The team started the evening by conducting a series of baseline tests around the property. This involved taking Electromagnetic meter readings, temperature readings, and photographs of all the relevant areas.
A general layout map of the property was also drawn up to enable the team to accurately record the evening’s developments.
No unusual EMF or temperature readings were recorded at this stage.
The first set of vigils was held in room 4.
Starting temperature – 21c
EMF activity – none
Trigger objects were set up on the bedside table to encourage apport or asport activity.The vigil started fairly quietly, with no unusual sounds and nothing being captured on night vision camcorder, however at
Despite repeated requests for contact, no more unusual activity was experienced or recorded in this room.
The trigger object remained in position.
VIGIL 2 – ROOM 1
Starting temperature – 20c
EMF activity – none
The second vigil started at
At
A slight temperature drop of 3 degrees was recorded during the vigil, but no unusual EMF activity.
VIGIL 3 – DINING ROOM AND FRONT LOBBY
VIGIL 4 – CELLAR
Starting temperature – average 20c
EMF activity – none
For this set of vigils the team split into 3 groups – Nadia, Adrian and Laura went to the dining room, Debbie went to the front lobby, and Kevin and Bud went down to the cellar.
No unusual activity was witnessed or recorded in the dining room or the lobby, however after around 10 minutes Kevin and Bud returned from the cellar and Kevin was clearly shaken by his experience down there. Kevin explained that during the vigil a very bad atmosphere had developed and he had felt someone blow into his ear. Photographs were taken, and orbs were captured in the area. This was accompanied by a distinct drop in temperature and both investigators felt a strong urge to leave the cellar immediately and did so.
The rest of the team decide to stop the other vigils as nothing unusual was happening, and go down to the cellar. One of our team members tried to go down the steps but felt the urge to stop and so returned upstairs.
Immediately upon entering the cellar the team felt uneasy. There was a distinct heavy and oppressive atmosphere and it was very claustrophobic feeling. The night vision camcorder refused to function despite us having no problems with it all evening. Flashes of blue light were witnessed by several investigators on the stairwell and very large orbs were caught on camera in the same area. A streak of white light was also seen with the naked eye by one investigator but the resulting photograph showed up nothing.
In response to requests for communication, the team recorded EMF fluctuations and temperature drops of around 4-5 degrees. Nadia tried to communicate with any spirit present by asking a series of questions. In response to Nadia asking ‘are you a man?’ The EMF meter bleeped twice. Nadia continued to ask the same question and was rewarded with more double bleeps on the meter. When Nadia asked if the spirit was a woman, no response was heard. Using this method of communication, the team managed to decipher that the spirit was that of a man who had lived in the early 20th century. After gaining this information the responses became unclear and so no more could be accurately gleaned. The EMF activity went quiet for a short period until Nadia asked if the spirit wanted us to leave the area. Two distinct beeps were heard on the meter. To ensure an accurate response had been recorded, Nadia asked if the spirit was happy for us to stay. No activity was experienced. Nadia asked once more if the spirit wanted us to leave and again two distinct beeps were heard.
The team then decided to leave the cellar.
The team discussed conducting a séance in the cellar, but as not all team members were happy and comfortable doing this given the experiences down there and the fact that a fully developed medium would not have been present, we decided against it.
CONCLUSION
The team were very impressed by the level of unusual activity experienced in the hotel. Light anomalies were caught on several cameras, some in conjunction with temperature drops and EMF activity. Light flashes were seen with the naked eye, including a streak of white mist in the cellar. Knockings and footsteps were also witnessed, and the distinct sound of a dog snoring in room 1 was heard by two team members. A fully developed apparition was witnessed by one investigator, albeit briefly.
Despite the uneasy feeling in the cellar area, the team agreed that the hotel has a very calming and welcoming atmosphere.
Commercial Premises
Jedburgh
This was the first investigation with our new member Paul and we would like to take this opportunity to welcome him to the team!
We had been contacted by the manager of these premises way back in February and finally got to our investigation this month. The manager and his staff had been experiencing some very strange phenomena over a period of around 7 months. Reports of strange smells, unexplained noises and the displacement of objects had taken its toll and the manager had caved in to his staffs pressure and called us!
The team arrived at around 9pm and did the usual assortment of baseline tests and photographing the different areas. Particular attention was given to the basement and back rooms as this was where most activity had been reported. Nothing worthy of note was found during these tests. We then placed some trigger objects in affected areas and set about our vigils. The team decided to do loan vigils with the manager staying with Nadia.
After patiently waiting for around 40 minutes, with no apparent activity, a loud thump was heard to the front of the basement, and Brian recorded a notable temperature fluctuation in the area. Nothing showed on the night vision cameras, and there was no EMF activity at this point. At 11.25 a short coiled shape was filmed between the basement door and the corridor where Paul was filming. To his credit, Paul remained calm and focused and was rewarded with what sounds like very low key laughter (male) recorded via camcorder. The coil was milky in appearance and appeared to dissipate slowly. Further analysis will have to be done before we can comment further on this.
