Carrick hotel listed in '˜Top 13 Scariest'

Dobbins Inn is said to be home to the ghost of Elizabeth Dobyn known as “Maud”.

The town centre hotel, which is a listed building, is steeped in history and folklore dating back to the 13th century when it was built by the Norman Knight Reginald D’Aubin.

“Maud” is rumoured to wander the hotel woefully in search of her fallen lover.

The Fallis family that owns the hotel says that the ghost of Elizabeth Dobbin, the wife of the first owner Hugh, was put to death back in the 15th century when he discovered her affair with a young soldier from Carrick Castle named Buttoncap.

“Many guests have apparently been wakened from their slumber by the light touch of a ghostly hand caressing their faces, while others have seen fleeting shadows appearing across reception and the corridors of the hotel.”

The guide has been published by online booking company eviivo.

Ed Goldswain, marketing director at eviivo, said: “With the spooky season upon us, it’s great to see that so many Brits are not afraid by the potential of a haunted staycation.

“If anything, these research results seem to show that Brits are more than happy to chance their luck in a haunted B&B.”

Meanwhile, a joint project to investigate the building’s history is taking place, with the family, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and Historic Environment Division teaming up to examine just how much of a medieval castle dating back to the 1400s beneath the modern exterior of the hotel remain in a bid to examine local built heritage.