Investigation Report
Scottish Maritime Museum, Irvine Investigation - 8th September 2007
(Linthouse Engine Shop)
In attendance were:-
Ian McCallum - WOSPR Founder
Alison McCallum - WOSPR Co-Founder
Susan Cocozza - Investigator
Tommy Miller - Investigator
Vince Cocozza - Investigator-in-training
History of the Linthouse
Engine Shop
The Linthouse Engine Shop was built in 1872 based on the designs of Naval
Architect John Frederick Spencer. The original building was added to with
various extensions during the next hundred years or so until it was finally
dismantled brick-by-brick in 1988. It was then transported from Govan, Glasgow
down to Irvine, Ayrshire and rebuilt brick-by-brick in 1991.
The total floor surface area is approximately 3716 square metres (40,000 square
feet).
Investigative Report
We arrived at the Scottish Maritime Museum at about 21.30 hrs and waited for the rest of our group to arrive. Susan, Tommy and Vince arrived shortly after 21.45 hrs with a car full of gear and enthusiasm. Looming over us was the Linthouse Engine Shop which we entered for a pre-investigation briefing and setup. This imposing building would be our investigation location for the rest of the evening.
The main aim of tonight’s investigation is to test the “residual haunt” theory aka the “stone tape” theory, the idea that strong emotions “embed” themselves into the very fabric of the building. The Linthouse Engine Shop was never actually used at this location, having been dismantled brick by brick in 1988 from its former location in Govan, Glasgow and rebuilt in 1991 at its present location in Irvine Ayrshire.
After a quick briefing on the layout of the place and a description of what that night’s events were to be, I went into the Irvine Boat Builders display area and setup a locked-off camcorder mounted on a tripod and audio recorder with trigger object. This area was selected after a “recce” of the building a week earlier after I had strange feelings and a vague sense of being watched, etc. The area was secured by the means of an IR motion sensor.
After this, Vince and I began to assemble the new DVR system that the group has purchased. This was our first time using our own DVR system, so we were all keen to see how it was going to perform. We found a table to use for the DVR recorder and monitor. The DVR system was going to be monitor continuously throughout the night by means of a rota system. The first CCTV camera was positioned towards a static lifeboat which had capsized during a huge storm killing all the crew on board.
After running out the associated cables and positioning the CCTV camera, we turned our attention towards the second area of interest to be covered by a CCTV camera – a small fibreglass rowing boat used in two unsuccessful attempts to cross the Atlantic Ocean. This boat has some history attached to it as the person rowing it got rescued during the first attempt and became missing, presumed drowned during the second attempt. We also placed an audio recorder next to the CCTV camera covering this area.
During the setup phase of the DVR system, Susan and Tommy were tasked with obtaining baseline readings of this massive building. They covered all the public areas and gathered both EMF and temperature readings which were recorded at the time. During this time, Susan heard what she thought was a penny or tin whistle playing a few notes near to a smallish racing yacht. We couldn’t trace the location or source of this sound as it was fleeting. This wouldn’t be the first time tonight that sounds were heard and no positive source or location found.
After this preliminary part of the investigation was over, it was time to move onto the main part with Alison leading the way.
As Vince monitored the DVR system we moved off towards the Lathes and Machine Pits area. Susan reported feeling uncomfortable in an area close to here, this area was the Irvine Boat Builders section where I had felt strange too. It was in the gangway between the Lathes and Machine Pits that Susan’s camcorder developed a fault with the lens cap mechanism, which reported the lens cap shut even when open. After a brief walk around on the walkway, we made our way to a viewing area looking down onto the Stores. Not much was noted during this period of overlooking the Stores area so we moved onto the next area which was below some mounted ship figure heads.
These figure heads seemed a little creepy in the dark and I felt a little as if their eyes were following us. It was shortly after this that I turned around to face where we’d just been as I felt we were being watched from that area. Alison also comments that she felt there was more than just the four of us walking around. Just outside the Irvine Boat Builder’s area, Tommy complained of feeling dizzy. Alison also mentioned feeling dizzy there too. In this area the floors felt a little uneven and this compounded with the darkness could have left people feeling a sense of dizziness.
The next area of interest was the small fibreglass rowing boat that Vince and I had setup a CCTV camera to watch earlier. There was a strange, almost man-shaped stain inside the boat (pareidolia) that added to general creepiness of this artefact, I couldn’t help but think of the person that had lost his life in connection with this boat. Whilst standing beside the boat Alison got the impression to wave to someone up in the cabin of the lifeboat which sits near to the rowing boat. Not much was happening here so we moved off again. Just after leaving here Tommy reported a feeling of not being alone by the boat.
We moved onto the Patterns and Models as our next area to be investigated. At this point I thought I heard a voice in the distance as did Susan, Tommy also reporting something, namely movement from the corner of his eye.
Quickly moving onto the area near the lifeboat, Susan spotted what she thought was a pair of feet behind a partition screen. This wasn’t the only time this was reported by several of us. There was a strong backlight coming in from outside, so this may have had some influence upon what was seen.
