Present – Mostly Ghostly Team and Sinclair Family

Greenlaw is a unique 18th Century mansion house which has been home to many notable people over the years including Viscount Robert Gordon, Colonel James Gordon and John Ross Coulthard.

Greenlaw was burnt to the ground by a ferocious fire in the 1980’s, which completely gutted the historic building, leaving nothing more than an empty shell. It was then discovered by a dedicated and enthusiastic interior designer who lovingly restored Greenlaw to a beautiful family home. One feature of the house, a set of winding stone stairs, dates back many centuries and used to form part of the interior of Threave Castle, stronghold of the Douglases, on the River Dee.

Perhaps one of Greenlaw’s most famous inhabitants is its ghostly Lady in Grey. She has been witnessed on many different occasions and quite notably, around 15 years ago whilst the house was still ruinous, a woman saw her walking around on the upper-most level, where the roof had been before the fire. She was only visible from the knees up and appeared to be very slim – others have reported remarkably similar accounts.

The magnificent and imposing Greenlaw Mansion, home to the Lady in Grey

We arrived around 7pm and began the evening with a walk around to orientate ourselves, during which Derek had a vividly strange experience. Upon entering one of the attic rooms, he fleetingly observed a glimpse of how life used to be. Modern furnishings and children’s toys were replaced by a windowless box room (we were informed later that the former attic had no windows!) with drab grey walls, a bed and a small dressing table made of dark coloured wood. The latter was placed against a wall where the roof sloped down and on it sat a long handled mirror and brush set. At the table, a lady wearing dark clothing with her hair in a bun sat completely oblivious. The bed was covered by what looked like a patchwork quilt, adding a splash of light to the otherwise dull interior and the existing door had moved from its current position to an adjacent wall. An important point to note is that Derek was completely unaware of the rest of the group whilst experiencing this unusual occurrence, often described as a ‘time slip’. No actual interactions took place during the ‘slip’.

The next section of the night involved setting up a variety of equipment and trigger objects including; a blackboard and chalks, magnetic letters, bells, a small porcelain bottle and goblets filled with coloured water.

Bedroom 1

John set up the camcorder to take in a good view of the bedroom which was situated in the former attic area. The team then arranged themselves on and around the bed and began to speak aloud to any spirits present. Mary noted what she believed to be a shuffling sound, possibly coming from the hallway. Derek drew our attention to a feeling of presence that seemed to come and go and reported the early stages of a headache.

Bedroom 2

In this particular room, a strong smell of tobacco smoke has been witnessed on many occasions and in the adjoining corridor, the scent of perfume was recently noted. Due to this, we had left out a small antique bottle which Chris had discovered in the grounds, still containing some of its original fragrance. Bearing the smoke in mind, John asked if there was a spirit present and if so, would he or she like to light a cigarette. Unfortunately, they chose to decline his offer.

Old Stone Staircase

The old stone steps, originally from Threave Castle in Castle Douglas, held a lot of historical and paranormal interest. The steps dated back many hundreds years. As Derek descended the staircase, he alerted the team to another strange feeling. He was unsure as to whether there was a presence on the stairs or if the nearby corridor leading to Granny’s Room held the answer. Mary also commented that she felt uncomfortable when looking down the long corridor. We checked the floured magnetic letters for any signs of disturbance but there were none. In the past, Chris had taken a number of pictures in this area and informed us of strange orb-like images that had appeared. Kathleen took several pictures and picked up some orbs, however Derek noticed that an abundance of dust particles were surrounding the flash, one of the many causes of these circular lights.

A selection of orbs photographed on the stone staircase

Granny’s Room

Prior to commencing, Kathleen set up goblets, playing cards and candelabra with candles on a small table as trigger objects. A bottled crystal was positioned next to the dolls house. The majority of this vigil was spent talking with the children about their experiences at Greenlaw then continuing with Chris and Amanda. We found the discussion very helpful.

The Grounds

The grounds of Greenlaw mansion took on a different atmosphere by night. It had been a pleasant sunny day and now, there was a chill in the air as we wandered over to the pond. We then ventured around to the back of the house for a look and commented on its imposing appearance. We headed for the side area, taking care with our footing, which led us out to the front of Greenlaw and its rather grand looking entrance- an ideal opportunity to take a few photos. Nothing unusual was noted during our short walk.

