The Drovers Inn
North Loch Lomond, Scotland 1705
“Paranormal investigators from all over the country, and beyond that, have tried to contact the restless spirits that still reside at Drovers Inn.” - The Little House of Horrors
The Drovers Inn is located at the top of Loch Lomond, in the Trossachs National Park. Established in 1705 for highland drovers moving their cattle down the side of Loch Lomond to the cattle markets, notoriety have stayed at the inn over the years, such as outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor.
But an eerie history lies within the walls of Drovers Inn…
In the winter of 1792, a young crofting family were forcibly removed from their house. The landlords decided the land would be more valuable for sheep farming than supporting one family, and so they set off, with very little money or means to support their young child, to find a new life in the Scottish lowlands.
One night, during their journey, they got caught in a heavy snowstorm. Realising Drovers Inn wasn’t too far from them, they redirected to seek shelter within the inn’s warm walls. Unfortunately, with the visibility being very poor, and the family being exhausted, they took a wrong path somewhere on the way. Their bodies couldn’t take it anymore, and all family members froze on the road side.
Over the years, there have been many accounts of people witnessing the young family wandering the land in the winter months, trying to find shelter. On more than one occasion, they have even appeared to have arrived at their destination that fateful night.
A couple who were staying in the Drovers inn, in Room 2, woke to find the very same young family were standing shivering at the foot of their bed, their gasping breaths visible in the air.
But it isn’t just Room 2 that experiences strange phenomena. People staying in Room 6 have woken up to strange lights that appear in the room, which look to be dancing and flickering. Supposedly harmless, many have reported not being able to fall back asleep due to the weird balls of light.
A mother took a photo of a group of children at a birthday party, and noticed a little girl in the picture that wasn’t in attendance at the gathering. The mother, suitably creeped out, decided to email the inn asking who this little girl might have been, to which the hotel staff replied saying they didn’t have a record of any other children at the inn during their stay. Who was she?!
Some suspect she might have been a little girl who unfortunately drowned in the river behind the inn, whilst playing with her doll. The girl reached for her doll which had tumbled into the water, causing her to fall in. Her body was laid to rest in Room 6 for a couple of days, so her family could grieve and plan her burial. Many say that this girl was a very playful child, which could explain why she wanted to be involved in the festivities.
Going even further back in history, one of the haunts of the inn comes from over 300 years ago. A young cattle drover, called Angus, reached the inn after a long journey from the Highlands and got a little carried away at the inn’s bar. When he woke the next morning, way later than he had planned, he found his cattle missing. After a bit of investigating, a rival clan had swooped in and stolen his animals. After reporting the theft to his chieftain, he received the worst punishment he could imagine. His enter family, including his significant other, were slaughtered in front of him.
After months of roaming the Highlands, Angus decided to return to Drovers Inn and get his revenge with the rival clan. He decided to hide behind a tree before jumping out before the clan, but he was unfortunately spotted and strung up on one of the trees. They bled him out, as they did with his cattle, at the back of the inn.
Over the years, people have reported seeing and hearing Angus wandering the grounds of Drovers Inn. Screaming in pain, he is still searching for the men who did him wrong.
Drovers Inn really lean into the history of the building, tempting people to ‘stay in they dare’ in one of the haunted rooms. Would you stay there?!
