Is this the most haunted hotel in Scotland?

Since before we opened our B&B, we've known we were living in a haunted house. Our ghosts are well-known among the locals. We've seen the ghosts wandering around, other people have seen them, and even the cats chase them around! (Yes, the cats - both of them - are black!) Our guests are frequently woken up by bangs, clanks, and even apparitions!

So, in October 2006, we invited a team of professional ghost-hunters to come and meet our ghosts. What they found was extraordinary - "categorically ... Lunan Lodge is one of the most haunted locations we have investigated". You can read their reports here and here. Among the things they found were the spirits of previous occupants, floating 'somethings', and even entities 'living' right inside the walls. There was singing coming from empty rooms. There were odd EMF readings all over the house, which matched up with energy lines in the ground extending for miles. There were even echoes of ancient witchcraft. Alex and his team have been back several times for further visits, and have got great material each time.

Since then, we've had other teams of ghost-hunters survey the place. Mark and his team at Ghost Finders Scotland have done particularly well, and have collected some extraordinary evidence, which you can read about here.

Go on a ghost hunt!

There was so much going on we couldn't keep it to ourselves. So, if you'd like to spend a night - even longer, if you have the courage - in Scotland's most haunted B&B, if you'd like to see a real, no-longer-live ghost with your own eyes, now's your chance.

• Explore the spooky history of the house. Find out who lived here, and (more importantly) who died here.
• Who is "George", and what is his terrible story?
• Tour the local haunted sites:
  • Follow the Angus "Things that go bump in the night" trail - dozens of haunted houses, castles, and pubs, all on our doorstep.
  • Visit the gravestone which refuses to have its photograph taken.
  • Go to the ovens which were used as a prison - by monks!
• Check out the Scottish witch trials of the 17th and 18th centuries - was one of your ancestors among the hapless victims?

And finally, if you can spend a whole night in the "Shouty Man Room" without running away like a chicken, we'll give you a certificate in the morning to commemorate your bravery.

FAQ

Is it safe?

Yes, it's safe.

Actually, our ghosts have been very helpful on occasion. We've seen them wandering through walls and walking around non-existent obstructions. Based on those sightings, we've taken down walls, lifted floors , and dug up the flowerbeds - and on every occasion we've found what you'd expect: blocked-up doorways, the remains of walls, and artefacts. It's thanks to the ghosts that we now know so much about how the house used to be.

Most of our ghosts either just get on with their afterlives without bothering anybody, or are positively friendly. (Actually, we suspect that most of them don't realise they're dead!). We have one or two who are a bit more aggressive, but really they're more frightening than dangerous. Nobody has ever died at our B&B who wasn't already dead.

Why is the house so haunted?

Honestly, we don't know. But we can guess.

The house was built as a manse - the home of a minister of the church. It's on top of a hill, with extraordinary views over the bay. But it's an odd spot for a manse - it's nearly a mile from the church it served, and the minister needed a horse-drawn carriage to get to his church. The reason it was built here, we think, is that it's right on top of a whole knot of energy lines, in a region noted for its stone circles and megaliths. To the ancients, this must have been a place of immense power and significance, and we now know that people have been coming here for over 2000 years for religious purposes. Where better for a minister to live?

The present house was started just after 1745. Every Scottish schoolchild knows that date: it's the year Bonnie Prince Charlie landed and started the rebellion which eventually tore Scotland apart. The fight was, very roughly, between the lowlanders and the highlanders, and the front line went right through Montrose, just five miles to the north. As the reprisals became progressively more intense, the house would have seen a considerable amount of action.

After 3000 years of religious activity, and after being caught in the middle of the most desperate war ever fought in the UK, wouldn't you expect the house to have a ghost or two?

Am I guaranteed to meet a ghost?

Unfortunately, no. Just as there are some people who are very good at seeing ghosts, there are a few people who never see anything at all. Chances are, you're somewhere in between - you'll see or hear or feel something when the conditions are right. Naturally, you'll have your best chances of meeting a ghost if you go somewhere where there's lots of ghosts - like Lunan Lodge!

The ghosts themselves are not there all the time. Sometimes the house is buzzing with the undead, and sometimes it's just dead. Like the Scottish weather, you just have to take your chances.