Bedroom 1 Revisited

We returned to our first location of the evening where Derek had previously sensed a presence. We began inviting spirit communication, and after a short time, Mary thought she heard a knock from outside the bedroom door. We all commented on the calm silence that filled the air, a feature that Chris himself had purposefully incorporated into Greenlaw.

Derek informed us that he was feeling the presence once more and we continued with our questions, encouraging as best we could any responses. As time progressed Derek stated that all the hairs on his body were standing up and Kathleen asked aloud if the spirit presence was close to him. The feeling soon passed.

Kathleen then explained that she was going to ask the spirits to respond if their age fell within a certain range. She proceeded to go through different age groups starting with teens up to one hundred and over. She then asked if there were any children under the age of ten. The room and its surrounding areas remained quiet. Shortly after, Mary heard a slight ‘bang’ which was not in direct response to any questions.

We considered shifting locations into the child’s playroom when a small thud was heard from outside the door. Again, Derek picked up what he described as a ‘weird feeling’ but this time more powerful. Mary heard a faint shuffling sound coming along the corridor and John asked out if the spirit was close to Derek; however the feeling had already disappeared.

Kathleen decided to take a few photos on the digital camera and as she was doing so, John panned the camcorder around towards the bedroom door. Out of the blue, a flurry of quick footsteps were heard by Kathleen and Derek. Kathleen was convinced they came from above and Derek believed their source to be in the corridor. We could hardly believe our luck when it happened again! Although Kathleen and Derek had different ideas about where the steps were coming from, they both agreed the steps had been quick, and a slight squeaking accompanied them as if someone was walking on an insulated floor. There was no doubt at all in their minds that the sound was created by footsteps, a sound so familiar that two individual people recognised it without question. However, the source of the steps required further exploration.

Kathleen got the camera back out for another photo or two and Mary pointed out another noise from above, also reporting a tingling sensation in her fingers. Kathleen asked Mary for the time so that she could check in later with Chris and Amanda for any ideas on the strange occurrence. It was around 1:25am. Just after a photo was taken of Derek, a couple of footsteps were noted. John raised the camcorder closer to the ceiling in an attempt to pick up the mysterious sounds but nothing was audible upon reviewing the footage. One important factor concerned our actual location i.e. the former attic area. There were no other rooms above us, only the roof, which left us wondering what on earth had caused the footsteps up there. We later explored the theory of birds on the roof, but it was late at night and the only birds around would be those of a nocturnal nature, known for their stealth rather than making conspicuous noises on a roof. When relating this incident to previous experiences, none of us had ever heard birds, particularly at this time of night, creating such an effect.

Following this exciting development, we again questioned whether to shift into the next door room and having decided to do so, thanked the spirits for any attempted communication. Derek suddenly alerted us that he was not feeling comfortable at all and that the feeling had built up for a couple of minutes beforehand. The sensation unnerved him and although he did not feel threatened, he wanted to leave the room at haste. He described it later as an awareness rather than outright fear and did not feel that it related to the footsteps we heard previously.

Playroom

Kathleen asked Derek if he wanted to leave the space and together we agreed to do so. Derek, Kathleen and Mary walked into the adjoining room and John remained in the corridor carrying out some adjustments to the camcorder. As he did this, Derek informed us that he had seen a shadowy shape passing behind John but at a slightly higher level. It was like the silhouette of a head and shoulders without any visible facial features. Although the phenomenon was described as a shadow, it did not share the same transparency, infact it took on a more solid shape. Derek commented that he could not see the wall through it. Interestingly, the dark shape was heading in the direction of the bedroom we had just left.

In the midst of this activity, voices were also heard but it was only the two children who were sleeping in a bedroom further down the corridor. They had momentarily stirred so Kathleen went to check on them and found all well. Upon returning to the room, several footsteps were heard again along with other noises and creaking from the roof.

Kathleen felt her eyes become glazed as a shivery sensation travelled through her body and Mary reported that she did not like this room and picked up a weird feeling of faintness and dizziness. Her legs were ‘like jelly’ so Kathleen suggested she sit down for a bit. Meanwhile, Derek was experiencing a lot of tightness and tension in his arms and shoulders.

As the children had not long awakened, we spoke quietly to the spirits. Mary’s chest felt tight and her forehead was warm. Shortly after, Kathleen felt much calmer and Mary did not feel so bad. Derek related his experiences to a previous investigation at the Schooner Hotel in Alnmouth stating that the intensity at Greenlaw was even greater.

