a pit that is uncovered when a rug moves by itself. Scotty tells them he'll be okay, so Clutch and co head through the tunnel and to Scotty's house. They find Scotty drying himself off, who explains that the river he fell into runs out to the back of his house.
Clutch then tells Scotty what the parchment says, and Scotty helps them figure out the clues. Turns out that the clues lead them to another tunnel. They pick a score of numbers, 0-0, and find a note on the back that says: "You chose the right one. Hope you had fun. P.S. Look behind you." They do so, and spot a ghost, the Ghost of MacTacish Castle!
The ghost disappears, and the group finds more writing on the note. The rest of the note says: "In the tunnel is another clue." Spinner then spots another door, sliding open, and leading to a secret stairway. At the top, they find another door, which leads to the briefing room for the battles that the knights of the castle entered to plot a plan of attack. Clutch notices that the suits of armor are still shining, meaning that someone has been taking care of them.
When Spinner shakes hands with one of the knights, they all soon hear spooky noises. Clutch opens up one of the "haunted" suits of armor, and reveals that it was powered by electricity, and the same goes for the other suits of armor. Spinner finds a glass plate in the floor, and Clutch explains that anyone where they are could watch anyone down in the main hall. Suddenly, one of the suits of armor moves and starts to weep. Scotty thinks it's the real ghost of the castle, but when Clutch tries to comfort it after asking who it is and what it's doing inside the suit of armor, to which the ghost tells them to go away, he reveals that the ghost is actually a man that Scotty recognizes, his own grandfather!
Scotty tells his grandfather he and the rest of his family thought he was lost at sea. Grandpa MacTavish says he wanted everyone to think that and make sure people thought the castle was haunted so he could keep his treasure safe. Grandpa MacTavish says that the treasure is Scotty's, and as Scotty heads over to the fireplace to put his pipe out, the wall in the fireplace rises and reveals the treasure. Scotty thanks Clutch and co, and they fly away with a sword and a crown as a thank you gift.