Latest news with #Lauren-GraceKirtley
Daily Mail
02-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Radio waves, aliens, Russian subs... or mating fish! What IS behind the sinister Hebridean hum driving locals mad?
It started quite suddenly, an unwelcome intrusion into an island's natural soundscape. And unlike the ebb and flow of ocean crashing on rock or the storms that soak the lochans and bogs of Lewis, there has been no let-up from this disconcertingly unnatural interloper. To some, it sounds like a lorry's engine idling in the road outside their home. Others complain of a infuriatingly vague but persistent low rumble they cannot escape. Most agree it's worse at night when they're praying for sleep to free them from their purgatory. Yet when they pull open their curtains, there is nothing out there to explain the incessant droning slowly eroding their sanity. Since it first assailed their ears in February, sufferers from Ness in the North to Scalpay in the South-East have tried in vain to locate the source of their despair. So far, all they have come up with is a name for their tormentor – the Hebridean Hum. To the vast majority of the island's residents who can't hear it, that may sound like an overly jolly name for a phenomenon which has blighted the lives of the minority who can. Disrupted sleep is only the start of their unpleasant symptoms: sufferers report difficulty concentrating, headaches, nausea, dizziness, and 'fluttering' in their eardrums. In extreme cases, it can engender feelings of isolation and deep distress. 'It's impossible to ignore – like somebody shouting in your face constantly for attention,' according to Dr Lauren-Grace Kirtley, who has set up a Facebook page to support the dozens of so-called Hummers, who are being driven half-mad by it. Some say they are the only ones in their families afflicted by its constant thrum, while one mother in the coastal hamlet of Shawbost reported being at her wit's end after her baby 'stopped sleeping at night' and her son complained of nausea and headaches. 'It is a very low humming, droning, pulsating noise. It's incredibly intrusive and distressing,' Dr Kirtley, a doctor and university lecturer, told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme last week. 'I haven't slept a night through for weeks and have problems concentrating. I get a lot of fluttering in my ears. It's making me dizzy and giving me headaches.' Some islanders say they are so distressed by the noise, they are considering leaving. One posted: 'Awake at 12am, 2am. Sat outside at 4am with a coffee. 'Been awake since. I can't keep going with no sleep, ears constantly pulsing and ringing. Definitely going to relocate back to the mainland God willing, this is too much.' Dr Kirtley, 44, who moved to her dream home in Aignish from Staffordshire two years ago, has teamed up with fellow sufferer Marcus Hazel-McGowan, 52, a physics teacher and amateur radio enthusiast, to find the source of the Hum. M R Hazel-McGowan, who moved his family to the island partly in search of peace and quiet, is a former regional manager for the Radio Society of Great Britain and used to 'chase up spurious emissions and sounds'. He has begun mapping locations where the noise is detected and has found it to be less noticeable in the centre of the island and strongest on the east coast, telling the BBC: 'It's just trying to narrow it down and hoping nobody loses their mind completely over it.' Using a machine called a spectrograph, Mr Hazel-McGowan has measured the Hum at 50 Hertz, which falls below the hearing range of most. Only 2-4 per cent of the population are thought to be able to pick it up. Dr Kirtley said the noise was known to be man-made and was not simply a background hum from appliances. She said: 'It's a persistent, environmental tone that can be heard indoors and outdoors in multiple areas.' Following complaints to environmental health officers, the local authority has pledged to carry out further investigations. However, a council spokesman cautioned: 'Due to the geographical separation of the reports, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is currently considering them unrelated.' While Dr Kirtley presses on, compiling evidence to link the cases, her Facebook page has become a lightning rod for a slew of theories attempting to fathom the cause. From the first report by a householder in Ness who wondered if a recently-installed smart meter might be to blame, contributors have run the gamut from the plausible – power lines, power stations and phone masts – to the downright bizarre, including interference from Russian subs or even the mating calls of amorous fish. It is also clear that Lewis's Hum is creating an international buzz, with interest from as far afield as Canada, the US, France, and Australia. And it's not just armchair conspiracists offering their tuppence worth about sinister interference by government, the military, or, of course, aliens – the Facebook group has also been contacted by eminent names in the field of low-frequency noise pollution offering the benefit of their wisdom. And these experts are as one in their belief that, as incredible as it might seem, the Hebridean Hum is part of a World Wide Hum. Indeed, Lewis is far from the first place to endure low-frequency noise disruption. Last year, council officials informed the residents of Immingham, in Lincolnshire, that the source of a mysterious humming noise that has plagued them for years may never be discovered. Also last year, in a rare victory, a mystery hum dogging people in Omagh, Northern Ireland, was tracked by environmental health officers to an unnamed business premises and dealt with. In 2013, marine scientists argued that an outbreak in Hythe, near Southampton, might have been caused by 'the mating call of male midshipman fish', nocturnal creatures which 'emit ever-louder drones, sometimes for hours' to warn off other males. Midshipman were previously found to be the culprit when houseboat residents in Sausalito Harbour, California, reported strange noises. The truth is that 'The Hum' has largely baffled researchers since the 1970s, when the first widespread reports of the unexplained acoustic phenomenon