This is the second time In Pure Spirit has written about Inverarary Jail and hauntings. In May of this year, we had a copy of a ghostly blur caught on camera in front of “Cell X” in the Scottish jail.
We were also able to report that Ghost Finders Scotland had good samples of Electronic Voice Phenomenon and that Spectre, the paranormal researchers, ad recorded a dramatic temperature drop in cell 9 of the old jail building.
What we also now is that in May – around May the 12th – Most Haunted were visiting the jail and filming in. We learn this from the Inverary Jail Twitter account which now sadly seems to be out of action.
This their tweet;
“’Most Haunted’ team great fun and stirred up quite a response from our ‘inmates’!”
If you want to follow InverararyJail then sign into Twitter and visit @InveraryJail. At the time of posting they only have 21 followers so they could o with some more contacts. While you’re there then follow @inpurespirit too as we tweet additional information and updates.
So what might the Most Haunted crew have found?
We know that in July the jail started a blog. There might be some clues from there – the discovery of Burke and Hare’s life and death masks along with a genuine hangman’s noose were found in an old storeroom, for example.
There’s nothing to suggest that either Burke or Hare ever had anything to do with Inverary Jail. After murdering at least 16 people, selling their bodies on to medical science, they were caught and Burke was hanged. Hare turned Kings Evidence and is thought to have died a penniless beggar in the States. Burke’s body was skinned and dissected.
The blog also suggests the jail’s kitchen is a sport of paranormal activity. According to Gavin Dick, Inveraray Jail’s manager, people have reported the sensation of someone cowering behind the kitchen door.
We also know that the jail and courthouse, established on the shores of Loch Fyne back in 1820, was used to house men, women and children. Yvette Fielding, in particular, tends to be especially sensitive when the possible spirits of children are around and so watching her closely may be a good idea.
From prisoner records we also know that the jail held many insane prisoners over the years – people like Janet MacDonald who spent 168 days in Inverary in 1844 after both Dundee and Edinburgh lunatic asylums reviewed to take her.
There are also prisoners like Donald Campbell who we know was admitted to Inveraray Jail in November 1835 where he was declared a lunatic and died a year later in April 1836.
Archibald MacLellan is an even more interesting character. He was admitted to Inveraray Jail in June 1826 after he killed his own child with a stool. There were witnesses to the crime and they all agreed that the stress of trying to manage a family of 10 children had ruined his mind. In jail, he was considered to be of fair character. The Prison Register states that he reached “now quite sound but has not been able to find caution.” Surely such a figure would be a perfect candidate to linger on?
This post is scheduled to go live a few hours before the Inverary Jail Most Haunted episode. Let us know how accurate you think we’ve been.
In Pure Spirit
The Jail is open to visitors and is a living museum and does run ghost hunting nights.
Are you a fan or foe of Most Haunted? Let us know… especially interested to hear guesses as to what Most Haunted Live: The 8 Faces of Evil might feature.
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