Paranormal Discovery

Castle Menzies 8.30pm - 5.00am

Many thanks to the 19 guests who joined the team for Halloween and also a big thank you to the curator, John Jack, for making the old kitchen so welcoming with the roaring log fire.

We are still reviewing footage from the night and anything interesting will be posted here. A summary of the night's activity is as follows: 

• foul odours smelt in the cellar area by a guest
• one female guest hearing a breath right in her ear while standing outside room 21 on the stairs
• a loud bang heard coming from the vicinity of room 21 while everyone was in the Victorian room
• the doll on the bed in the Victorian room was thought to have moved sometime in between trigger objects being set up in that room and being checked later. The doll's clothing was found draped over the edge of the bed.
• whistling heard while a group was sitting in the Dewar room and shouts heard by the other group at this time while up in room 19
• movement seen through the doorway between cellars 4 and 5
• a woman seen by Tori in the kitchen while everyone was on break - she was wearing a white head covering and was listening to what was going on as Katrina played audio material on the laptop
• footsteps frequently heard on the stairs
• footsteps heard whilst a group was sitting in the attic and also bangs and dragging noises as if coming from below in room 19
• the room alarm in room 21 thought to have sounded for no apparent reason
• taps heard in response to taps made by the team in the Withdrawing Room
• a miaow thought to have been heard whilst sitting quietly in the Withdrawing room
• a strange light seen in the display room in front of the low glass display case. This was seen by more than one person
  

The castle has been investigated by the Paranormal Discovery team several times before and we are well aware of how sound travels around the building. There are disused stairwells and gaps between floorboards (a serving stairwell between the cellar and the pink room, for example). John, the curator, informed us as we arrived on Halloween that he had heard very loud footsteps coming from the direction of the Pink Room. Nobody else was upstairs. The castle seems to be good at providing audible phenomena so for this reason we decided to split our guests into 2 groups only. That way we could ensure that each group was well away from the other. We chose areas where we were least likely to hear each other. That way any footsteps or other noises could be heard more easily if everyone was quiet enough and the possibility of these noises being  another guest or team member could be  ruled  out. 

Trigger objects were set up, with the help from some guests, in the Victorian bedroom on top of the dresser, and in room 21 on the floor. Notices reminding guests to keep out were attached to the doors of these 2 rooms which were then closed. A voice recorder was left recording in room 22 along with a room guard. The Victorian room is the topmost room and not a room which could be passed en route to another area. The plans for the night did not involve taking anyone back upto that area except to check on the objects.

Vigil 1

Group 1 : Katrina, Gordon, Steve

Group 2 :  Tori, Mike, Natalie

The first group took up residence in the attic area while the second group headed for the cellars.  During this time footsteps were heard on the concrete steps outside the attic and also inside the room on the wooden floor. Some questions were asked out for the sake of our audio recording in the hope of capturing evps. The alarm in room 21 was thought to have sounded at one point and a similar noise is recorded. A group of 3 guests had left the attic only moments before and were found in room 22 when Gordon checked to see where they had gone. The noises were compared to the alarm in use following the event and are not the same. They are not the same tones sounded by the Sony camcorders used by the team either. The alarm used at this time is one which sounds two tones when something passes in front of it. However, there is the possibility that the tones originated fro mone of the guest's pieces of equipment.  

The group moved into the little room down a level directly above room 19. During this time clear footsteps were heard and a dragging noise - thought to have come from below in bedroom 19.  Nobody else was in the area below this group at this time. The other group were another 2 floors down in the cellar area.

Group 2 in the cellar had some people feeling uneasy and nauseous in one particular corner where Tori had sensed a spirit man. The horrible feelings left those affected once they had moved from that particular corner, opposite the doorway to cellar 4.

The groups swapped over with group 1 going to the cellars and group 2 up to the Display Room and room 19. 

Room19  

Mike sensed a spirit man in here leaning over the fireplace. He was wearing light coloured clothes and had very short, dark hair. He was holding a letter or documents. This is interesting as Katrina had earlier written down her thoughts about this room. She had mentioned a man leaning over the fireplace, holding onto the mantlepiece or leaning on the wall above the fireplace. He was  perhaps burning something and was quite agitated. He was wearing a white shirt and light breeches and also had very short, dark hair. Katrina had the impression that he would normally wear a wig. Neither Mike nor Tori had known about this until much later on.

Vigil 2

Cellar

Group 1 spent a short time in here and some footsteps were heard coming from the corridor outside. 

Movement was seen  in front of the small dooway between the cellars by Katrina and then a guest said that he felt something was right in front of her too. Steve said the same thing moments later. Katrina then felt as if she wanted to open her hand and throw the voice recorder  she was holding into the adjoining cellar for no reason and that it was taking an effort not to do so. 

