NEWS RELEASE 25th July, 2016
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Who you gonna call? Ghostbunkers!
This weekend seen the release of the long-awaited remake of the film Ghostbusters- which now tops the UK & Ireland box office with £4.39 million. With all the ghost-busting around it's not a surprise there has been some paranormal activity spotted closer to home- at one of Scotland's favourite tourist attractions.
Scotland's Secret Bunker, formerly an underground nuclear command centre built to help safeguard Scotland during the Cold War, has had a spate of apparently paranormal activity recently at its location near St. Andrew's, Fife.
During the last month, photos of ghostly apparitions, an incident in which a woman fainted, and apparent connections with several spirits have had visitors and paranormal experts scratching their heads.
In one of the photos, two figures are seen at the end of the long corridor that forms the entry to the bunker, which is situated 100 feet underground. In another set of snaps in a room that served as an office, a ghostly presence appears in one photo but not in another one taken directly before it.
Visitor Matthew Pattinson only discovered the two before and after photos when flicking through his phone with a friend. "I only remember taking the first photo. It's like my phone took the other one itself and it even lightened it. You can make out what looks like the sideways view of someone's head and a nose. I'm getting chills just talking about it," he said.
For Matthew and his fiancé, the spooky happenings haven't stopped there. Since they returned to their home in Carlisle, objects have been moved in their bedroom and the battery on Matthew's phone, which was bought just two weeks prior to the visit, is permanently low.
The photo of what look like figures at the end of the corridor was taken by a guest on a Scottish Ghost Nights' tour of the attraction. "I think there's definitely something there. It's one of the best photos I've ever seen of apparent spirits," said Lisa Tedstill, managing director of UK Ghost Nights and Scottish Ghost Nights, which conducts regular paranormal events at the Bunker. She said the corridor was empty apart from her group at one end of it.
During a separate visit by the same company, a female visitor felt ill in the Bunker's dormitory and then fainted just as a REM pod sensor alarm - a popular piece of ghost hunting equipment - went off. The face of a man was then seen at the dormitory window. Scottish Ghost Nights' mediums have also reported connections with several spirits, most of them former military personnel who worked there.
The Secret Bunker has been a popular place to spot ghosts since it opened to the public in 1994. And while British audiences get set to see the cast of Ghostbusters tackle some spirits in the new film, the Bunker can lay claim to some real ghostbusting stories. Lisa Tedstill and Scottish Ghost Nights have already booked the attraction for two more events in December and Matthew Pattinson says he may be joining them.
James Mitchell, Managing Director of Scotland's Secret Bunker, said:
"I regularly receive reports from visitors of alleged ghost sightings. We've even had the BBC filming here looking for ghosts. And while I haven't seen any direct evidence myself, I'd love to spot a ghost here. It's certainly a place steeped in plenty of history and stories."
For 40 years Scotland's best kept secret, The Secret Bunker was hidden beneath a farmhouse 100 feet underground. The nuclear command centre, still with specialist communications equipment intact, was decommissioned in the late 1980s.
The Bunker is open 7 days a week from 10am with last admission at 5pm. As well as being open for public and school tours, the bunker is also available for hire, including as a wedding venue.
Dropbox link to images: https://www.dropbox.com/s/vlxset50jus6dhc/Secret%20Bunker%20-%20Ghosts.zip?dl=0
To find out more about Scotland's Secret Bunker, www.secretbunker.co.uk or call 01333 310301
To find out more about UK Ghost Nights visit www.ukghostnights.co.uk
Ghostbusters is in cinemas from Friday July.
For further information, contact Fraser Kirk on 01738 700 134 or email f.kirk@volpa.co.uk