Scottish Castle Ghost Photo Puzzles Experts

A tourist took a photo (above) at a Scottish castle that appears to include a figure in 15th Century period dress peering out an upper floor barred window, the Sun in the United Kingdom reports.

Experts who have examined the photo state that it was not photoshopped and not a mannequin.

From the Sun:

The scary shot was unearthed during the biggest ever investigation into photographic evidence of ghosts.

Tantallon Castle, a ruined fortress dating back to the 14th century, stands on a remote rocky headland near North Berwick on the East coast of Scotland. It was badly damaged in an attack by Oliver Cromwell’s forces in 1651.

Christopher Aitchison, who took the photo, said: “I was not aware of anyone, or anything, being present in my picture."

The photo was taken last May.

The public was invited to submit their photos for the experts to analyze and the best ones were posted at www.scienceofhauntings.com.

To read the Sun's full article, go here.

Haunted Patriotic Hall

Down on Figueroa Street near Washington Blvd. stands the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall. It is a familiar landmark in Los Angeles.

The Hall's history (from the Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs website):

The Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA)began with the purchase of a 3-story abandoned church building located on the side of the present staff's parking lot, prior to 1900. That building was remodeled and became known as Victory Hall. Following World War I, Victory Hall was soon outgrown and plans were laid to create a new multi-story building. Bob Hope Patriotic Hall, as we see it today, was opened to the public in September 1926.

Owned and operated by the County of Los Angeles, Bob Hope Patriotic Hall is a practical and living memorial to veterans. It was dedicated by the Board of Supervisors in 1926. Members of the Grand Army of the Republic, veterans of Indian Wars, Spanish American War veterans and World War I veterans were among the first to use the facilities. The building was designed by Allied Architects Association and has been awarded the Certificate of Honor by the Southern California chapter of the American Society of Architects because of its exceptional merit. Its design is Romanesque with fine vaulted arch construction in the lobby.

The Hall is currently undergoing renovation, which is scheduled to be completed in 2010.

One interesting aspect to the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall is that it is reportedly haunted. There have been some deaths at the Hall since its 1926 opening. One elderly veteran was found dead while seated in one of the upper floors during a social gathering not too long after the Hall's opening. Another reported death was the suicide of a female in one of the Hall's restrooms.

Recently, it has been reported that apparitions have been seen. One man saw a transparent woman dressed in red glide across the floor. Another person reported that an office chair in the Hall's lobby suddenly started rocking on its own. And two other people reported seeing a gray figure emerge from the first floor auditorium's doorway (the doors remained closed) and zip across the main lobby only to disappear into a corner.

Several security guards have experienced strange manifestations and generally try to avoid sitting in the Hall, preferring to sit in their cars instead.

I have been in the Bob Hope Patriotic Hall a number of times and never witnessed anything unusual. Maybe one of these days I might get lucky in an upcoming visit.

Trivia: Several scenes from the movie Flashdance were filmed in the Hall.

White House Ghost?

Back during the Truman Administration, the White House underwent an extensive renovation.  The executive mansion was gutted during this work.  While the White House was being renovated, the Trumans lived in Blair House, located across the street.  It was during that period that an assassination attempt was made against Truman.

Last night, Joshua P. Warren was on Coast-To-Coast AM with George Noory and mentioned a photo of the White House interior with a photo of an apparent ghost.

According to Warren, "A few years ago, Bob Martin was reading David McCullough's book Truman, and a photo of construction in the White House caught his eye. It was taken during remodeling around 1950 by National Parks Service photographer Abbie Rowe. The apparent apparition is clear and startling. Compared to the other men in the photo, its size scale is accurate. And if this were due to some motion or long exposure effect, the rest of the photo should be affected, as well."

 

Here is the photo (click on for full view):



Here is a closer look at what appears to be a ghost (click on for full view):



And here is a blow-up of the apparition:



Interesting, eh? What do you think?