Ghostly Echoes at The Crichton: Final Crypt Tour of 2025

As winter settles over Dumfries and the year winds to a close, the award-winning Mostly Ghostly team are preparing to deliver their final Crichton Crypt Tour of 2025 on Tuesday 16th December. The long-running tour remains one of their most popular experiences, with many dates throughout the year selling out — a testament to The Crichton’s enduring ability to intrigue, move and inspire curiosity in equal measure.

Although the tour has become a firm favourite in the Mostly Ghostly programme, the closing month of the year brings a different quality to the experience. Winter has long been a traditional season for ghost stories — from Victorian fireside tales to much older folk customs — making December a time when people naturally reflect on the more mysterious side of life.

Throughout 2025, visitors have shared experiences that have taken place on the tour: a sudden chill in an otherwise warm corner, a hint of movement in the shadows, or the uncanny feeling of being watched in the atmospheric crypt. These impressions, combined with the site’s rich and often emotional history, have helped The Crichton maintain its reputation as a place where the past feels unusually present.

One particular room within the crypt appears to be an epicentre of unusual activity. Guests have described all manner of sensations — from sudden bursts of heat and feelings of anxiety to the eerie sense that someone unseen is nearby. One recent visitor, who returned to the room with the team, reported a strange swaying sensation that left her briefly unsteady on her feet. The feeling lasted a minute or two before fading, leaving her puzzled by the experience.

In addition to tour guests, Mostly Ghostly team member John Hill has also experienced things he can’t quite explain, recalling:

“When I’m checking the building prior to a tour I’m often by myself. There is a small room in the Crypt that I go into. On occasion, I feel as if someone is watching me and I get a strange feeling in my stomach. It’s not a nice feeling. This has also happened after tours, once everyone has left and I’m locking up.”

Team Founder Kathleen Cronie said:

“We love guiding our tours at The Crichton; the history is compelling and the stories of real people whose lives were so profoundly shaped by this remarkable place never fail to move us. There’s a real sense of curiosity and excitement when guests arrive — the anticipation is palpable — and people are eager to explore the hidden corners of the building as well as the hidden histories that lie beneath its surface. Many guests tell us that exploring these areas offers a new way of seeing The Crichton, opening up connections and layers of its story they hadn’t considered before.”

The tour explores the origins of The Crichton, its pioneering approach to mental health care, and the lives of those who lived and worked there, blending fascinating history with rich folklore and ghost stories linked to the estate. This combination continues to attract a wide range of guests, from local history enthusiasts to visitors seeking an experience outside the ordinary.

Since its launch in October 2018, the Crichton Crypt Tour has drawn guests from across Dumfries and Galloway and far beyond. Many bring personal connections to The Crichton — former NHS staff, those who worked in departments across the estate, people who visited family or friends, and occasionally individuals who once stayed here as patients. Their recollections and insights offer another perspective on the experience, enriching the stories shared beneath the church.

As Mostly Ghostly bring their 2025 Crichton season to a close, the team look forward to a new year of memorable storytelling and remain excited by the possibility of what new tales and unexpected discoveries their guests may reveal in 2026.