cropped up around the West Country city of Bristol. In 1977, two of them wrote in the scientific journal Applied Acoustics that low-frequency sound waves generated by distant industrial sources were their best guess. Equally inconclusive was another famous hum which began plaguing the Ayrshire coastal resort of Largs in the late 1980s. The Largs Hum was the same low-pitched drone, inaudible to most but debilitating to a sensitive few. In New Mexico, the phenomenon is known as the Taos Hum after an artists' enclave where the US's first large-scale incident occurred in the early 1990s. A Congressional investigation was ordered, but experts failed to find any conclusive results. In Canada, it is known as the Windsor Hum following a spate of cases in the eponymous town in Ontario. Hopes that the Lewis Hum might be caused by the temporary switch-on of electricity company SSEN's Battery Point Power Station in Stornoway were dashed when it was realised that the energy hub only operated at certain times, while the hum has been reported as constant. In any case, localised industrial sources seem inadequate to explain the worldwide prevalence of the Hum. So what exactly is this mystifying noise? And does it even have an environmental origin, or is it all in the mind? It is fertile ground for research not only for scientists, but science fiction writers too. Last year, BBC One addressed the issue in its four-part drama The Listeners starring Rebecca Hall as a teacher pushed to the brink by a low hum that no one around her seems to pick up. In Drive, a 1998 episode of The X-Files, a man is being driven mad by a painful sensation of pressure building in his head. Agent Scully, played by Gillian Anderson, discovers the cause is a United States Navy antenna array emitting extremely low frequency waves. Certainly, long-distance radio transmissions have been put forward as a possible cause of the Hum. One intriguing possibility is so-called TACAMO aircraft –military planes that employ radio frequencies in the lowest end of the spectrum to track or communicate with submerged submarines. T HE planes often operate at night, and their movements are top secret. Hum hearers in Largs have long suspected it is connected to operations at the nearby Faslane naval base, although no proof has ever been presented. If TACAMO was to blame, it might also explain why many sites are on the coast. The Russian Navy has long operated in the deep Atlantic waters off the Western Isles. However, the theory holds little water with the world's foremost Hum scientist, Dr Glen MacPherson, of the University of British Columbia, in Canada. Dr MacPherson, a Hum hearer who set up the World Hum Map and Database Project to record instances, said: 'I rejected that theory years ago after physical experiments ruled it out.' So, what does Dr MacPherson, who has undertaken years of research, think it could be? His study appears to show that fully ambidextrous people, and those with a family or personal history of ADHD or autism are over-represented in the data. He said: 'We are reasonably certain that the Hum is an internally generated perception of sound – that is, it is not actually a sound, just as tinnitus is not actually a sound. It is likely caused by some combination of specific anatomy, environmental exposure, or prescription/over-the-counter drug use.' It seems astonishing to contemplate that all these reports of debilitating symptoms might simply be people's brains playing tricks on them. Back in 2009, Dr David Baguley, who was a leading audiologist at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, told BBC News the Hum might be due to our sense of hearing becoming greatly heightened during times of stress. He suggested hearing about the Hum could lead sufferers to fixate on a perceived background noise, with it becoming a source of increasing frustration, causing additional stress which tricks the brain into turning up the volume even further. With his own Hum patients, Dr Baguley said he had some success with simple relaxation techniques borrowed from psychology. However, noise and vibration expert Geoff Leventhall, who has studied similar incidents for more than half a century, received short shrift when he advised the Lewis Hummers to try cognitive behavioural therapy to help them 'relax and desensitise themselves'. 'It is draining, debilitating and incredibly distressing and disruptive,' Dr Kirtley told one newspaper. 'Telling people to get used to it is not an acceptable solution.' For that, they must wait and hope as the source remains, maddeningly, just out of reach.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Mystery of the Hebridean hum that is ‘driving islanders mad'
Councillors on a Scottish island are searching for the source of a mysterious hum that some locals claim is 'driving them mad'. Residents in the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, have been agitated by a low-frequency drone that they say started in recent months. Some are convinced that the noise originates offshore, with one theory being Russian submarine activity in the Atlantic. Reports of the hum have come from across Lewis, with the strongest signals detected around Stornoway and Broad Bay, on the island's east coast. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the Western Isles Council, said efforts were being made to solve the mystery with monitoring equipment installed in a property in Ness, a village in the north. A homeowner there thought their recently fitted smart meter might be the source. A spokesperson said complaints of a hum from different parts of the island were not being treated as related 'due to the geographical separation of the reports'. The issue was raised more widely last month by Lauren-Grace Kirtley, a Lewis resident, on a Facebook page, The Hebridean Hub. She posted: 'Anyone else noticed a really low machine noise started on Point over the weekend? A low rumbling like a generator but really intrusive. Any ideas what is causing it?' Ms Kirtley and other residents have since tried to solve the mystery by taking spectrograph recordings at every location on the island where the hum had been reported. The group took readings at wind turbines, ports and communication masts and has been in touch with various bodies including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the communications watchdog Ofcom. 