A ‘bang’ was heard from above followed by another sound. We double-checked it was not caused by our own feet moving. The tension continued to cause Derek some discomfort and Mary picked a musty smell but she was unsure as to its origins.

We completed our vigil and headed downstairs to inform Chris and Amanda of our findings. We found that Chris had gone to bed so we shared our experiences with Amanda and asked her if she wanted to join us for the upcoming vigils. Amanda was happy to do so.

Bedroom 2

The camcorder was set up and we settled down to begin ‘asking’ the spirits, promoting respect and reassurance as we did so. Mary noted a faint movement from above and John continued his invitations from earlier about lighting a cigar or cigarette. We all mentioned the quietness of the space and just afterwards, Mary picked up a faint ‘wheezing’ sound. Amanda had a bad cough and sore throat but it was not her.

Several of us heard a ‘double-thump’, again from above the room. Having asked what was up there, we discovered to our interest in was Bedroom One! Just as John started to speak, another small thump was heard. Derek pointed out that he could see an outline behind the camcorder which seemed to take on a ‘body shape’. Mary also perceived something moving, ‘skimming’ across quickly by the door, however she highlighted it may have been her eyes playing tricks which we know can be misleading. She then saw it again and made out a form with legs by the door.

A light anomaly was recorded not long after John asked the spirit/s to show themselves. The anomaly moved in a way to suggest it was nothing more than a small insect. John then heard a vague, faint movement in the corridor and Mary’s fingers became cold and tingly, she also informed us of a touch on the back. Amanda meanwhile was feeling chills down her middle. Derek, who was facing the door, said there appeared to be a disturbance in the light from the hall which surrounded the door frame as if something were stepping into the space and blocking the light coming into the bedroom.

Granny’s Room

We returned to the old kitchen area of Greenlaw, doubtlessly a hub of activity in its day. We observed a ticking sound, quickly dismissed as one of many clocks throughout the mansion house. As Mary sat by the old fireplace, she felt a warm glow against her face and it is important to mention there was no fire lit. Kathleen asked if any spirits who worked in the kitchen were present and Mary heard a whispering from near the door. She originally thought it was Derek but he had not said anything. We checked if the ‘whirring’ sound of the camcorder had caused it but she said the whispering was quite different. On a lighter note, we got a jump when we heard a loud rumbling sound – thankfully it was only someone’s stomach! Upon requests to the spirits to try and move our bottled crystal, a ‘tap-tapping’ was heard featuring three audible taps. We ruled out, to an extent, interference from external sources due to the high quality insulation. Both Derek and John heard a noise from near the fireplace and then John experienced a new sound from way in the distance. It was like singing followed by a stringed instrument being plucked.

A cosy old-fashioned fireplace forms the centrepiece of Granny’s Room

Kathleen started to take photos and several of the team heard a bang which was not in the room. Derek then heard it again and this time Mary got a cold draught from the fireplace. John described what he was hearing as a person trying to play a stringed instrument in the distance, but not very well. Amanda told us that a guitar sat upstairs in the area of Bedroom One and the living room TV was switched off. There are no houses nearby that could have influenced this.

A short while later, John heard what sounded like a party taking place way in the distance, with lots of people laughing and talking, glasses chinking and music e.g. a stringed quartet playing in the background. He heard this on two or three occasions. We referred back to a very similar experience Chris had during the initial renovation period. As he descended a flight of stairs without banisters, Chris heard the sounds of a dinner party emanating from a nearby room including; talking, laughing, glasses chinking and music! Could the two be linked?

Kathleen and Mary then witnessed a couple of different sounds, one from above and a thump following our request for spirit responses. We then heard water flowing from somewhere and asked if it might be a radiator. Amanda reminded us that Granny’s Room had a small en suite bathroom. Amanda and Chris have both stated that this area feels like it does not belong to them and Kathleen asked if she was sensing this now. Amanda said she felt uncomfortable. John added that he could no longer hear the music.

On our way out, we noticed a heavy wooden drawer open at the wardrobe. Amanda remembered closing it earlier as she tidied up around the house. Derek then tried to close the drawer and stated that it required a fair bit of effort to do so. We felt it strange that no-one had noticed this earlier on and have no photographs or camcorder footage to compare. We have no current explanation for what happened.

