Spooky Isles is the UK and Ireland’s leading independent horror and paranormal online magazine. We’re dedicated to all the dark history, horror, folklore and mysterious phenomena our islands have to offer. And if that wasn’t enough, we also bring you the best of British and Irish horror film, TV, music and literature. Since 2011, our committed team of researchers and writers have been finding spooky gems to chill you and thrill you. Welcome to Spooky Isles, we’ve been expecting you!
Meet Our Editorial Team
David Saunderson, Founder & Editor
London-based David is a life long horror fan and paranormal explorer, with over 25 years experience as a journalist and communications professional. So in 2011 he decided to start The Spooky Isles as a way to bring it all together! Known for his dedicated support and promotion of the paranormal field and dark history industry, David makes sure no stone is left unturned to bring you the very best of both!
Ann Massey McElroy, Deputy Editor and Ireland Editor
Ann is an author, blogger, paranormal investigator, folklore and dark history specialist with a worldwide following. She has appeared on shows such as Destination Fear and Haunted Ireland in addition to working behind the scenes. Residing in the south west of Ireland, she has spent many years exploring both sides of the Irish Sea and further afield to discover best of the supernatural.
Richard Phillips-Jones, Deputy Editor and Film & TV Editor
Richard is our very own encyclopaedia of horror films and terrifying TV shows, as well as a walking jukebox of folk-horror inspired music and soundtracks. His extensive knowledge and understanding of the genre is second to none. He lives near the Dorset Coast.
The Spooky Isles Network
In July 2025, we launched the Spooky Isles Network, a growing community of regional sites dedicated to celebrating local hauntings, folklore, and paranormal heritage across the UK and Ireland. These regional editions help us bring even more ghostly tales and chilling legends directly from the places where they happened.
Explore our regional sites:
- Spooky Belfast
- Spooky Birmingham
- Spooky Bristol
- Spooky Cardiff
- Spooky Cornwall
- Spooky Dublin
- Spooky Edinburgh
- Spooky Essex
- Spooky Glasgow
- Spooky Hertfordshire
- Spooky Ireland
- Spooky Kent
- Spooky Leeds
- Spooky Leicester
- Spooky London
- Spooky Manchester
- Spooky Nottingham
- Spooky Sussex
- Spooky Wales
- Spooky York
- Spooky Yorkshire
Each site is part of the wider Spooky Isles mission: to shine a lantern on the haunted corners and strange history of our local communities – and to make it easier for fans and readers to explore the supernatural near them.
If you’d like to be involved in any of these sites – whether as a writer, researcher, investigator, or local contributor – please contact us. We’d love to hear from you.
