Over the past 8 years that Hunterston Cottage has been a Full-time Short-Term Rental – Bed and Breakfast — many guests have experienced some unexplained phenomena in addition to possibly catching a glimpse of an otherworldly visitor.
I will not give you all the details of Hunterston’s history so as not to cloud your personal experience during your stay, but here are some basic facts:
Hunterston was built in 1937 by an immigrant family (first generation from a European country). The original owners had received a land grant including the property that now encompasses the area from Baldwin Ave to Taylor Avenue and from 19th Street to Sheridan Road. Prior to building the stone house, there was a cabin on the property from the original owner/homesteader but that was demolished in the 1940s after the main house was finished. There was also a small barn and several outbuildings. The City Park and Community Center behind Hunterston used to be pasture land for the family cows, horse, chickens, and pigs.
The original owners built not only Hunterston for themselves (1706 NW 19th) but also the property next door (1702 NW 19th) for their oldest daughter when she married. Their second daughter eventually inherited Hunterston after the death of her parents and lived there until the death of her husband (a retired Army Colonel) in 1992 and then her death in a nursing home in 1995.
The home was then sold to a local landscaper who lived there with his wife and children until his untimely death in 2005. A retired military couple in their late 70s then purchased the house in 2006 but sold it to Susanna Hunter in 2009 when they both developed terminal conditions within months of each other and decided to return to their home state of Ohio to enter hospice nearer their families.
Upon acquiring the stately fieldstone house in 2009, Susanna updated the interior and named the home after Hunterston Castle in West Kilbride, Scotland – the Seat of Clan Hunter – and the longest continually one family owned Castle in Scotland. Susanna furnished the home with family heirlooms – including antique china and furniture and an extensive collection of original paintings.
Starting in 2012, Susanna began offering Hunterston to Short-term guests on a part-time basis expanding to full-time in 2016.
This is the first time that Susanna has allowed anything to be put in writing about the possibility of hauntings although she was aware of people “seeing” and experiencing phenomena as far back as the Summer of 2011.
A quick synopsis of guest experience:
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- Entity/Entities is/are benign and doesn’t see or acknowledge guests
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- Most views of the entity/entities are from Purple Bedroom looking into hallway
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- The second most common views are in Dining Room when entering from hall or kitchen
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- Floors creak as if someone is walking down the hall or through empty bedrooms
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- A shadow figure passes quickly through rooms in the moment before lights are turned on or entered
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- Most guests say the observed figure creates a feeling of calmness in them
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- No one has ever panicked or become distressed at the experience
So, is Hunterston Cottage haunted?
Book your vacation at Hunterston and decide for yourself!