Paranormal Discovery

Firstly, the team would like to thank the owners Ken and Christine Lawson for allowing the investigation to take place and for giving up their free time to talk to us.  We would also like to thank Christine and Frances who joined us on the night of the investigation.

A stay in the 4* Spindrift is highly recommended so please visit the hotel's own site for further information and to book.

The Spindrift is a large detached Victorian guesthouse situated in Anstruther, Fife.  The manager of another local venue that we had visited suggested we get in contact with the owners of this B&B due to apparent ghost sightings in the building. 

The following notes were taken form an audio recording made during our initial pre-investigation visit to the property. Some historial facts were divulged to the team by the owners, but not all.  We were informed later that Ken does actually have a list of almost all of the previous owners of the property.

The Spindrift

The building has been a B&B since World War 2 but has changed its name three times from High Cross to Lindeen then 20 years ago it was renamed the Spindrift.

It was built in 1870 by a tea clipper captain called Captain Smith who was wrecked at sea near the Isle of Lewis.  He  may never have lived in the property, but it is his ghost who is supposed to appear in the Captain's Room (a replica of his cabin situated on the top floor).  Captain Smith was a famous captain who used to race another ship to and from India.  Books at the Scottish Fisheries Museum have information about him.  His wife was from the West of Scotland and returned there, but it isn't known if his family stayed in the house after his death or not.

Originally, there was only one bathroom catering for the whole house so the en-suite spaces in the rooms were created form the large rooms themselves.  These en-suites were installed 20 years ago but before that it was more of a sort of lodging house with six beds and a sink to a room plus one main bathroom (bathroom one now).  Fireplaces have been altered and only the Captain’s Room is original.

Paranormal Activity

Strange noises have been heard but have been explained by Ken as bits of rubble/plaster falling down inside the walls into the wall cavities.

Strange noises have also been reported from the Captain’s Room.

A workman tiling the bathroom in this room left the window open and when he came back to close the window the TV was on.  Also a mirror fell off the wall on another occasion with no broken wire.  It had been hanging on a picture hook and was found sitting on the floor but placed upright against the wall.

The kettle fell off the table in the Captain’s Room recently with nobody near it.

The staff will not close door or clean the room on their own.

Nobody has ever seen the captain.

The previous housekeeper was terrified of this room.

The Captain’s Room may not always have been a bedroom as such.  It did used to have a hammock in it and has original wood from when the house was built as do the banisters on the stairs.

Room 5 had a guest staying in it one night who saw a woman pass from one corner of the room to the other at 3am (2 or 3 years ago).  The ghostly woman was wearing a nightdress and the witness hadn’t been drinking.

Room 5 is one of the two biggest rooms in the building and has always been a bedroom.

Lots of other little things have been happening which have been put down to human error (for example, heating being on but nobody remembering switching it on and then thinking they must have but just forgotten etc)

Tori's Initial Impressions of Spirits

Michael thought he saw something coming up the stairs duing the team' initial visit.  This has been reported before and is on the internet but the staff/owners know nothing about it.  It has been said that the Captain's ghost has been seen in the lounge and on the stairs by guests (but not in recent times).  He is said to be extremely friendly and enjoys listening in on conversations.

Room 5 

Shortly after entering the room I saw a  lady in the corner, appearing as an outline. This spirit was startled that she had been seen/felt there.  I want to say ‘lady of the house’, whether she was in charge as in a housekeeper or if she was the lady who owned and lived there, I can't decide yet.

Room 6

“I had static down my arms like I had at the Auld Hoose- like pins and needles", Treen reported.  Nat felt a pressure on her head in this particular room, too.

Room 1 

I felt a static/prickly feeling.  Treen and Nat both felt a pressure on their heads and Nat said she felt really dizzy when she first walked in.  This room had a very thick atmosphere.

On the whole, I have picked up the woman and I think there is something else there.  I want to say male but I don’t think it’s the Captain.  I think the Captain is just a story and due to the noises being in the captains room it just fits in too well so people have kept the rumour alive.

I think it may be a young male perhaps a teenager but not fully mature.  The woman comes forward strongly and the young male doesn’t want to make himself known as of yet and was trying to remain hidden.  I think there is a good chance of both making themselves known to us on investigation now they know who and what we are.

 

Date 24th January 2009

Times 9pm - 2am

Investigators present  Natalie, Katrina, Gordon, Tori ,Corey (accompanied by 2 members of staff: Christine and Frances)

Weather  dry, slight wind, cold

Moon phase   waning

The night started with a little chat with the owners and staff of the property.  The team were informed of some recent activity in the building, namely a kettle falling off the table in room 5.  Katrina mentioned that this had been reported before in the Captain's Room but nobody remembered that happening.  A tour of the building then followed to take photogaphs and baseline measurements etc.