'There is a persistent, recordable 50 Hz signal of variable strength present in all locations, especially around Stornoway and Broad Bay, but measurable from all over the island,' said Ms Kirtley. 'We've also detected much weaker signals in the island's interior – suggesting the sound is not being generated from the centre of the island itself.' 'Constant noise of this frequency is almost always man-made. Whilst 50 Hz falls below the hearing of the majority of people, it is very intrusive and can be very distressing to those who can hear it, affecting concentration, sleep and general well-being. It can also cause vibration, dizziness, headaches and eardrum 'beating' sensations.' Many have posted in the Facebook group to say how the noise has affected them, with one person saying it has impacted their sleep. They wrote: 'Been hearing 'the hum' in Stornoway for a few weeks now, thought I was imagining it for a while and didn't think much of it, but it's made me put on white noise or a fan to sleep, and can make me wake up not feeling refreshed.' Another added: 'Callanish; very low bass pulsing hum, but not all the time.' There have also been reports of a humming noise from across the Minch. One resident stated: 'I have been experiencing this problem for four or five years now. I hear it all round the waterside from Inchree to Appin on the west coast. 'The noise is amplified within the houses and also intensifies in the small hours of the morning. I also have considered moving from the area due to this, so I am encouraged to hear that there are people trying to get to the bottom of the problem.' A spokesperson for the council said: 'Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has received several reports relating to low frequency sounds from members of the public. 'As with any other reports of this nature, our Environmental Health Team is investigating and will liaise with those who have reported issues. 'Due to the geographical separation of the reports, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is currently considering them unrelated.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
30-04-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Mystery of the Hebridean hum that is ‘driving islanders mad'
Councillors on a Scottish island are searching for the source of a mysterious hum that some locals claim is 'driving them mad'. Residents in the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides, have been agitated by a low-frequency drone that they say started in recent months. Some are convinced that the noise originates offshore, with one theory being Russian submarine activity in the Atlantic. Reports of the hum have come from across Lewis, with the strongest signals detected around Stornoway and Broad Bay, on the island's east coast. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, the Western Isles Council, said efforts were being made to solve the mystery with monitoring equipment installed in a property in Ness, a village in the north. A homeowner there thought their recently fitted smart meter might be the source. A spokesperson said complaints of a hum from different parts of the island were not being treated as related 'due to the geographical separation of the reports'. The issue was raised more widely last month by Lauren-Grace Kirtley, a Lewis resident, on a Facebook page, The Hebridean Hub. She posted: 'Anyone else noticed a really low machine noise started on Point over the weekend? A low rumbling like a generator but really intrusive. Any ideas what is causing it?' Ms Kirtley and other residents have since tried to solve the mystery by taking spectrograph recordings at every location on the island where the hum had been reported. The group took readings at wind turbines, ports and communication masts and has been in touch with various bodies including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the communications watchdog Ofcom. 'There is a persistent, recordable 50 Hz signal of variable strength present in all locations, especially around Stornoway and Broad Bay, but measurable from all over the island,' said Ms Kirtley. 'We've also detected much weaker signals in the island's interior – suggesting the sound is not being generated from the centre of the island itself.' 'Constant noise of this frequency is almost always man-made. Whilst 50 Hz falls below the hearing of the majority of people, it is very intrusive and can be very distressing to those who can hear it, affecting concentration, sleep and general well-being. It can also cause vibration, dizziness, headaches and eardrum 'beating' sensations.' Noise is impacting sleep Many have posted in the Facebook group to say how the noise has affected them, with one person saying it has impacted their sleep. They wrote: 'Been hearing 'the hum' in Stornoway for a few weeks now, thought I was imagining it for a while and didn't think much of it, but it's made me put on white noise or a fan to sleep, and can make me wake up not feeling refreshed.' Another added: 'Callanish; very low bass pulsing hum, but not all the time.' There have also been reports of a humming noise from across the Minch. One resident stated: 'I have been experiencing this problem for four or five years now. I hear it all round the waterside from Inchree to Appin on the west coast. 'The noise is amplified within the houses and also intensifies in the small hours of the morning. I also have considered moving from the area due to this, so I am encouraged to hear that there are people trying to get to the bottom of the problem.' A spokesperson for the council said: 'Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has received several reports relating to low frequency sounds from members of the public. 'As with any other reports of this nature, our Environmental Health Team is investigating and will liaise with those who have reported issues. 'Due to the geographical separation of the reports, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is currently considering them unrelated.'
