History of Tayport
Not much is known about the history of the Auld Hoose or its previous owners although it does appear to have been owned by a Mr John Smith who is listed as vintner in Tayport in the1837 Pigot's Directory and by a Mrs John Smith in 1861 who is listed as vintner at Whitenhill in the 1861 Parochial Directory for Fife and Kinross.
Tayport has been an important site and settlement for over a thousand years. The former ferry service across the river Tay from Tayport was well established by the time Arbroath Abbey was founded and granted land in the area for founding of a hospital. Foundations of abbey buidings have been discovered in a field South West of 'Lover's Loan' and are thought to be the remains of the branch cell of Arbroath Abbey that was founded in the area to be close to the ferry.
The first settlement here was known as Poitan Craig (Crab Rock) but by 1415 the name had altered to Portin Cragge then to the more familiar Port-in-Craige. In 1598, it was then Ferry-Port-on-Craig which received its burgh charter.
Not far from the Auld House is the Parish Church or Old Kirk which was established in 1607 but has been subject to restoration work from as early as1794 as it was in a ruinous state even by then. The Kirk graveyard adjoins the pub on one side and can be accessed by the old gateway to the right of the pub which is at the top of some stone steps. The old ruined mortuary is still visible just inside the gateway and to the right.
Gateway on Whitenhill 
Mortuary ruinIn 1455 a castle was built and along with a similar structure across the river at Broughty Ferry these were used to defend the ferry crossing across the Tay. The Ferry Port-on-Craig castle was a 'Z' plan type similar to Claypott's Castle near Broughty Ferry but larger in size. However, by 1855 only the vaulted roof of the ground floor and the North Westerly tower remained. These were demolished to make way for the expanding town. Castle Cottage stands on the site today.
Paranormal Activity
The Investiagtion
Outside conditions: Weather: warm, dry, still Moon: waxing crescent in Virgo
Investigators present: Katrina, Laura, Tori, Natalie and Terry (owner)
Equipment Used:
Camcorders: nightvision Sony Hi8 analogue, Sony DCR-HC35E digital
Digital cameras: Sony cybershot 3.2mp, Lumicron LDC4013 4.1mp, Epson Photopc 2100Z
Digital voice recorders: 2 Olympus set at high quality recording
Thermometers: 2 in/out digital thermometers, Infrared thermometer
Investigation Notes
The team arrived and commenced baseline tests in the back bar area: EMF low readings around the room perimeter due to electrics, ambient temperature 20-22.C (cooler towards the rear of the room). The team discussed Tori's drawing which she had done prior to arriving at he location. It showed a spirit man she felt was either visiting or grounded at the pub. She felt that he was quite a joker but had a mean streak. He had a scar by his left eye, dark hair and was in his 30s or 40s. He also had a military connection and the initials J or M. She had also drawn a floorplan of the pub
based on our earlier visit. The plan showed the areas that Tori felt were active (the area around the pool tablewas highlighted as the most promising).00.30 Tori decided to do pendulum dowsing around the back of the room by the pool table. She stated that the pendulum showed an area of high energy at the very back wall of the room continuing down the side of the pool table towards the toilet door. She had also noted a green trail emitting from the tip of the pendulum which she could not explain, never having seen this before.
Katrina, Natalie and Tori all felt strange sensations like static on their hair and intense pressure/headache since arriving at the pub.
01.00 Whilst filming around the room, Laura's camcorder turned off suddenly for no apparent reason. There was no beeping as there should have been to indicate it was switching off and the camera worked again after being switched back on.
01.05 Katrina experienced a horrible prickly feeling down her right arm which was quite sore.
01.15 Voice recorder started and left on top of coffee table. Trigger object (pack of playing cards arranged into order and dusted in UV powder) left under locked off camera on coffee table.
01.17 Left the room to go to the lounge bar.
00.18 - 01.42 Lounge bar
Temperature of room 21.C, high EMF reading by doorway (electrics' cupboard)
01.25 Clicking noise heard behind bar heard by everyone.
01.26 Creaking/rasping noise heard behind the bar by everyone.
01.34 Another noise behind the bar which almost sounded like paper being flicked. Nothing could be seen to account for this.
01.39 Creaking noise by the bar near Katrina heard by everyone.
01.42 Returned to back bar.
01.45 - 04.00 Back bar
01.45 Tori sat down on steps by pool table to try some automatic writing. She jumped up as something had hit her back. She said that it felt like a little stone had been flicked at her. A tapping noise had been heard at the same time by Natalie who was sitting next to Tori. The floor was checked over and nothing found that could have been thrown.
01.50 Tori felt as if the pen in her hand had been moved forcefully off the edge of the paper.
01.52 Katrina called out for a sign of spirit presence. A noise was heard by everyone to the right of the pool table by the fire exit.
02.00 Glass divination started. Camera set to film the team doing this. Various noises were heard during this time - shuffling and footsteps in the corner by the pool table and footsteps on the path outside.
02.10 Chair behind Nat creaked and Katrina thought she saw it moving out of the corner of her eye. Natalie's foot was not near the chair.
02.19 Movement heard by everyone in corner which sounded like footsteps.
02.23 Tori said she had seen a shape like a human leg through the glass door in front of her. 2 loud bangs heard. Thought to be Terry who had gone down into the cellar.
02.25 Terry was asked if the banging had been him but he said it was not.
02.26 Another shuffle heard by everyone by the pool table.
02.28 Natalie heard shuffling again then the glass on the table 'jumps' and gives everyone a fright.
02.36 Spirit asked to make a noise. Noise heard by the bar. Terry asked if it was caused by him. He heard it too and said he hadn't caused it.
02.45 Tori sensed a figure sitting beside her on the bench
02.50 Katrina sees a white blob move from right to left at the top of the stairs to the pool table. Natalie also sees a white shape.
