A Haunting in Dumfries…
She spotted a dark haired lady on the landing just below the middle floor…
This week’s spooky spotlight shines on a haunted building in Dumfries, where Mostly Ghostly conducted a most intriguing paranormal investigation - enjoy!
As you’re walking around Dumfries Town Centre, take a moment to consider the old and interesting buildings you pass on a daily basis; many now used for homes or workplaces, hives of activity where people spend their days and nights, perhaps never really knowing the history of the location or the names of those who lived and died there. Add to that, the possibility of ghosts and hauntings, of spirits who like to get noticed, who exist in a different dimension yet retain the interests and passions held in life, who communicate through all the main senses and on rarer occasions, manifest to a select few, allowing them a brief, privileged and perhaps unnerving glimpse into another world.
Due to confidentiality the location shall remain secret and names of those involved have been changed.
Jane Andrews, who manages a service in Dumfries, contacted the team to report a profusion of paranormal activity centred on the building in which she and her staff team are based. Readers can probably imagine how we felt upon receiving these reports; we were keen (almost desperate!) to find out as much as possible and above all, wanted to explore the building and see for ourselves if we could record evidence of spirit presences, either on a physical or personal level. Jane’s interest and enthusiasm was of great help and when it came to building a picture of the dramatic events; she provided lots of in-depth info covering her own strange experiences as well as those of her staff.
On our preliminary visit, Jane told us of light switches changing positions and various noises heard in and around the stairwell including; doors closing, voices and footsteps. Staff members speak of the inimitable feeling of being watched and objects are known to switch places. Whilst picking up Jane at work and helping out with odd jobs around the building, Mark, Jane’s husband, describes a deeply uneasy feeling he gets on the stairs, an area that understandably, he is glad to get away from. Interestingly, as Jane and Mark were giving us a guided tour, John and Billy felt a heavy presence on the landing area and tightness in their chests, feelings that uncomfortably lingered.
In terms of apparitions, one notable incident took place just as Carol, another staff member, was coming out of the bathroom. She spotted a dark haired lady on the landing just below the middle floor, which she initially dismissed as being a colleague. A little later, Carol discovered to her surprise that the only other person present had just arrived through the front door – so who was the mysterious lady? On another occasion, two employees saw a shadowy female figure walk across the reception area – the question was raised; could it be a reflection, someone outside maybe? However those who witnessed her were convinced otherwise. There is also a male spirit who resides within this fascinating location, a thin-built moustachioed gentleman who looks to be in his sixties. Jane is one of four people who have seen him through a glass door panel.
As with all our investigations, we hit the library for a burst of historical research, aiming to establish previous tenants and business owners. Any names could then feed into our plan and be used as a trigger during vigils. We discovered the building had had various guises over the years including a butcher’s shop, tailor’s and china merchant’s and were able to source several names. Confirming an identity for spirit presences is something we strive for, but with so many grey areas, the odds of achieving this can be long.
The night of our investigation arrived and we busied ourselves setting up equipment and trigger objects including a tambourine, bells and wooden tray containing flour-coated marbles. After a fairly quiet opening vigil in the top floor, we arranged ourselves on the stairs, filled with anticipation. There followed a period of creaks, thumps and thuds; these strange sounds continued for quite a while and were picked up on our camcorder. One creaking noise, which we originally thought to be anomalous, might have been caused by our weight on the stair runners. There was a secondary sound, almost beneath the creaking; more of a faint, dull thud which was reported numerous times. It’s important to mention the group were standing very still. We can find no conclusive explanation for these sounds. To be continued…
Do you work in a haunted building or experience strange occurrences in your home? Would you like Mostly Ghostly to come and investigate? If so, please contact the team through our website or by phoning 07791 047835 or 07912 145865. You can also follow us on Twitter.