ITV News
30-04-2025
- Health
- ITV News
'The Hebridean hum': Islanders investigate mysterious humming noise
Residents of the Outer Hebrides have reportedly been plagued by a mysterious low-frequency hum, which they say has caused people to suffer from headaches and dizziness. A support group on Facebook, which now has more than 500 members, was set up to support residents of the Isle of Lewis who have been affected by the noise, dubbed the "Hebridean Hum". Islanders have taken it upon themselves to investigate the cause of the constant hum, which residents say can be heard day and night. Dr Lauren-Grace Kirtley, a senior educator at NHS Scotland Academy who set up the support page, said the sound, which has been "intermittent" since February 2025, has recently become "loud, constant, and intrusive." "The sound has been measured at 50 Hertz using a spectrograph. This frequency falls below the hearing range of many people, but is known to be man-made in origin and can be extremely disturbing for those who are sensitive to it," Ms Kirtley wrote on Facebook. "This noise is not just a background hum from appliances - it's a persistent, environmental tone that can be heard indoors and outdoors in multiple areas." Residents have made spectrograph recordings at various locations across the island where the hum has been reported. They detected much weaker signals in the island's interior, suggesting the sound is not originating from the centre of the island, Ms Kirtley said. Desperate to identify the issue, the group has also contacted multiple organisations for advice and investigation support, including the local council for the Isle of Lewis, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar,Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Ofcom, the power station, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), and others. The local council for the Isle of Lewis told ITV News: "Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has received several reports relating to low frequency sounds from members of the public. "As with any other reports of this nature, Comhairle's Environmental Health Team is investigating and will liaise with those who have reported issues. "Due to the geographical separation of the reports, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar is currently considering them unrelated." With the source of the noise still unknown, residents of the Isle of Lewis have taken matters into their own hands, sharing a mix of theories in an effort to solve the mystery. While some are grounded in logic, others are more outlandish. Marcus-Hazel McGowan, who has been using amateur radio techniques to trace the source of the noise, originally moved his family to the island for its peace and quiet. Now, he's part of the growing effort to solve the mystery of the hum. He initially suspected a local power plant but ruled out SSEN's Battery Point Power Station in Stornoway after some testing, noting it only runs occasionally, while the hum is constant. 'It's just trying to narrow it down and hoping nobody loses their mind completely over it,' he told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland. Meanwhile, one group member floated the theory that the sound might be linked to whales - and even said that residents could be 'undergoing a transformation into sea creatures.' "Whales are known to employ humming and clicking sounds as a means of communication; perhaps we ourselves are undergoing a transformation into sea creatures," they wrote. "Submarines are equipped with sonar jammers that emit loud humming noises; perhaps they are endeavouring to conceal something far more sinister from our knowledge…?" Another member, from Inverness rather than Lewis, said she has been hearing the "Hum" for around 15 years and has recently come to the conclusion that the sound came from a local sewage plant. "In the beginning, I thought I was hearing a plane circling overhead. It almost sounds like you're hearing the earth turning, as ridiculous as that sounds," she said.
