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Halloween houses: Meet the families behind some of Dundee and Fife’s spookiest homes

Kenzie Phillips, 6, provides a haunting welcome to her family's home in Kirkton. Image: Kim Cessford / DC Thomson.
Kenzie Phillips, 6, provides a haunting welcome to her family's home in Kirkton. Image: Kim Cessford / DC Thomson.

Decorating homes for the spooky season is becoming more and more popular as US-style Halloween spirit grows in the UK.

And some families take that fright factor to the next level – transforming their houses and gardens into a terrifying spectacle drawing guisers from far and near.

As the witching hour approached we took a look at some of the scariest Halloween houses in Dundee and Fife – and asked those who live in them what drives them to make such a eerie effort.

Kirkton Halloween house

Steven and Kimberley Phillips with daughter Kenzie, 6, at their ‘haunted’ house in Forres Crescent. Image: Kim Cessford / DC Thomson.

In the Kirkton area of Dundee, children love to visit Kimberley Phillip’s home at Halloween.

The mum-of-five creates a real house of horrors in Forres Crescent for Halloween, and has been doing so for six years.

Among her ghoulish collection is a life-size coffin, upgraded this year to look like it is decomposing. Trick or treaters who dare enter her home are in for a few hair-raising surprises.

Watch: The Phillips’ Halloween house in 2019

Kimberley and her family dress up to make the experience even more frightening for visitors and said: “We do it for the kids. It’s so nice to see them having fun at Halloween.

“We make up 100 bags of sweets to hand out.”

And she and husband Steven have passed on their Halloween spirit to eldest daughter Emma, 25, who puts on a similar show at her home in Douglas.

A truly spooky sight at the Kirkton Halloween house. Image: Kim Cessford / DC Thomson.

Broughty Ferry Halloween house

Dawn and Malcolm Campbell’s home in Aberdour Place has come to be known locally as the Halloween house.

Dawn and Malcolm Campbell dress up to welcome brave guisers to their home – Malcolm as Freddie Krueger. Image: Gareth Jennings / DC Thomson.

They choose a theme for their annual adornments – and lead those brave enough to enter to a mock graveyard in the back garden.

Dawn said: “It looks really scary when it’s all done!”

It takes courage to enter Dawn and Malcolm Campbell’s home in Broughty Ferry at Halloween. Image: Gareth Jennings / DC Thomson.

The couple began decorating their home when daughter Amy, 15, was much younger.

Dawn said: “We started doing it because we love Halloween and we’ve added and added to it.”

A gruesome operating theatre forms part of their terrifying display. Image: Gareth Jennings / DC Thomson.

She loves seeing the look on children’s faces when they see her house all kitted out.

“It’s amazing, it makes all the hard work worth it.”

And the Campbell family’s display also benefits charity. This year they are collecting donations for Cancer Research UK, as Dawn was diagnosed with endometrial cancer in January and had to have a hysterectomy.

Wormit Halloween house

Keith Robson and his daughters Lily, 11, and Matilda, 6, in their zombie graveyard. Image: Alan Richardson Pix-AR.co.uk.

A 15-foot pumpkin overlord towers over a zombie graveyard at the home of Keith Robson, a special effects artist who works on Scottish horror films.

The response to his homemade overlord last year inspired him to add to his Halloween show, and he roped in daughters Lily, 11, and Matilda, 6, to help make zombies, headstones and more.

They spent almost four weeks crafting their display, which has been spooking and delighting children on their way to nearby Wormit Primary School.

Keith said: “Lots of people have been stopping to take photographs, and cars slow down as they go past.”

Thrilled by the response, he said: “The whole point behind this is to inspire other people to be more creative.

Keith has added to the pumpkin overlord he created last year, with the help of Lily, 11, and Matilda, 6. Image: Alan Richardson Pix-AR.co.uk.

“When I tell people it’s all handmade they can’t believe it, but you can’t buy stuff like this in the shops.”

Halloween has been a big deal for Keith since he was a child, and he’s now sharing that enthusiasm with his own children.

He said: “When we were kids my mum would sit up late at night making our costumes.

“As I grew up in my late teens and early adulthood I would spend months making my costume.

“We don’t have those parties now, so we do this instead.”

Leven Halloween house

In Leven, Vicki Bell’s house is surrounded by horror film characters and a 12ft skeleton.

Vicki Bell is again thrilling crowds with her Leven Halloween House.
Vicki Bell is again thrilling crowds with her Leven Halloween House. Image: Kenny Smith/ DC Thomson.

Freddy Krueger and Michael Myers welcome people to her home in Linnwood Drive.

There’s also a headless horseman, grim reaper and a model of Max from Netflix drama Stranger Things.

It’s the third year Vicki has gone all out for the spooky season, making her house a local attraction.

Watch: Leven Halloween house 2021

She says: “It’s great to see all the kids outside at night all laughing and screaming.”

People come especially to see Vicki’s decorations – with this her third year of creating a Halloween house – and the attention delights her seven-year-old son Travis.

“He loves all the commotion outside and thinks it’s hilarious.”

But the fun has a serious side too, as Vicki is collecting donations for the family of six-year-old Oscar Hodgkinson, who is being treated for cancer.

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