Time for us to move onto the Steam and Diesel Engine display to investigate these fascinating pieces of marine history. After investigating this area for sometime, nothing notable was observed apart from a slight temperature drop that could be accounted for due to the layout of the surrounding structures. We made our way past the Customer Services desk and onto the Canoes section.
With interest we noted a cabin or similar type structure at the bottom end of the display. It was noted that it appeared to have fish patterned wallpaper on it which was strange yet topical given the location and subject. Nothing much else was observed here so we decided to walk on a bit.
Moving back into the Steam and Diesel Engine display we were attracted to a small varnished wooden structure that may have been some type of small “bothy” for the crew on the deck of a ship or boat. Whilst our attention was on this small structure, Alison spotted a small moving blue light near to the end of the Steam display. We ventured down there and took a look. We also unsuccessfully tried to recreate the light as well, Vince suggested that the light maybe a light shining through the gap in some doors at the bottom of the display area. The light however was off at this time and it was speculated this was a security light on a timer.
We made our way back up to the tables near the DVR system as this was our base of operations for the night so that we could have a tea break. After a well earned tea break we got back to the task in hand…
Back at the small fibreglass rowing boat, I thought I noticed something or someone in the cabin of the lifeboat nearby. After thinking about it a little I realised it could have been the low light levels combined with looking into a bright camcorder screen. Shortly after this Vince reports here a conversation again that we both heard earlier, but he put this down to the fact that it could have been passers-by outside.
Moving back into the Irvine Boat Builders display, we noted that the trigger object experiment hadn’t moved and the audio recorder was still running. As I had my back to the doorway into this display, I felt as if someone was at my back in the distance. Upon turning round there was no-one there, just as I had expected. We checked this area in front of an old upturned postal boat for EMF, but the reading was only 0.1mG.
We had to make our way quickly back to the mall fibreglass boat to fix a fault on the CCTV camera covering that area. Upon arriving there, Vince heard a conversation again, this time more a whispery type. Nothing was recorded on the camcorder, but the audio recorder in that area picked up a faint whisper earlier on.
Heading back to the base area to change the video tape on the camcorder, Susan told us that she’d been feeling cold and anxious for about 10 minutes since the lights outside the building had cut out.
Back at the Machine Pits, Susan recounts the full extent of her old feelings which started before the outside lights had cut out. We had discussed the possibility of the feelings just being anxiousness caused by the darkness, but as this started before the “lights out” then it may have been other reasons.
I believe that I heard voices from somewhere in the building that weren’t ours. As we were near the main round outside, I would have been able to ascertain if the voices were coming from there – they weren’t. Susan tells us that when she felt cold, that she also heard voices coming from the bottom of the Steam Engine display area – the same general vicinity Alison had saw a blue light earlier on in the investigation.
Unto the Pattern and Turbine Models display I felt a little apprehensive because of the looming darkness, but nothing much was observed or felt here so we moved off.
Coming up to the area that houses the lifeboat, we came across an old rusty hull where I thought I heard a distant conversation again. Susan got a fright when she thought she saw two people sitting in the old rusty hull, but it was just the way her torch was lighting up the boat – nevertheless, still scary. I actually thought I saw it myself. After this we moved into the lifeboat display area to see if we could find out the cause of us seeing these mysterious feet and legs. A silly barking dog distracted us somewhat.
Onwards towards the Irvine Boat Builders display where again nothing much was reported apart from Susan felt dizzy, as did Tommy. It seems that this area seems to have a peculiar “feel” to it as several of us have felt strange here. Both environmental and psychological factors could be at work here though.
For the last time tonight, we went to the fibreglass boat and I checked the second trigger object experiment for movement – again nothing had moved.
Just as we were about to wrap up for the night, I thought I heard a male voice coming from the direction of the offices towards the bottom end of the Steam and Diesel Engine display. We finished the investigation at this point and packed up for the night.
I would like to take the opportunity to thank Bridget of the Scottish Maritime Museum for letting us investigation with unique and important building. Also Stuart the Security Officer at the Maritime Museum for being so accommodating and putting up with us till the wee hours of the morning.
Results:
Baseline test results were as follows: - Maximum temperature of 18.3°C at the start of the investigation falling to a low of 16.8°C. There was a constant reading of 0mG throughout the entire area of the investigation.
No video anomalies were detected.
2 potential EVP’s were captured during the investigation on the audio recorder at CCTV cam 2.
Conclusion… With no video evidence and 2 possible EVP’s, it’s impossible to label this location as haunted. However, we all had personal experiences – some of which maybe due to environmental and psychological factors. There maybe something going on at the Linthouse Engine Shop, if there is, it appears to be elusive and a bit on the shy side. We’d love to come back for a longer investigation and with more equipment to try to get further answers…
Investigation Video
Daytime Location Photograph
Investigation Photographs
Here’s a link to the Scottish Maritime Museum’s website…
http://www.scottishmaritimemuseum.org/
Copyright © 2007 WOSPR.