Three of the group wanted to sit in the cellars so the doors were closed and they were left while the others headed up to the Dewar room. Gordon at this time noticed that the fire was dying down and so made two trips back and forth with logs and could clearly be heard. The group in the Dewar room thought he was whistling as he went along the corridor. It turns out that he was not. A voice recorder had been left running by the cellars and no whistling can be heard at all from that area. Faint whistling was also heard several times by more than one person coming form within the Dewar room towards the far end of the room.   

Pink Room Divination

The team wanted to carry out an experiment into divination s. Those who wanted to stay were asked to sit in the centre of the room and the option was given to go elsewhere on a quiet vigil if desired but nobody wanted to do this. A protective circle was cast around everyone in the room except for Mike, Steve  and one guest who wanted to film.  Two tables were set up within the protective circle - one doing glass divination and one the Psychic Circle. 

Communication was asked for and both glass and planchette did begin to move. However, it was noted throughout that when one was moving well on the first table then the other table ground to a halt and vice versa. It did appear that two different entities were allegedly making conact - the answers to questions on each table were not identical. Some interesting photos were taken during this time by a guest. It is assumed at the moment that the anomalies on his photos are due to the prolonged shutter speed or due to the flash. However there is one that is a bit more puzzling and any suggestions as to the cause are welcome. 

The following picture was taken by guest, Mark Lawlor, during glass divination. There is a strange zigzag of light leading form Tori's pinkie to the centre of the glass. It appears to have nodules on it at regular intervals. Nothing else in this photo is blurred or out of focus so this is puzzling. 

 Close up of the glass

Fortuntely the guest who was filming the divination captured Mark as he took the photo above. As you can see the glass was not moving at the time the photo was taken. You cna see Mark taking the picture, looking at his camera then leaning of to look at the glass. This makes expalining the anomaly even harder. However, if  anyone does have a suggestion then please do contact us.

Vigil 4 

Group 1 : Katrina, Steve, Tori, Natalie

Group 2 : Mike, Gordon

Cellar

Group 1 decided to try divination in cellar 4 and group 2 decided to spend time in the other wing of the castle in the Clan Room and old flat on the top floor.

Glass divination was attempted first of all and Tori and Natalie indicated that there were several spirits present who were surrounding the group.  Natalie felt that there was another spirit next door in addition to the 6 soldiers and the glass indicated that this was correct. Mike came downstairs not long after to retrieve the first aid box and was asked where the spirits were in the cellars. He indicated to the same places as pointed to by the glass and given by Tori and Natalie, including the additional spirit in cellar 5 next door. Noises were asked for form the spirits present to show us that they were indeed there. Noises were heard from the corridor outside and the adjoining cellar in response : taps, steps and faint voices were all heard and could not have been the others as they were in the other wing of the castle and several floors up. Nothing of real interest was captured on audio despite everyone frequently saying they could hear noises. Very faint noises were recorded but too quiet to make out what they were. It must be remembered too that a log fire was lit in the kitchen at the end of the corridor and although the door to this area was closed it is still possible that at least some of the noises heard were crackles from the fire.

The glass was put away in favour of the Psychic Circle. Information was given by the board : name 'Vashy' , born in 1627, died in 1646 (making him 19 at time of death), Scottish. The spirit contacted was allegedly one of the group of soldiers present. He indicated that he was not the youngest of the group, who was 17 nor the eldest who was 36.

Table tipping was then tried and after a slow start it did indeed start to rock then attempt to turn.

Clan Room/ flat in Victorian Wing

These areas are not usually open to the public and the team had not spent any time there before during investigations so it was decided to send a group there for a short time. These areas are in the other wing well away from the main body of the castle and accessed by a separate staircase which meant that any noises heard by either group should not have been caused by the other group. Nothing of interest was documented during the time the group stayed here. Mike, did, however, sense that spirits of children do venture into that area.

Display Room/Room19

After break the remaining guests went to the Display Room as Tori felt that this area was particularly promising.

Table tipping was attempted but the result was not as good as in the cellars with only slight rocking managed. Katrina felt very dizzy at this time and had to sit down as did Tori only seconds later.

The psychic circle board was set up and communication started. The planchette indicated that a male spirit was trying to communicate. Various symbols and pictures are included on this board as well as letters and numbers. After a while the planchette pointed to Tori and then pointed out 'you go 'cry' - the little picture of a crying eye was pointed to several times and the corner indicating 'water' was singled out. Tori revealed to the team later that the  picture of the eye with a tear in the corner had specific meaning to her and was something nobody touching the planchette had known about at that time.  She felt that the spirit encountered in room 19 during the last investigation was trying to intimidate her once more as it was him who had made her cry last time.