Just after midnight we were called to one of the back rooms by Brian who had recorded some EMF activity and temperature fluctuation. As we entered the room and opened the door, a waft of what we believe to be pipe smoke hit us. Brian said he had smelled this upon entering the room before his vigil but felt it had gone away as he proceeded. Nothing unusual was recorded on cam.
The team experienced a variety of unexplained noises throughout the vigils, and a large dull orb was captured on cam in another of the back rooms. The pipe smoke experienced in the other room was never smelled again that night. The team held a short seance in the basement, and although a minute temperature fluctuation was recorded during requests for contact, nothing too untoward was recorded. Some of the noises we heard were difficult to ascertain with regards to location as this was a commercial premises with neighbouring inhabitants.
On return from our investigation as we were analysing the footage, the night vision webcam that had been set up in a back room showed a very slow moving orb that came from a doorway and hovered between the laptop table and a chair. The orb then moved slowly out of shot. Nobody was in this room at the time recorded. Photographs showed several orb like substances, including a similar coil shaped anomaly in the corridor. No trigger objects were moved. EVP recordings were minimal other than the laughter described before, and are all being analysed via computer. any findings and we will report these here at a later date.
The manager was delighted with our investigation and is going to be contacting a medium in due course to come into the premises and perform a cleansing.
Many thanks to the manager for this opportunity.
We hope we can return one day and see if we can back up our findings!
HOTEL - EDINBURGH
JUNE 2007
GUEST INVESTIGATOR - SANDRA
Hawick Paranormal were delighted to be given the opportunity to investigate this beautiful and historic hotel in the east end of Edinburgh.
Built in the 1800s and having read the background information kindly given to us by the Hotel Owners, the team were very keen to undertake this investigation, not least because it had been almost 3 months in the planning!
The hotel comprises of 8 bedrooms a reception area dining room 10 bathrooms kitchen two lounges bar cellar and storage rooms.
Activity reported here appeared to be mainly concerning the kitchen and storage rooms so it was here that we spent most of our time.
The usual baseline tests and photographs were taken and recorded. The night vision webcam was set up to the left of the kitchen overlooking the massive worktable and from this angle the door leading to the larder and a storage room could be seen clearly. Trigger objects were positioned on the worktable and on the door. The team proceeded with the vigils which started at 23.00
Throughout the first hour or so the team witnessed a couple of strange phenomena. Firstly, the team heard a scuffling noise which appeared to come from the worktable. The trigger object (A large knife) was unmoved however on replaying the webcam footage a mist-like substance can be seen hovering under the table before dissipitating fairly rapidly without moving out of shot. The team also photographed a small orb which appeared to move erratically from the larder door across to the right hand side of the worktable.
The team agreed that there was a distinct feeling about this room and the air was very heavy and still (accounting for the weather conditions) Temperature readings were fairly consistant and no EMF activity was recorded at this time.
The team moved on to an upper bedroom and set up the equipment in room 7. We left the laptop and webcam in the kitchen along with the trigger objects.
During this vigil, our guest investigator for the evening Sandra, reported feeling something brush past her as she was standing beside the window. No draughts could be felt. We had several temperature fluctuations in this room, one time going from a steady 12-14 degrees to 4. During this drop the EMF meter recorded a little fluctuation but was not consistant. Several light anomalies were recorded via digital camera, and one on a night vision camcorder. The latter appears bluish in hue and hovered above the bed before completely dissappearing without moving. Sandra, who has some psychic abilities reported feeling slightly sick and that her head hurt in this room. She said she wasnt getting any names but felt that there was a young presence in the room, definitely female and perhaps about 14-16 years old. Although we were unaware of this at the time, the hotel owners had received similar reports from guests over the years, although these reports suggested the girl to be around 10 years old.
The team decided to do another vigil in the kitchen and storage rooms. When we returned, neither trigger object had been moved.
This time round, the team experienced several audible phenomena.
Again, there was a scratching noise coming from the worktable. The noise was slow and deep, nothing that would come from an live animal. It was extremely eerie and set the hairs on our necks standing! The team also heard a thumping noise coming from the walk in larder. Closer inspection was futile and the team could not decipher what this could have been. There seemed no plausible explanation. We called out for contact, and twice were rewarded with a tapping noise that again, seemed to come from the worktable. We asked questions but couldnt decipher a satisfactory response. Footage from the night vision webcam showed a couple of light anomalies but nothing else.
The team were getting a little frustrated because we felt that we were so close to experiencing some real interesting phenomena if only we could prompt it! Despite several more attempts at contact and exhausting ourselves with questions we felt were getting nowhere. We also understood that our anxieties here and our frustrations were likely to negate any positive activity from occuring so we took a break.
After a half hour we regrouped and set about a further vigil, again in the kitchen. We decided to dust the worktop with a light coating of flour to see if we could catch some activity this way. We were also careful to disregard any orbs after this!
However despite staying for another hour, the team recorded minimal activity. A slight temperature fluctuation and a few bleeps on the EMF in response to a question then nothing.
Even the air seemed lighter now, and the team realised they had exhausted this one for the time being.
Perhaps a further investigation another time would be useful
Thanks again to the Hotel owners and to Sandra