Hostels and Haunted Castles:

Learmount Castle:

Refurbished into a hostel, Learmount Castle was known to be one of the most haunted castles in Ireland.

 Abide By the Rules or It’s Out the Door!

In 1971 the International Youth Hostel Association had rules. We never saw anyone thrown out physically but one young man came close to it. The care takers at the hostels in those days were called “wardens.”

The Rules:

(1) You had to be a registered member

(2) No alcohol or drugs

(3) Single Sex Dormitories

After two years of marriage, it was a new experience not to be sleeping together. A good-night kiss at the bottom of the stairs then it was off to our single sex room. Twice while staying at hostels throughout the British Isles and Europe, we were given a room to ourselves but only because we were married.

A Woman Invades the Men’s Dorm:

When we arrived at the youth hostel in Amsterdam, we were told that the woman’s dorm was full—but since I was married, (what that had to do with it I don’t know) they allowed me to sleep in the men’s dorm.  As I crept into my sleeping bag, fully dressed except for my shoes, I could hear a cacophony of grumbling in multiple languages. The men were not impressed. A woman was invading their quarters!

(4) Mandatory Domestic Chores:

I remember cleaning toilets. Dennis pulled weeds. The warden could hold onto your membership card until the job was done properly.

(5) Daytime Closure:

The door was bolted shut from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM, rain or shine.

Don’t think standing about in the rain looking sad will help you get in any earlier. Rules are rules. “Lights out” at 11:00 PM. (Sounds like summer camp.)

(6) Bed Bugs Anyone?

For hygienic reasons, one of the requirements for staying at hostels was a sheet sleeping bag. The sheet sleeping bag, a fabric insert, was placed within the sleeping bag. Each dorm consisted of several metal framed bunk-beds, each with a mattress. We rolled our sleeping bags out and climbed in. The main hostel in Athens had been known to have a problem with bed-bugs. We didn’t encounter any bed bugs there or in any of the hostels throughout the trip.

A Good Breakfast

Dennis and I both enjoy a good breakfast. (It may be our British heritage.) Arriving in Prestwick, Scotland after an overnight flight from Canada, with four free meal tickets in hand we gorged ourselves on fried eggs, sausage, bacon and toast. Also on offer, a serving of oat meal—bring it on! We ate so much that by lunch we could only stare dismally at the lemon pie behind the glass counter. Two free meal tickets went to waste. As we traveled across Europe and Asia we would reminisce about that breakfast. It wasn’t until we reached Australia then New Zealand that we saw anything like it again. Twice during our travels breakfast was included at the hostel. Both in Europe—both a shock to the system.

He Almost Dropped Dead:

The hostel we stayed at in Ghent, Belgium, originally built as a monastery in the 17^th century, had an air of austerity about it. After chewing our way through a stale piece of bread we were served coffee. One of our fellow hostellers took one gulp and almost dropped dead. In Amsterdam breakfast was also served—a slice of bread smothered in Hundreds and Thousands. (nonpareils).

That’s the joy of travelling—you never know what’s going to happen next.

(7) You Had to Arrive “Under Your Own Steam”

According to the terms of the International Youth Hostel Association in 1971, you had to arrive “under your own steam."

(1) On foot. (This included hitchhikers.)

(2) On a bicycle.

(3) On a pony.

(4) By canoe.

People would sometimes park their cars out of sight, change their clean shoes for dirty footwear and arrive at the entrance of the hostel looking like they had arrived on foot.

You could always tell those who had been travelling by car, even if they didn’t own up to it. They tended to look clean and well rested, not like the rest of us who were often covered in mud and grit and anything but well rested. The “Under Your Own Steam” rule was abolished in 1973 when the hostels were opened to those touring by car.

My youth hostel card with stamps:

The Plus side of Youth Hostels:

The average cost for the night in the 1970s was between 50 cents and a dollar. Most of the time it was less. The hostels were also a great place to meet people. Information gained while travelling would be passed on to those you met.

Learmount Castle: Haunted? Most definitely! 

Except for the custodian, we were the only ones in residence at the hostel the night we stayed at Learmount Castle. Because the building was undergoing renovations, the whole place, other than the kitchen (lit by gas)  was in total darkness. We had to stumble our way around with a flashlight. (Sounds spooky—it was!)

Built in 1830 by Henry Barre Beresford, the castle was an extension of an older building erected by Captain Montgomery around 1710. The castle served as a girl’s grammar school during World War II, became a Youth Hostel in 1953 and was finally abandoned in the mid-1980s.

The night we stayed at the hostel we had no idea that it was haunted. All I know is when visiting the washroom, flashlight in hand, I knew I wasn’t alone… I had to get out of there—fast!

Do the rules of the International Youth Hostel Association in 1971 sound archaic to you now?

Did you stay at Learmont castle?

Did you encounter a ghost?

I’d love to hear your story.