She was asked to go down to room 19 which she did and said that this male spirit had indeed come very close to her but that she had been prepared for it.

Withdrawing Room

The last vigil.

Everyone sat quietly for a few minutes. Katrina and Tori asked out for the spirit children to make themselves known or to come and play. Several bumps were heard, one of which was thought to have come from the direction of the bedroom next door. A distinct miaow was heard and some of the guests thought that it had come form beside the old disused stairwell. However, audio footage revelaed similar noises throughout the vigil and these are thought to be the sound of someone's nose whistling as they breathed. Katrina tapped on the wooden floor and asked for the same as a response. This was heard as were 2 further knocks then another 3 taps in response. It was believed that the taps had come from within the Withdrawaing room itself near to the Harpsichord.  

Halloween '08
 
Cellar/Kitchen
 
Mike picked up on 4 or 5 spirits, millitary, male....one male child of about 8 with blonde hair in the corridor. 
 
Tori picked up on 4 or 5 male spirits, male soldiers wearing red, one blonde male in particular with the first name of Calum or Colin. He shows her blood on his hands and admits thast he is guiltly of commiting a crime mentioned before  on a previous visit. He feels sorry for what he did only due to the fact he was executed for his crime. He was not the ring leader and probably the nicer of the spirits that is there. He makes Tori feel quite sick though. 
There a girl in the kitchen with a cloth covering over her hair which is pinned up. Tori sees her standing beside her at the kitchen table watching and paying attention to Katrina who was speaking at the time. 
 
Pink Room Floor
 
Mike picks up on a woman, elderly, grey haired , well spoken, well kept and presented. That level is her level.
 
Tori pickes up on a lady wearing black. She has grey hair pined back neatly. She is the lady and she smokes a pipe (or cigarette). This is her area and she is in charge. She demands respect. Also children are in this area (three), eldest is a girl, then a boy then a very young girl of 3 or 4. There is also a man in this area but he doesnt want to come forward and I feel he is the lady's husband.

Green Room Floor
 
Mike picks up on very agressive male in the display room, tall, imposing and dark. Didn't like Mike. Room 19 : there is an elderly gentlman, grey haired, balding, goatie-like beard, very well kept and pristeen, didnt live there but stayed there occasionaly, paced around, smoked a pipe, three rings on his hands, had glasses, had a religious connection, a dog in there as well. 
 
Tori picks up on nothing in the green room it is very quiet. The display room has a large  man in it. He is guarding something. He is stocky and dark haired and quite imposing. He stands in the door that would have led to the old wing that's no longer there. in the bedroom (room 19) there is a man who is in his late 40s early 50s, very short hair, which is grey. He is wearing a buff cloured waistcoat and breeches, and has a shirt on that is rolled up at the sleeves. He is by the fireplace and pacing around and he is upset about something. He is angry and keeps shouting at us to get out of his room. He is jumping on his bed getting very ajitated but it isn't his bed, that's the wrong bed for the room. He was injured in the head and in the upper right side of his chest and he died as a consequence of his injuries. I think there may have been infection and he knew he was going to die before he did, perhaps blood poisoning. I think it was an accident and I feel he make have been thrown from a horse ???? 
 
Bedroom off stairs - room 15
 
Tori picks up on a woman who died in childbirth.  There is a woman in pain on her knees in the doorway and she is facing the stair, yelling. There is a commotion going on at the same time and people are running around frantically. Then I see her in a chair being held back. There is a problem with the birth; the baby is stuck and a woman is saying that they will have to try to turn the baby to move it. The woman who's in her 20s is bleeding a lot . I think there is some sort of haemorrage and there is blood everywhere. Shes bleeding to death and I don't know if they saved the baby or not, but the woman certainly died. 
 
Attic Area
 
Tori picks up on two men in this area. They are fighting and there is pushing, shoving and shouting. I don't feel it is a very serious fight but it was emotional....perhaps a woman at the cause of it. I don't feel there was bloodshed and I just get this feeling of movement, like running round and fighting. They could have had a millitary connection and they are more recent than many of the other spirits. They are foreign. I would like to say that they are Polish but that may just be because I know of the Polish connection to the castle.
 
Victorian Room and Bonnie Prince Charlie's Room
 
Tori picks up on the woman who was in the Pink Room. She sits in these two rooms sometimes. She wears a lavender perfume and this has been smelt in these rooms I'm sure. She likes to sit and look out the windows. A lot of the time, if you walk into one of these rooms you may disturb her and the feeling is quite intense until she moves off to another part of the castle. There is also a man in the Victorian Room at times.
 
Stairs
 
Mike picks up on just two little girls of one under 10 and one of about 10 - 15. 
 
Tori picks up on the little boy who's name begins with 'G' - I want to call him George. He runs up and down the stairs.