June 2022 – 17 Degrees Mag

Lynne and Gary are a husband and wife who share a love of Scottish history and ghost hunting. Together they operate History and Horror Tours; which they are now bringing to Bannockburn House in Stirling.

The couple have a passion for making history accessible and telling the real, personal stories of people from long ago. Their tours aren’t about dates and names; they share the little anecdotes that turn characters into people.

Gary has been telling Jacobite stories for over 20 years, long before Outlander was on our screens! Being dyslexic, he is able to read a history book and then bring it to life for others in story form.

He decided to become a tour guide after being on a tour in Edinburgh, where a guide said that the Romans didn’t get this far North – which isn’t true! He thought to himself, if you’re going to tell a story, it needs to be right! He got a job with Mercat Tours in Edinburgh and worked in the vaults. Even though he didn’t have the required history degree, they recognised that he knew his stuff! He was driving all the way from Perthshire each day, so his employer suggested he stay on at night to do the ghost tours, and this is when he really found his passion for dark history.

Lynn went to school in Linlithgow and grew up playing around the palace. This is where she discovered her love of history and being surrounded by it. She was also intrigued by the paranormal side of history and the stories of the people who used to walk the halls of the castle.

In 2005, the couple started walking tours of Perth. Gary at that point was researching lots and writing his own history books telling the stories of real people. They then got the inspiration to start ghost tours of Castle Menzies. With all his research, Gary was aware of the dark history that had happened there and knew that there were stories to tell! Including the story of three redcoats who were killed by a clan chief. He wanted to bring these stories to life. Gary says: ”Even people who don’t believe in ghosts; love a ghost story.” The tours were extremely popular, as they say the dark side of history gets you!

Lynn says: “Our ghost tours are the closest thing you’ve got to a time machine. We are telling real personal stories of people who have lived and worked in the castle/house.”

They were both keen to explore the tales of the past at Bannockburn House, Stirling, and are now offering a nighttime tour of the house, which is so active that it is fast becoming known as the most haunted house in Central Scotland. The couple told us several spooky stories of ghosts they’ve encountered and unexplained events during their horror tours that have turned non-believers into believers.

They’re both incredibly passionate about the work they do and the tales they tell. They in-still this in the guides that work for them. Gary says: “You’ve got to put the same passion to a group of 3 or group of 30. They all deserve to have a memorable experience.”

The tour averages an hour and a half long, depending on how many spooky things happen! Not only is Bannockburn House very active, it has a fantastic history that Gary and Lynn are passionate about promoting. During their tours, they tell the local stories of the ghosts they encounter, and they encourage people to come back for the daytime tour to explore and discover the history. They offer their evening tours from April-October every Thursday night.

Book your haunted house tour!

historyandhorrortours@hotmail.com

0784 0094 667

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-haunted-house-tour-tickets-161748856183

*Warning: This site has a reputation of being an active paranormal location, therefore this tour is not for the faint-hearted.

How They Met

Scott Blair, who is originally from Grangemouth, just so happened to meet the love of his life down in London in 2017. Alex, now his wife, was studying Musical Theatre alongside Scott’s younger sister Laura. They crossed paths on a night out and ended up chatting for ages. They exchanged numbers after they’d taken a few shots and Scott plucked up the courage to ask!

But they didn’t quite see how the long-distance relationship would work, and nothing happened for a few weeks. It didn’t take long for them to realise that they had met someone very special, and what was the harm in trying. And they’ve never looked back.

The Proposal

The pair quickly became besotted and became accustomed to the short flight to and from London and Scotland to see each other often. Scott realised that Alex was the one quite quickly in their relationship. Traditionally, he asked her dad, John, for her hand in marriage and was delighted when he gave his blessing.

Scott planned the proposal for a weekend Alex was up visiting. He booked their favourite local Italian restaurant, Chianti, and took her out for a lovely meal. He’d put the ring in his jacket pocket and was worried sick the whole meal as he left it in the cloak room without thinking! The meal was absolutely delicious and when it came round to dessert Scott quickly texted his mum, Angela, to get the rose petals and candles sorted. He had planned to propose to Alex as soon as they got home.

When they walked in, Alex quickly got busy sorting some washing in the bedroom and Scott was racking his brains as to how he was going to get her to walk into the living room so that she could see what he had in store for her! He pretended to not be able to find the remote and as she came ready to show him exactly where he had left it. And, voilà, her life was changed forever as Scott was down on one knee ready to ask her the biggest question of her life. Alex quickly said yes and was absolutely over the moon as she too knew that he was the one!

Wedding Planning

Alex finished her degree in London and decided to trade the big smoke for the big flare and moved in with Scott in his flat in Grangemouth. They then grew to a family of three when they brought Leo, their full of life Golden Labrador, home. The couple both work at Thornbridge Sawmills in Grangemouth and love spending as much time as possible together.

After the first lockdown, they purchased a beautiful family home in Falkirk. At this point, wedding plans were well underway. Luckily, the couple had chosen a long engagement and to wait three years until 2022 to get married. This meant that their wedding was unaffected by severe Covid-19 restrictions.

They got married at the stunning Sherbrooke Castle Hotel in Glasgow on the 19th of February 2022. There were 84 of their family and friends present during the day, joined by 30 more at night. People travelled from far and wide to attend; especially Alex’s older brother Sam, who made it over from Canada.

It was a crisp, sunny February day and the couple were so excited to finally become husband and wife. Alex got ready at her family home in Shawlands accompanied by her parents and bridesmaids, and Scott got ready at their home in Falkirk with his best man Ben and groomsman Jamie.

There weren’t many dry eyes when Alex walked down the aisle, looking like a fairy tale princess. They were married in a humanist ceremony with many Scottish traditions such as hand fasting. A special moment happened when Scott’s grandad wrapped Alex in a tartan shawl, to officially welcome her to the Blair clan! The couple wrote their own wedding vows; promising to never take a second with each other for granted.

After the ceremony it was time to capture pictures to treasure for a lifetime. The sun shone as the couple smiled alongside their nearest and dearest. Then came the speeches and a delicious meal, followed by an evening of dancing the night away. The couple choose the song ‘The One’ by Kodaline as their first dance as husband and wife. Alex then had a choreographed dance with her father; with a background in musical theatre, this was a must! There were also a few social dancing songs played, followed by an evening of chart hits from Los Perros. It was an evening to remember forever.

We’d like to wish Mr and Mrs Blair a long, happy life together.

Supplier List:

Photographers: Canvas and Peach
Videographer: One3Media
Humanist: Wendy Dallas from Fuze
Venue: Sherbrooke Castle Hotel
Cake: Cakes-n-Crafts
Decorator: Make Believe
Florist: Flowers by Cherry
Dress: Bijoux Bridal
Kilts: JH Kilt hire
Mothers’ Outfits: Frox of Falkirk
Band: Los Perros