Scottish Sun
30-04-2025
- General
- Scottish Sun
We live on one of Scotland's most beautiful islands but constant mystery humming sound is driving us mad
Several people have reported a wide range of side effects after hearing the noise 'DISTURBING' NOISE We live on one of Scotland's most beautiful islands but constant mystery humming sound is driving us mad Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) LOCALS on a stunning Scottish island are being driven mad by an "extremely disturbing" mysterious humming sound. Residents on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides have been hearing the low-frequency noise, which has been measured at 50Hz, for months. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 4 Residents living on the Isle of Lewis have been hearing the low humming noise Credit: Alamy 4 Locals in Stornoway have heard the hum for months Credit: Getty 4 Several people in Callanish also reported hearing the noise Credit: Getty Hundreds of islanders have reported the "intrusive" noise, with many saying it sounds like a low buzzing sound. And they explained that it has been heard inside and outside buildings at all times of the day and night, which means they can't escape it. The first time it was reported was in late February by a householder in Ness, who thought their recently fitted smart meter might be the source. It has since been heard across Stornoway, Callanish, Coll and Brevig in the following months. Locals have been so frustrated with the noise that they have created a reporting group, which has led to a community council probe. They have also launched a Facebook group called The Hebridean Hum: Low-frequency noise disturbance action and support group. Some people on the Isle of Lewis have been experiencing a new and distressing low-frequency noise disturbance... in recent weeks, it has become loud, constant, and intrusive Lauren-Grace Kirtley In it, residents have been trying to figure out the source of the low-frequency noise and map where it is being heard. The problem has been compounded by the fact that not everyone, even those in the same household, can hear the noise. Admin Lauren-Grace Kirtley posted: 'Some people on the Isle of Lewis have been experiencing a new and distressing low-frequency noise disturbance. "Since around February 2025, the sound has been intermittent — but in recent weeks, it has become loud, constant, and intrusive. Britain's noisiest cities revealed with surprising worst offender - is your neighbourhood on the list? 'It has been measured at 50 Hertz using a spectrograph. "This frequency falls below the hearing range of many people, but it and can be extremely disturbing for those who are sensitive to it. 'This noise is not just a background hum from appliances—it's a persistent, environmental tone that can be heard indoors and outdoors in multiple areas.' Various theories have been floated over where it could be coming from, including power lines, substations, mobile phone masts, and the Battery Point power station in Stornoway. While it has not yet been narrowed down, it is believed to be a "man-made" noise. This frequency falls below the hearing range of many people, but it and can be extremely disturbing for those who are sensitive to it Lauren-Grace Kirtley The admin added: "Constant noise of this frequency is almost always man-made. "Whilst 50 Hertz falls below the hearing of the majority of people, it is very intrusive and can be very distressing to those who can hear it, affecting concentration, sleep and general well-being. It can also cause vibration, dizziness, headaches and eardrum 'beating' sensations.' Many have posted in the group to say how the noise has affected them, with one person saying it has impacted their sleep. They wrote: "Been hearing 'the hum' in Stornoway for a few weeks now, thought I was imagining it for a while and didn't think much of it, but it's made me put on white noise or a fan to sleep, and can make me wake up not feeling refreshed.' Another added: "Callanish; very low bass pulsing hum, but not all the time.' While someone else posted: "I've heard it in Coll for a while. "I like to take aurora shots so I'm often outside at night just to see if I can see it on camera. I had just thought that someone was working down in the harbour at Brevig. "I went into town on Saturday morning and heard a similar noise and noticed the power station running.' In a bid to help find the source, a fourth user said: "I have some experience detecting industrial low-frequency noise sources combining geographic and acoustical studies. 'In the area of Stonorway-Coll-Marybank-Garrabost, there can be one or several common LFN sources. SIDE EFFECTS HUNDREDS of islanders have experienced several different side effects after hearing the noise. Not everyone can hear the noise. However, those who do, have reported having the following problems: Disrupted sleep Difficulty concentrating Headaches Dizziness Eardrum 'flutter' sensations Feelings of isolation Feelings of distress "Sources can be out of sight, but in the Lewis area it won't be difficult to find the source. "Meteorological factors as wind direction and sound refractions due to atmospheric temperature inversions, play their role at night and in cooler seasons. "Cruisers, ferries, cargo ships, engines that can be idling all night while moored, producing deep low low-frequency tones. "Should check power stations, quarries and ready-mixed concrete, aggregates and asphalt. 'The key is to identify a source by sound signature comparison. When there's a distance between the source and reported location, higher frequencies can be lost, but lower tones remain identical. "There are also other characteristics of the noise as pulse and a timetable of the real operations in every site.' The issue is now set to be raised at the next meeting of Stornoway Community Council.
