Best Scottish mystery

Published on Wednesday 18 July 2007 01:26

1 RUDOLF HESS’S FLIGHT TO SCOTLAND

In 1941, Hitler’s deputy flew secretly to Scotland, only to be captured near Eaglesham. The conventional theory is that he planned to meet the Duke of Hamilton in the hope of brokering a peace deal. Conspiracy lovers suggest a variety of other motives… it was not Hess but a doppelgnger; he had arranged to meet Churchill; the Royal Family was “ in” on the scheme.

2 LOCH NESS MONSTER

The first “ sighting” goes back to the 7th century, when a water beast is said to have appeared before St Columba. The monster returned to public consciousness in a series of sightings in the 1930s, when she was christened Nessie. Yet despite “sightings”, recordings, photos and scientific efforts to explain the phenomenon, she remains elusive.

3 FREEMASONRY

The craft is thought to have begun in Scotland. East Lothian’s Aitcheson Haven Lodge records date from 1599, the world’s oldest. The rituals and ceremonies are secret, though special handshakes, signs and words are used by Freemasons to identify one another. The secrecy has led many to question the extent of power wielded behind closed doors.

4 THE FALKIRK TRIANGLE

An area from Stirling to Fife and the fringes of Edinburgh is the scene of numerous alleged UFO sightings. According to a 2002 report, the there have been about 300 sightings. The most famous mystery was in Bonnybridge in 1982, when Bob Taylor claimed to have seen a circular object descend from the sky and move towards him, causing him to lose consciousness. Police found strange marks and indentations in the ground which have never been explained.

5 ROSSLYN CHAPEL

Built in the 15th century, its symbolic carvings and imagery have been the source of speculation for hundreds of years. Those with an active imagination suggest it was built for the Knights Templar – Christian military crusaders. Others interpret the carvings as reflections of Masonic and Templar union. The Da Vinci Code implie d the name Rosslyn came from “ Rose Line” and that the chapel was a haven of direct blood- line descendants from a union between Jesus and Mary Magdalene.