Ten days of fun with phantoms! Thanks to a sharp-eyed minion in Edinburgh. (Story credited to Reuters.)
Phantom pipers, headless drummers and ghostly hounds have lured visitors to Edinburgh's ancient alleyways for decades, but scientists now believe they could be more than figments of the tourist board's imagination.
A team of ghostbusters, led by psychologist Richard Wiseman from Hertfordshire University in southeast England, claimed some spooky findings Tuesday after a 10-day probe of dingy vaults and dungeons across the Scottish capital. Spurred on by hundreds of reported sightings, Wiseman sent 240 volunteers into the cells of Edinburgh Castle -- one time home of 17th century French prisoners of war -- and cellars in the bowels of the medieval 'Old Town'.
Nearly half the guinea pigs, drawn from visitors from across the globe, reported ghostly goings-on, although few were more hair-raising than a sudden drop in temperature, a few uncomfortable drafts or a feeling of being watched. Other phantoms were more menacing: one person reported a burning sensation on the arm, and another was nearly reduced to tears by breathing noises in the corner of the room.
"The events that have been taking place in the vaults over the last 10 days are much more extreme than we expected," Wiseman said. Others felt something touch their face and tug at their clothes, Wiseman said, while another saw a man in a leather apron -- tallying with other recorded sightings.
"We are delighted by this," said Fran Hollinrake, who runs walking tours through some of the darkest doorways of the city. "People from all over the world are seeing the same things, so there must be something in it." Importantly, Wiseman said, the highest number of "experiences" came in vaults already reputed to be haunted. Relatively spookless chambers, with no recorded sightings, registered far lower on the scale even though the volunteers were never told which was which.
HIGH-TECH GHOST HUNT
Wiseman recently exposed the spirit of Catherine Howard, King Henry VIII's fifth wife who was beheaded in 1540 but is said to still stalk the corridors of London's Hampton Court Palace, as nothing more than some freak cold spots and a couple of drafty doors.
An array of high-tech gadgets checking the Edinburgh vaults for drafts, temperature, magnetic fields and lights, only came up with a large round green blob on two photographs. Although still a skeptic, Wiseman, admitted he was intrigued.
"These are only preliminary results, but already they look quite interesting. I'm closer now to being a lot more curious. Something is going on, but I won't be a believer until we get something on film." He hopes to take further readings from other celebrated hauntings -- the Tower of London could be next -- but is unlikely ever to put himself in the hot spot.
"I'm terrified of the dark," he said.
I ain't afraid of no ghost... just don't turn out the light... please?