02.55 Fast footsteps heard outside on the path assumed to be somebody running down tothe pub door and back up the hill again.
At just after 3am
Terry deided to go upstairs for a break and locked the 4 team members into the back bar (there is a fire exit for a quick escape). After going to the bathroom, the team returned to sit at the coffee table. A second voice reorder was started and left on top of the pool table. The trigger object experiment was now finished as the camcorder tape had ended and the objects had not moved any. The 4 team members sat quietly on the bench and Natalie decided to attempt automatic writing.
03.30 Several noises were heard from behind the bar during this time and the area was examined to see if the cause of the bumps and scrapes could be found. Nothing was discovered that could be causing these noises which were like dull scrapes.
03.45 Tori sensed a dark human form standing on the middle of the bar as if looking down on us. The camcorder was aimed at the particular area but nothing untoward was filmed.
03.50 Tori called out for the spirit she was sensing to make itself known. A tuneful whistle was heard by everyone just after. Each team member had thought it was the others as it had sounded so close. Nobody had whistled.
04.00 Natalie stops writing. Much to her surprise, she had written a name - Seymour Lesley.
Terry returned and the investigation ended.
Information gained from glass divination:
1. Male with the initials F S who used to work at the pub. Visits because he loves the place. Born in 1812, married and had 1 child.
2. Male with first initial M (possibly Martin) and surname Johnstone. Died at the pub in a fire along with his pregnant wife. Is buried in the graveyard next door. Has unfinished business and is looking for money taken from him before the fire. Lived in Tayport.
Corner where shuffling was heard  |
Bar where noises were heard  |
EVP
1. The male voice here was not heard at the time by the 4 women present. No men were in the buiding at this time. The voice was also recorded on a second recording device. There appears to be 5 syllables or words.
2. This whistle was heard by everyone present and thought to be in the room. Each person thought one of the others had whistled as it was so close. Nobody had whistled. This was also recorded on video. Listen carefully as it is quiet.
3. Listen carefully and you will hear a male voice speaking over the top of Natalie as she asks a question. It sounds like the voice recorded earlier. This was not heard by any of the team in the room at the time it was recorded. No men were present.
The team members all have their own opinions as to what is being said. We will not make this known for the time being as we do not want to influence the listener. Comments are welcome, however, and we are keen to hear what everyone else thinks is being said on the EVPs 1 and 3. Feel free to contact us to let us know or to add a post on the forum.
Conclusion
Review of findings
EVP/Audio On playing back our recordings voices were heard which cannot be explained. As mentioned above, the 4 women were left locked in the bar from 3am onwards. There was no tv, radio, mobile phone or walkie talkie in use at the time. We were surprised to hear a male sounding voice at 2 separate times.
The first voice appears to be in response to Natalie's requeat for a sign. It is quite loud and consists of 5 syllables/words. This voice was recorded on 2 voice recorders. The first was situated near the team on a coffee table in front of them. This device used an internal microphone. The second recorder was situated further away on top of the pool table and used an external microphone. The voice is much louder on the first recorder and is actually louder than Natalie's voice which is strange as we did not hear it at the time. It is slightly quieter on the second device but still loud. This leads us to believe that whatever made the voice was quite close to the team. Various explanations have been offered but discounted. It was not the voice of a passer-by as we did not hear it and would have commented for benefit of the recordings. There were no male people present at the time as Terry had gone up to the flat prior to this time and returned afterwards.
Another voice is recorded some time later and again before Terry returned. It appears to be the same voice as before and is also quite loud. The fact that it occurs at the same time as Natalie is speaking makes it difficult to hear.
A whistle is recorded and seems to be in response to Tori's request for a sign. Everybody present heard it at the time and automatically assumed it was another team member. It was not, however. It sounded as f it had come from inside the room. The only explanation is that this was either a person or a bird outside. The whistle was recorded on video as well. Interestingly, Mike had asked Helen, the owner, at our pre-investigation visit if anybody had reported hearing whistling in the pub as he had the impression of a man sitting in the bar idly whistling. Helen said she had not heard of any reports of that.
A female voice was recorded, both on video and on the first voice recorder, earlier in the evening during glass divination. Natalie heard shuffling by the pool table and comments this is followed by a faint female sounding voice which is none of the team. The content is approprate to what is happening but we will not say what we think it is saying just yet. A video clip including this voice will be added to the site.
Several noises were heard throughout the investigation - from behind the bar and in the corner by the fire exit. The noises from behind the bar are more readily explained due to the presence of pipes, lights and fridge there. The shuffling up by the pool table, is not so easily expalined as nothing could be found to be the cause.
Video/Photo Several orbs were caught on camera in both bars. There are various theories as to what causes these and we will leave this open for you to decide.
Trigger Object The trigger object did not move.
EMF No unexplainable readings were noted.
Temperature No fluctuations in room temperature were recorded. The temperature decreased as the night progressed which is to be expected after the building became empty.
Glass Divination/Automatic Writng None of the names or facts relating to the pub have been verified but research is ongoing. Very little is known about the history of the pub but it is hoped that local people or regular customers might be able to verify or refute any of the information given. It is now thought that the name Seymour Lesley could actually be Lesley Seymour. The surname Leslie is more common and Lesley as a first name. Important documents in times gone by would list people by surname first so it is possible that this is the case here.
Please note that the clucking noise has now been explained- a member of staff recently informed us that the Guiness fridge makes this noise from time to time.
Conclusion
After reviewing the evidence, it is the team's opinion that the Auld Hoose public house is an active location with high energy in places. Any spirit present does not appear to be residual in nature and seems to attempt to interact with those present. Nothing malevolent was sensed in the property.
There's more . . .