Downstairs Corridor

We moved into the corridor which allowed us to cover the old stone steps plus hear what was going on in Granny’s Room. Derek stood close to the steps and the rest of us lined up along the walls. We had positioned a place setting in the middle of the corridor earlier along with a tankard and old coins – none of which were displaced.

We forgot that one of the Sinclair’s dogs was sleeping in a room downstairs and got a big jump when he started whining! He jumped at the door several times and we wondered if he might be picking up on a presence, however the most likely cause is that he could hear our activity and wanted to join in.

Some of us heard a ‘deep scraping’ sound at the opposite end from the stone steps. Kathleen checked with Amanda that it was not the dog. Amanda had heard him going back to bed so we were able to rule it out. Derek invited the spirits to walk past the group and then heard a tapping noise. John used the ‘whistle response’ to attract spirit activity and Derek reported a dull thud. Amanda felt coldness against her cheek and Mary got a sensation in her right arm.

At this point, John reported ‘heavy breathing’ and later described it as being close enough to feel on the side of his face, almost intimately close. The breath was warm which surprised him and had been sufficiently prolonged to recognise. The team were all spaced out, with no-one close enough to create this effect and there were no other obvious explanations. John has never experienced anything like it before.

Further draughts occurred and an orb appeared on our footage descending slowly next to Amanda. Mary thought she heard distant laughter and Amanda kept picking up on the feeling of someone next to her in the corner. We all moved up to where Amanda stood and Derek got a mild sensation of presence. More orbs appeared and again seemed to be insects. Then Mary and Amanda observed a shadow before John felt an ‘icy blast’ in the doorway. Amanda stated that you do not get draughts down the staircase unless the door is open. As John walked past the radiator a slight metallic rap was heard although the stud on John’s jacket sleeve may have brushed it.

After a hugely fascinating night, we decided to conclude our investigation at around 4:30am.

Locked-off Camcorder

A fine sword display decorates the inner-entrance area of Greenlaw

We reviewed the locked-off camcorder footage taken from just inside the main entrance. The camcorder was set up next to Chris’s drum-kit whilst the team, accompanied by Amanda, conducted further vigils. At one stage a metallic sound was heard, almost like something being hit against a radiator, and then later on, a strange ticking. Our group can be heard talking in the background as we were in the downstairs corridor. All is quiet and then there are about 5-8 rhythmic 'ticks', with up to a single second gap between them, then a brief gap and one tick. Following that there are a few more. We know there are a number of clocks throughout the house, but are unsure if there were any close to the camcorder. This sound came out of the blue and although we have heard of certain clocks giving off a ‘phantom tick’ once they wind down, we are not totally convinced this happened. It didn't last long, but was puzzling to listen to. We hope to find out which object created the sound and also what caused it to happen in the way it did. Following a chat with Chris, he said it would be best to listen to the footage himself before offering any possible explanations.

Conclusion

We asked Chris if he could provide any insight as to the strange footsteps we heard and when talking to a previous owner of the property, he discovered that Greenlaw used to have a flat roof which was used for people to sit out on during the summer months. He suggested that since children used to play upstairs during the 1800’s, they may have spent time on the roof and for all he knew, left some trace of this.

As for the stringed instrument John picked up, his initial instincts told him it was a violin, possibly coming from above, and upon reflection, the ‘dinner party’ sounds may have been nearer than he originally thought e.g. could glasses really be heard tinkling from a far-off place? Also, John was the only person who heard the jolly gathering and if there had been an actual physical party in full swing nearby, surely other team members would have heard it too. It may be possible that this was a recording-type phenomena playing back to one receptive individual.

Regarding draughts, the data-logger thermometers picked up no fluctuations whatsoever, another testament to the effective insulation Chris put in place. We must highlight that only two data-loggers were used, therefore readings were provided from a relatively small area.

We recognise that most houses go through a period of settling down thus creating a variety of creaks, squeaks and groans, however Greenlaw was one of the quietest, most peaceful locations we have visited.

Our investigation was, to say the least, very eventful and has provoked much thoughtful consideration and discussion since the night in question. We hope to return to Greenlaw some day to learn more about this mysterious mansion house and its ghostly inhabitants.

We would like to thank the Sinclair family for a very warm welcome and allowing us the unique experience of investigating their home.