The Drovers Inn, Loch Lomond’s Most Haunted Pub

Strange and ghostly things happen at The Drovers Inn near Loch Lommond, CHRISTINE MILLER heads there to find out what’s going on…

The Drovers Inn, not far from Loch Lomond in Inverarnan, Stirlingshire, Scotland, has stood for over 300 years.

It has provided a welcome drink and a comfy bed for thousands of weary travellers, cattle drovers (from where it gets its name) and the vast number of tourists who come to walk the stunning West Highland Way.

The Drovers Inn is impossible to miss with its aging stone exterior and rustic windows and overall eerie feel.

Upon entering, a plethora of taxidermy bombards the more squeamish of visitors. A large stuffed black bear silently growls at you from his plinth.

Welcoming and warm, but plenty of ghosts!

The atmosphere is unmistakably welcoming and warm, at least in part due to the cosy wood fire that burns in the bar area. When full of jovial tourists and locals, the building has a welcoming feel.

However, given the vast amount of ghost sightings the inn has claimed, one might not feel so relaxed after hours. With 300 years of history, it would perhaps be surprising if there was not a ghostly tale associated with the inn. In fact, it is often given the title of most haunted inn in Scotland, if not the UK.

Paranormal sightings of ‘George’ and ‘Angus’ at The Drovers Inn

There have been numerous ghostly sightings over the years.

A more recent one is that of George, a regular to the inn in life (and now death) has been witnessed in the bar area. His ashes are kept in the bar as a touching gesture to a much-loved patron.

More ominously though, is the spirit of Angus the Drover, who was allegedly murdered not far from the inn, and who still walks the aged corridors of the inn screaming into the night.

One of the most famous paranormal tales connected with the area is that of a family who in 1792 were forced from their rented land by their landlord, who believing the land would be more profitable for sheep, drove the family to travel south to the lowlands in search of work and a home.

They would never see their plan accomplished. One night when they were travelling (as is commonplace in Scotland in winter months) a sudden and heavy storm came down disorientating them, and tragically they succumbed to the elements not far from The Drovers Inn.

This family has allegedly been seen on a number of occasions standing at the bottom of the bed in one of the upstairs bedrooms freezing cold with their breathe clearly visible in the air.

Most haunted bedroom is room 6

By far the most haunted bedroom in the inn is room 6.

A young girl who drowned in the river Falloch just behind the inn after falling into the frigid waters attempting to rescue her dropped doll, had her lifeless body laid out in this room, and more than one petrified guest have borne witness to an icy cold, small, wet body climbing into bed beside them in the dead of night.

The room itself is notoriously hard to heat at the best of times; while the radiators are maxed out, there is still an icy chill in the room.

One couple who recently stayed in room 6 stated that the main door to their room would open and close in the middle of the night, even when it was locked.

Initially more irked than unnerved by events, the man arose from bed to order the prankster to desist from his/her night-time mischief.

Knocking all the other doors in the hallway, he was startled to learn that all rooms were unoccupied (by the living, at least) that evening.

An unsettling face has been seen from rooms 6 window from the outside. Only when looking back on photos have people realised that they may have possibly captured something paranormal.

Ghostly child in pink seen in reception area

A ghostly child in pink has been seen in the reception area and on the stairs, even apparently appearing in tourist photographs.

One woman who took the photo became curious, having not witnessed any children in the hotel that night, telephoned to inquire about this mystery child.

The staff informed the woman in no uncertain circumstances was there any child in and around the bar or reception area, and neither was there one staying in any of the rooms upstairs.

Have you had a paranormal experience at The Drovers Inn? Tell us in the comments section below!

Haunted sleep over in the Drovers Inn