Walkround

The walkround began at the top of the building in room 9, also known as 'the Captain's Room'.  Tori, Katrina and Natalie all felt a heavy head pressure in this room - this is often experienced by them in 'high energy' areas.  A lighter atmosphere was noted in room 8, while room 7 had a depressing feeling to it.  Natalie and Tori both felt tingly on their heads - Natalie described it as if her hair was on end due to static.  This room had a strong smell of paint due to it being recently decorated.

In room 6 an area of dense energy was felt immediately in front of the dressing table - one suggestion was that it could be a spirit portal or thoroughfare.

Room 5 was felt by Tori to be paranormally active.  Natalie commented on how the wndow area 'felt funny' and Tori agreed - both felt there was a sadness to the area.   

Room 4, the very small single room, again had strong paint fumes.  Tori and Natalie both had headaches here, but these could have been due to the paint.  Katrina also felt faint.  

Nothing much was noted in room 3.  In room 2, Natalie, Tori and Gordon all felt breathless for no apparent reason - there were no paint fumes here, but the room did feel stuffy.

Room 1 - another room that had paint fumes.  Tori felt dizzy here and the new batteries in her camera drained.

In the dining room no spirit activity was detected.  

The team and guests decided to split into 2 groups to begin with.  It was decided that the 2 groups go to rooms at opposite ends of the stairwell.  Group 1 (Tori, Corey, Frances and Christine) sat in room 5 and Group 2 (Katrina, Natalie and Gordon) went to room 1.

Vigil 1

Group 1 - Room 5

22.50 - 23.25 Ambient temperature 20.6C

The ambient room temperature was noted to be significantly higher than on the walkround (17.4C), but the heating was on and the door had been closed prior to starting the vigil. 

Tori felt that the area in front of the window in this room felt sad and oppressive.  The corner to the left of the bathroom door also drew attention.  There was a high energy feel to the room and a female presence was picked up.  Tori thought that this lady perhaps sits by the window.  Tori drew this lady, see the picture below.

Tori's description of this woman is as follows:  an older woman in her 50s, dark eyes, long grey/dark hair, short in stature, curled her hair with some kind of tongs that looked like scissors, was wearing a long cotton nightdress.  This lady had a place of authority, maybe a housekeeper, but definitely in charge somehow.  She moves about into other rooms.  The initial 'A' is linked to her.  In her time, Tori links the word 'boardinghouse' to her rather than 'guesthouse'.

Noise from traffic outside could be heard by those in the room and also on the recordings.

One of the guests sitting on the bed suddenly felt a draught across her face but no source was detected for it. 

Tori saw various things: a light orb was seen by the naked eye at the base of the bed as well as a shadow in that area. Movement was detected at the foot of the other bed in the room, too.  Noise was heard by everyone present which sounded as if it had come from room 5 next door, which was empty at this time. 

Tori asked several qustions out loud to try to illicit a response and again saw a black shape at the foot of the bed. 

When Tori asked quetsions relating to the lady's age, the number 36 came into Frances' mind.  The session ended wih the two guests chatting about their experiences of the room.  They said had it always felt like a happy room to them and that they always have a laugh and joke when they are in this room.  The so-called ghost is nicknamed Rose or Daisy by the staff.  

A small pinpoint flash of light was recorded on video on the bottom right of the screen which would be just in front of the door to the room.

Group 2 - Room 1

Ambient temperature 16.2C

Katrina began the vigil by sensing a male spirit.  Natalie felt there was a female presence in the room - she was older, with dark, grey hair worn in a bun with a middle parting.  She had a stern appearance and was wearing dark-coloured Victorian clothes.  Katrina felt that this lady was standing near to her. 

Katrina asked numerous questions out loud in the hope of achieving some response from any spirits present.  She also felt that the lady was very clean, while Natalie got an impression of her saying "I like to see the place busy".

Katrina then described the male spirit as being old, decrepit, small and dumpy and using furniture to steady himself as he walked.  She also got the name 'Jack' when thinking of this man. 

A flash of misty light was seen beside the bed by Natalie, who then felt a little girl standing next to her, beside the window.  Aged about 5 or 6, she had long, dark hair with a pink bow on the top of her head and she referred to the lady spirit in the room by saying "I don't like that woman, she always moans at me".

