A real-life version of Cluedo has been inspiring Buddies to become detectives around their beloved town.
The Paisley Detective Mystery Walking Trail – which is run by Paisley Heritage – has become a popular event in the town.
Taking inspiration from the board game Cluedo, the walking group follows a set of clues along a trail that depicts how a murder took place. Those taking part have to figure out who the murderer is.
Rachael Smith, events organiser at Paisley Heritage, leads the group around the town; using buildings, facts and locations that already exist to fit into the story.
The activity, which lasts over two hours, has been a hit with Buddies and Rachael admits it has been fun taking groups around the town.
“What I really like about it is that people get really involved with the clues which are already part of Paisley,” she told the Paisley Daily Express.
“People who may be here for studies, have moved here or have always lived here but haven’t seen certain parts of the town are discovering new things about the place.
“I am from Johnstone but was born in Paisley and doing the mystery trail has taken me to parts of Paisley that I haven’t seen before. It has allowed people to get out of the house on a Sunday for a few hours, meet new people and also see the history that is around them.
“Some of the things included in the trail make you really think, such as how many chimneys a building has or similar types of clues.”
Rachael says the feedback from those who have attended them has been overly positive, with people eager for them to restart. People are asked to pay what they can on the day but are advised to book in advance as there is only a limited number of places.
The mystery trail is just one part of Rachael’s role at Paisley Heritage, as she also accompanies people on walking tours around the town.
The events coordinator admits that she is “no expert” on the town and always encourages people to chip in with facts along the way to make it more interactive.
She added: “Some of the other things we do are organised tours. We go to places like the Paisley Thread Mill Museum where the volunteers there lead the tours.
“I am just the facilitator if you like, but people tell me that they know of some of the places but have never been. They also admit that they have never wanted to go on their own, so that is what the groups are good for.
“When going along, I like to try and make it as fun and interactive as possible by asking people to chip in with anything that they know. It is all good fun and something I love doing.”
The next murder mystery event is set to take place on Sunday, March 2 at 12noon. For more information or to register your interest, visit Paisley Heritage on Facebook.
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