A Paranormal Journey Through the East End

Barrowland Ballroom

It can’t be denied that the east end has a fascinating history. However, it also has a lesser-known past — its paranormal activity.

Staff and visitors to Barrowland Ballroom on Gallowgate have reported feeling something touching their necks in a corridor on the first floor. Two different night watchmen at the venue — both of whom had large Alsatians — couldn’t persuade their dogs to enter the corridor.

Elsewhere in the dance hall, a team of ‘Ghostbusters’ carried out an investigation. They picked up the spirit of a man who apparently didn’t have much of a home life and spent a lot of time at the ballroom. His name was James, and he had a distinctive scar on his cheek. It later emerged that, in the past, there had indeed been a doorman named James with a scar on his cheek.

Randall’s Market on nearby Stevenson Street is said to be haunted by the spirit of a young girl.

In the 1970s at Dalmarnock Bridge several people reported seeing a young man in clothing from the 1930s standing staring at the river. When approached, the spirit would leap from the bridge and vanish into thin air.

At Barlinnie Prison in Riddrie, there is a blocked-up entrance in the surgery wing that once led to the old execution block. A woman in Victorian dress carrying a lantern has been seen in this area by various people.

In the Cathedral House Hotel on John Knox Street, staff often hear the sounds of children coming from the top floor. At other times, the presence of inmates from the former Duke Street Prison can be felt in the building, which was originally home to the Discharged Prisoners’ Aid Society — where offenders from nearby prison began their reintegration into the community. In 2022, it was reported that singer Suzi Quatro, while staying at the hotel, saw a ghost and informed the manager.

Provan Hall

At the medieval Provan Hall in Easterhouse there has been reports of a woman and young boy looking from windows at the property. They were reputedly murdered by the woman’s husband when he returned home after four years away and discovered his wife had become a mother. People have also reported the sound of children laughing and sightings of a white-bearded man wandering around — believed by some to be a former owner of the estate.

The Saracen Head

Public houses also seem to attract ghosts and phantoms. The Saracen Head on Gallowgate is reputed to have several ghosts, including one said to be a former owner. At one time, the pub even displayed the skull of the last witch to be executed in Scotland.

A corner table in the Press Bar on Albion Street often has drinks spill over for no apparent reason — perhaps the work of a spirit from the monastery that once stood opposite.

In Graham’s Bar on Saltmarket, the image of an old woman wearing a shawl has been seen several times, wandering around the bar.

What are your paranormal experiences? Let us know. Drop us an email at admin@hoolit.co.uk.