Vigil 2 

Group 1 - Room 1

23.25 - 00.00 Ambient temperature 15.5C

This is the room in which Tori's camera batteries drained duing the walkound. 

The ambient room temperature of this room was noted to be significantly lower than during the walkround (18.3C) yet as with room 5 the heating was on and the door had been closed.  It had also benefited from the body heat of the 3 investigators who had been in the room just prior to this time for the first vigil.

The camcorder had been set up facing the bed and can be seen going in and out of focus for the duration of the vigil. 

Tori soon picked up on a male spirit which she thought my be residual.  It was a male spirit of a man in ill-health (possibly with a neck lump).  He was bald/balding, old and big built.  She had an upleasant feeling about him but not that he was in any way dangerous or nasty.

The televison from downstairs could be heard in this room due to the room being directly above the owners' private quarters.

Tori called out for the spirit present to make itself known but there was no response.  Comments were made by Tori and Corey that the room was too quiet.  The guests said that they felt fine in this room.  No sooner had they said this then Frances asked if anyone had nudged the bed beause she had felt it moving.  No movement was visible on camera, however. 

Tori attempted some automatic witing and the name Frances L Petire was written, which didn't have any significance to anyone pesent at that time. 

The vigil ended at midnight and the camcorder was left filming in the empty room for a further 20 minutes.  Lots of orb activity was filmed in the bottom right hand side which could be attributed to dust being disturbed by everyone leaving the room.  This area was just in front of the closed doorway.  Another flash of light was filmed in this area as in room 5. 

The 2 groups joined for a short break at midnight and Tori had to leave to go home.  At this stage a brief discussion took place about what both group had experienced in each of the rooms.  The remaining people present stayed together for the rest of the night.

Group 2 - Room 5

 Ambient temperatue 19.2C

 An orb is photographed just as Natalie mentioned that during the walkround this was the area felt to be sad.

Natalie and Katrina sat in the chairs in front of the window and Gordon filmed the room from beside the door.  Natalie soon began to feel an intense headache and then Katrina shorly afterwards.  Natalie also had a pressure in her ears. 

Natalie sensed a woman pacing anxiously back and forth in front of the window.  Katrina felt that she was waiting for someone to return, perhaps a son that had been lost at sea.  Natalie thought that this lady could be the same one Tori had picked up on before, as she also saw her in a nightdress with long, grey hair.  She was quite thin in build and Natalie felt she had also stood at the wall by the window, sobbing with grief and that this lady was the same woman that had been picked up earlier in room 1.  The images of her in her nightdress, however, Natalie believed could be flashbacks being shown by the older lady, or simply just replays detected from the room, as the same lady herself was felt standing in the room at the foot of the two beds, again wearing her daywear.  When Katrina asked aloud if she was upset at her son perhaps not coming home, Natalie sensed that the she sat down on the bed and gently wiped her eyes.  Little else was sensed for the remainder of the vigil.

Room 6 

00.20 - 00.50

Most of this vigil was taken up by an audio recording experiment with the 'Ghost Box'.  Katrina asked several questions out loud in the hope of obtaining some kind of response on audio which was being recorded directly onto the laptop. 

Following this everyone sat in silence for a time.  Natalie stated that she thought the old man was outside and asked Katrina to describe him.  Katrina again said that he was 'dumpy' but she didn't know about hair colour.  One of the guests asked what his name was but neither Katrina or Natalie could say.  Katrina  then went on to describe him as 'short and round' and 'decrepit' and 'holding onto things to get around'.  Natalie saw him as having a ruddy complexion. Katrina then asked out for a sign of the spirit man's presence but the only noise audible was the pinging of the radiator in the room. 

Room 9 (Captain's Room)

01.00 - 01.15

The door was shut to the en-suite but it was decided to leave the door into the coridor open in case any noises could be heard from elsewhere.

Gordon started to take photos of the room and  Katrina shouted out that she had just seen a silhouette of a man in front of her.  She wondered if it was due to the flash of the camera.  She had been sitting on the bed facing the wall and Gordon was behind her at the other side of he bed and facing in the same direction.  There was nobody else in the way to have caused the silhouette and it could not have been Gordon's shadow if he was behind the flash. 

Everyone then sat quietly for a while.  It was quite windy outside and it was pointed out that there were no creaks or taps coming from inside the room which is what was expected from a house of this age.  The lack of noise from within the Captain's room itself drew attention as the window was the small original one and the whole room was wood clad. 

