The scenery surrounding the ancient castle in Scotland was as beautiful as american tourist Niki Ghofranian had always dreamed. She was enveloped by stone walls about 18 meters high, with views stretching out to hills, a lake, and pristine islands.

However, this experience took a turn for the worse when Niki and her sister Ritta found themselves trapped. Having lingered exploring the ruins and leaving late, the two female tourists discovered the 14th-century gate was securely locked with a large padlock.

The incident occurred on 5/6/2019, during a vacation celebrating Niki's 55th and Ritta's 66th birthdays. The sisters chose Scotland as their destination because it was their mother's homeland, known for its towering mountains and famous ancient castles.

They arrived in the western town of Oban, eager to explore Dunstaffnage Castle, once a stronghold of the MacDougal clan. In the 18th century, scottish noblewoman Flora MacDonald was imprisoned there for helping prince Bonnie Prince Charlie escape. Today, the site still features massive stone walls, crumbling watchtowers, and expansive views of the water.

"Beautiful ruins", Niki said.

The sisters arrived by taxi in the mid-afternoon, heading to the visitor center to purchase tickets. The castle closed at 18h, and it was only 16h, so the two tourists believed they had ample time. Upon entering the grounds, Niki and Ritta were captivated. History emanated from every stone surface, immersing them in exploration. Time seemed to stand still. The sisters had the castle almost entirely to themselves.

A while later, they separated; Ritta went outside the walls to photograph the exterior, while Niki climbed the high ramparts. She stood there, gazing down at the rippling water and hills. No one was around, no sound save for the wind and the gentle lapping of water in the lake.

"It was very peaceful and beautiful", Niki said.

Niki exhaled, enjoying the stillness. Then suddenly, the silence was broken by Ritta's scream. They discovered the castle gate had been locked with a robust system. In America, when closing time approaches, visitors typically hear loudspeaker announcements to depart. But in Scotland, it was simply closing time, and the gate was locked. The sisters visited during summer, when days are long and nights short, so the sky remained bright as they explored. Consequently, they did not realize they had overstayed and were locked inside.

Inside the castle where the two sisters were trapped. Photo: CNN

Niki quickly pulled out her phone to call for help, but the battery was at 15%, and neither had a charger. Ritta had not even brought her phone. Therefore, they were forced to walk around looking for an exit.

As they walked, Niki used Google to find the phone number for the Oban police department and called for rescue. However, the people on the other end did not understand Niki, asking her to spell the castle's name so they could verify where the two tourists were trapped.

"Dunstaffnage is not an easy word to pronounce or spell, whether you're american or scottish", Niki recalled.

Next, Niki texted her partner, Martha, thousands of kilometers away, for assistance. Her phone battery rapidly drained, and the sisters prepared for a night trapped in the castle with only a few chocolate bars to sustain them. They had jackets and sweaters but would struggle against the cold as night fell, as most of the castle lacked a roof, except for a small room near the gate.

Despite being trapped, the sisters did not panic, viewing the experience as part of their adventure. While climbing the high castle walls, Niki spotted a child running out of the nearby forest.

"Go get your mom and tell her we're locked in the castle", Niki shouted loud enough for the child to hear, though she held little hope for this help. But a few minutes later, the child returned with a woman Niki presumed was the mother. The woman called up to reassure Niki and promised to contact the castle management. She then took her phone and walked towards the forest.

Niki went down to the gate area to recount the story to her sister, and they sat together, waiting. Time passed so slowly that the sisters began to lose hope. Just then, they heard sirens and loud calls. Flashing lights appeared as police cars arrived. Minutes later, the fire department arrived, carrying long ladders.

Fire trucks were dispatched to rescue the two sisters. Photo: CNN

Firefighters gathered. Ritta described the gate's interior hinge system for the police to assess the situation from outside. They then instructed Ritta to move the internal latches while they applied force from the exterior.

With assistance from the emergency services, the gate sprang open. The two sisters were led outside and breathed a sigh of relief.

"The feeling of freedom was wonderful", Niki said. Ritta admitted to feeling "a bit ashamed, guilty, and embarrassed" for causing trouble. Nevertheless, the firefighters and police found the situation amusing, everyone laughed.

Rod Campbell, monument manager at Dunstaffnage Castle, stated that the rescue forces caused no damage to the castle. They simply separated the two gates for the tourists to exit. Afterward, the castle manager was called to lock the gate again. "Oh my goodness, this was the most interesting thing we encountered that day", an officer told Niki.

Campbell mentioned that each evening when closing, staff would make a round through the castle, locking doors and jingling a bunch of keys to signal visitors, as the site lacks bells or a public address system. Following the incident with the two tourists, management reminded all staff to prevent a recurrence.

Before leaving, the sisters took a commemorative photo with the firefighters in front of the castle gate. Afterward, Niki and Ritta were driven back to their accommodation in a police car.

Sisters Niki (left) and Rita during their trip to Scotland. Photo: CNN

Nearly a week later, while in Dublin for the next leg of their vacation, the sisters discovered their story had made it into scottish newspapers. When interviewed by local reporters, they were "curious, confused, and embarrassed" by their unexpected fame.

Upon returning to America, Niki even framed a scottish newspaper article, where the story of their "trapped adventure" appeared on the same page as a photo of prince William.

Niki and Ritta continue to enjoy traveling, with one caveat: they now pay careful attention to closing times.

"I learned a big lesson", Niki said.

Ritta even bought a watch, programmed to remind her when to leave a location, as she does not want to trouble anyone again like her experience in Scotland. "Remember the closing time and get out of the building before then", Niki added.

That experience made Scotland a trip the two sisters will never forget. Ritta even wants to return. Even though 7 years have passed, the two american tourists remember everything from that trip "as clearly as yesterday".

"To this day, every time I travel, someone reminds me: 'be careful, don't get locked in a castle again'", Niki said.

Anh Minh (According to CNN)