The Castle of St John, Stranraer sets the scene for an evening of hidden history and haunting tales, brought to you by Mostly Ghostly Tours. Secret Stranraer – a brand new storytelling event – will debut during the first ever Stranraer Oyster Festival. This Saturday, 16th September, Mostly Ghostly will run two Secret Stranraer tours, giving guests the chance to explore the fascinating past of the town and nearby areas, including: Glenluce, Leswalt and Portpatrick.
Team Founder Kathleen Cronie tells us more:
“We’re thrilled to be joining in this year’s landmark festivities and have enjoyed every aspect of working with the Oyster Festival team and our friends at Stranraer Castle. On Saturday night, we’ll welcome guests to this remarkable 500-year-old building, before unearthing its past lives, revealing a collection of curious and thought-provoking stories. The tour will feature everything from crime and justice to poltergeist activity, and a glimpse into a dark period known as The Killing Times…”
Giving his views on the venture, Team Member John Hill said:
“We love Stranraer and for a long time now, have been keen to branch out west and create something a wee bit different for people, both locally and further afield. The research process has been gripping and we’ve discovered some intriguing tales, old and new, to share with guests. People have kindly contacted us with personal experiences as well as pointing us in the direction of research materials – we’d like to thank everyone for their support!”
And what of the Castle itself? Is it haunted? Kathleen tells us more:
“We chose the castle as a venue for its beauty, atmosphere and history – we weren’t aware of any ghost stories. However, a few strange occurrences have come to light from the castle guides as well as people who’ve contacted us directly. It’ll be interesting to see if any of our guests have an eerie encounter!”
Sharing her views on the new partnership venture, Becky Toon of Stranraer Oyster Festival said:
“The Secret Stranraer tour is a great addition to the first Stranraer Oyster Festival and we are delighted to be working with the Mostly Ghostly team, one of several festival partners who are adding to the rich programme of events and activities taking place over the weekend. For anyone who is interested in finding out more about Stranraer’s secret past, this event is a must!”
Using the evocative backdrop of Stranraer Castle, the team aim to present a dramatic insight into the castle’s key roles and events, while bringing alive the rich collection of tales they’ve uncovered. They also hope to raise the profile of the area as a whole, encouraging visitors to explore Wigtownshire and The Rhinns.
Summing up, Kathleen said:
“It’s a real pleasure to be working with the Oyster Festival in this, the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology. We feel proud to be complimenting a fantastic weekend of events, and by providing a new experience for lovers of history and the supernatural, hope to encourage more visitors to Stranraer!”
- More info at mostlyghostly.org
- Secret Stranraer launches on Saturday 16th September with two tours – 6pm and 8:30pm as part of Stranraer Oyster Festival. Tickets are available online at Ticketsource HERE
- Established in 2008, Mostly Ghostly are an award-winning creators of a range of ghost and local history tours including; Dumfries Ghost Walk, Enchanting Ellisland Comlongon Ghost Tour and Heroes of the Titanic