Katrina asked Natalie if she sensed any spirit presence to which she replied that she was aware of a male.  Katrina stated that she didn't think he was vey old and Natalie thought perhaps in his 40s. 

Karina then asked out a few questions to attempt an EVP capture.  Nat carried on with her description of the man: dark hair, in his 30s or 40s, with sideburns like men wore in the 1970s.  Katina asked if he was wearing a white shirt and Natalie though this was possible.  She also agreed on Katrina's description of him as 'cheerful'.  She said that when Katrina had been asking the spirit if he could move something in the room he was gesticulating and smiling as if to say "I would if I could".  Katrina asked for this man to make himself known.  Natalie asked Katrina if she could say where he was and the reply was that he was very close to both of them. Natalie indicated that she felt him to be standing by her and in the same spot as the silhouette that had been seen a few minutes earlier (to the right of the window as you enter the room). 

Room 7

01.25- 02.10 Room temperature 13.7C

This room smelt very strongly of paint.  The ambient room temperature was quite a bit lower than on the walkround but the heating was not on in this room.

Karina sat on the bed nearest the fireplace and after about 20 minutes or so started to feel her hair being tickled/touched. S he asked Natalie to swap places with her to see if she felt anything but didn't say what she herself had just experienced.

Natalie said after a few minutes that she had a headache but that this might have been due to paint fumes and also felt a little bit dizzy.  Natalie then asked Katrina what she felt who replied, "nothing, I just don't think it's vey nice in this room".  Natalie agreed that she didn't think she would like to sleep in this room.  Frances commented that this particular room is usually rented out to males and single guys.

Katrina agreed that it felt like a man's room to her and also added that out of the whole building this is the room she least liked. 

Immediately following this vigil as everyone headed downstairs, Natalie asked Katrina what she had been holding back on in the room.  Katrina said that she knew that Natalie hadn't been letting everyone know about what she was feeling either.  Natalie said that when she had swapped places with Katrina to sit on the bed she had the impression of a rather unpleasant, lecherous male spirit close to her who was, in fact,  trying to touch her.  Katrina said that at this time she had suddenly got the mental image of  a man's face very close to her left side by where Corey was sitting.  This man was snarling and pulling faces in an attempt to scare her and had prompted her comment about the room not being very nice.  She had seen this man wearing a modern day sweater of the type usually worn by older men.  Both agreed that it was a blessing that the room is usually rented out to men and both women had held back by not letting the others know about their thoughts just in case the two members of staff had become frightened by their comments.

Trigger Objects - none had moved by the time the experiment was concluded

Audio - nothing of note was recorded

Temperature - the only significant temperature variation was documented in room 1 during the second vigil in there. The room temperature had dropped some 3 degrees over the course of the night from arrival to the end of the second vigil.  The heating was on in this room and, as mentioned, the room had been inhabited by 3 investigators for over half an hour prior to this.  However, air convection and the air vent in the room combined with the windy weather outside can be attributed to this reading.

Video/Photo - nothing remarkable was captured on video except for orbs behind the closed door in room 1 after everyone had left.  This is dust being disturbed and settling again following our departure.  The small flashes of light are most likely simply dust particles illuminated by the Infrared night vision which gave the illlusion of the particles being luminescent.

Spirit Impressions - Similar things were picked up by both groups in the same rooms despite not sharing information with each other between the vigils.

Both groups independently came up wih the letter 'A' relating to the spirit lady seen in room 5.

Both groups found the window area in room 5 to feel sad.

Both groups sensed an old man in ill health in room 1.

Both Katrina and Natalie had sensed an unpleasant man in room 7.

Captain Smith 29/07/1824 to 18/10/1874 was born in Anstruther son of John Smith (master mariner) and Annie Young. Married Annie Kellock. 

Captain Smith, master of the ship "Maju", who was drowned in the wreck of that ship off the Island of Lewis in the Hebrides.
I  found records of him being captain of the Min (1861-1866), Lahloo (1867/8 -??) and the  Maju (?? - 1874) but not the Spindrift (although he may have been captain of this ship at some point and I just didn't find it!) Ayr Sheriff Court Inventories show that he resided in Mount Pleasant Cottage in the parish of Riccarton so it would seem at the time of his death that Captain Smith's residence was not Anstruther but Ayr. The entry of his death may read Aird Barvas for place of death. Aird Barvas can be seen on maps of the island with a marked danger area in the sea.  Of interest, in the year 1873-4, around the coastline of the United Kingdom, 411 ships sank, with the loss of 506 lives.

Records show he sailed from Foochow (China not India as previously thought) to London.