Nightclub noises and lights did not deter Lanarkshire Paranormal from investigating The Sma’ Shot Cottages in Paisley, one of its co-founders STEFAN RICHARDS reports
An unlikely location.
There is nothing like the excitement of a large castle or a derelict hospital, the creepy atmosphere adds to the thrills associated with paranormal investigating. But never overlook the small and even cosy-looking places sited around our cities.
We were reminded of this when visiting an unlikely location, The Sma’ Shot Cottages in Paisley.
Being a charitable organisation, we agreed to investigate the cottages with the public along in order to raise funds for this quaint little location. With a nightclub situated next door and the noise bellowing out, upon arrival, the team were uneasy about the success of this location which grew as we set the camera system up and got a feel of the place.
How are we going to successfully call out with all that night club noise? And are we all going to spread out enough to get any activity without hearing each other? All this on our minds expecting a long and uneventful investigation… how wrong we were.
The teams made decided, the cameras rolling, were ready to begin.
The first location was the area nearest the nightclub, the noise was horrendous. People queuing for the bar outside, calling out became more like shouting out (dawning on us now that a Saturday night was not the greatest idea here).
After 20 minutes of nothing, we noticed the area getting really dark. Dark to a point where the street lights shining into the room through gaps in the window shutters were no longer silhouetting the antique looms and other furnishings in the room.
People had to use their night vision cameras now just to see where they were walking. It was then we noticed the small bird cages hanging from the giant wooden looms swinging quite violently.
Being a solid stone floor and everyone far away from the looms themselves, we found this to be quite remarkable as well as physically impossible as there were no draughts, wind or any other elements that could have caused this.
As random as it started, the stopped again almost instantly. The light starting to come back into the room, people started to report seeing human shapes in corners moving. Maybe we under estimated this little location.
As the night went on, more shapes and several strange lights on the cameras, not your usual perfect circle “orb like” lights, these had very abstract shapes and patterns.
The team now in the reconstructed living room/bedroom area already pleasantly surprised by this small city museum had more activity again while calling out, again came the darkness. We asked if we were welcome with an almighty crash the door into this room violently smashed open startling everyone as if kicked from the other side. Door closed, we asked again and again the door swung open with incredible force.
Shadows and uneasy feelings were all around us throughout the night effecting emotions the ladies feeling incredibly sad and the gentlemen feeling incredible anger. Strange smells of burning and choking were felt only to find there was a fire in which a child died many years ago.
We left the night speechless and with great feelings of confusion. These are not your average bumps and bangs, not your normal was it or wasn’t it shapes. There is a story in this place, a story the spirits that still reside in there are trying to show us.
We return in March 2013 to try and find out what is trying to be shown to us, other than to never under estimate small unlikely locations such as The Sma’ Shot Cottages Paisley.
Lanarkshire Paranormal (www.lanarkshireparanormal.co.uk) are:
- Stefan Richards, Co-Founder/Co-Manager
- Jan Murdoch, Co-Founder/Co-Manager
- Alex Kelly, Investigator
- Debbie Murdoch, Investigator
- Mark Adams, Investigator
- Jamie Kelly, Investigator
Have you been to The Sma’ Shot Cottages? Tell us about it in the comments section below!
