The tour, created and led by award-winning storytellers Mostly Ghostly, will guide guests around the historic town of Annan, exploring grim and ghastly tales from its long, colourful past.
Setting the scene for an evening of chilling tales, a fascinating tour of Annan Museum’s intriguing new exhibition: Dead and the Undead in Annan: Bodysnatching, Vampires and More, will be presented by museum curator, Judith Hewitt. From there, the Mostly Ghostly team will embark on a storytelling adventure around Annan’s historic streets and graveyards.
Mostly Ghostly founder Kathleen Cronie said: “It’s a joy to be working in partnership with our friends at Annan Museum.
“Together, we have created a unique experience, exploring the hidden histories and haunting tales of Annandale, giving guests the opportunity to get up close and personal to history. We are delighted to present this fantastic offering to visitors and local folk alike, discovering thought-provoking artefacts in the museum’s collection, before joining the Mostly Ghostly team for an unforgettable tour around the town.”
Guests are invited to delve into Annan’s murky, mysterious past, meandering through courtyard and close, kirkyard and wynd, where they will despair at an ancient curse laid upon the Bruce clan, recoil at the legend of a plague-bearing stranger, and shudder at the untimely death of a local minister. Woven between the histories, the team encourage their intrepid guests to feel the chill as they reveal haunting happenings from the town.
There is one wee street in Annan, whose name hints at links with one of Scottish history’s most cruel and notorious characters – the murderer William Hare, one half of Edinburgh’s deadly ‘bodysnatching’ duo – Burke and Hare. Hare is best known in our region for a memorable stop-over in Dumfries, where his presence fuelled the town’s largest riot, but what, if any, connection does he have to Annan?
Team member John Hill said: “Hare’s Den, a group of cottages just off the High Street, has its name embedded in local folklore. The story goes that Hare stopped briefly in Annan on his flight across the border. We have long held a fascination for the grim story of Burke and Hare, particularly Hare’s impact on our region, and relish the opportunity to explore his life and crimes in the place that bears his name.”
Tour dates and times: Thursday July 27 and Thursday September 7 at 7.30 pm – meet at Annan Museum.
Tickets are available online at Ticketsource and at the Midsteeple Box Office in Dumfries.
