Dead famous Scots

Published on Wednesday 23 November 2005 07:52

FOR SOME of Scotland's most famous sons and daughters, common notoriety was easy enough to achieve during their lifetimes – particularly if they were the perpetrators or victims of grisly crimes – but true celebrity came only after their demise.

The simple reason that Scots remember them is that their ghosts are believed to live on, haunting the forbidding castles and gloomy closes that now seem almost purpose-built for a spot of paranormal activity.

Over the centuries, literally hundreds of spectres have been spotted all across Scotland – including headless horsemen, white, grey and green ladies, even whole squadrons of troops on the march.One of the most haunted places in Scotland is reputed to be Glamis Castle, longtime home of the late Queen Mother. It is haunted by "Earl Beardie", the hirsute Fourth Earl of Crawford, who is said to have played dice with the devil – and lost his soul in the process. The sound of rattling dice has been – allegedly – heard in the castle as the ethereal Earl wanders around, doubtless bemoaning his fate. Glamis is also said to be home to the Grey Lady – the Lady of Glamis accused of being a witch and burnt at the stake in the 16th century.

The village of Corstorphine, now a suburb of Edinburgh, also has its own colourful female ghost – the White Lady of Corstorphine. She was Lady Christian Nimmo, who was married to an affluent merchant but was rather fond of meeting her lover, James Forrester, under the local sycamore tree – a landmark which survived until storms in 1998.Lady Nimmo killed Forrester with a sword, after an argument sparked by his drunkenness. She was beheaded in 1679, but has apparently been seen wandering around wearing a white robe and carrying a sword covered in blood.

Another of Edinburgh's most famous spooks is that of Major Thomas Weir, a preacher and captain of the Town Guard who was burnt at the stake in 1670 after confessing to crimes including witchcraft and incest with his sister, Grizel. After his death, it is claimed he appeared in Victoria Street, riding on a headless black horse engulfed with flames. A ghost of Grizel has also been spotted, her face set in a hideous silent scream.

A similar apparition of a "death coach", usually with headless horses but no driver, is said to have haunted the city's Royal Mile. Sentries keeping guard at Edinburgh Castle have also reported a ghostly squadron of troops marching there, the legend dates back to the 17th century. A headless drummer is also supposed to appear when the castle is in danger of being attacked – this ghost was first reported around 1650, when Oliver Cromwell was preparing to besiege Edinburgh.

This castle is so spooky that there are reports not just of hauntings above ground, but below too. A piper sent to explore a tunnel underneath the Royal Mile, thought to lead from the castle to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, stopped piping halfway down and was never seen again. Legend has it that you can still hear the distant strain of his pipes.

One of the most celebrated ghosts of all is undoubtedly a woman who would have been remembered anyway – Mary, Queen of Scots – but the apparitions certainly add to her allure.

Mary's ghost has been spotted at a number of castles around the country, Craignethan, Hermitage, Loch Leven and Stirling, where a separate ghost known as the "green lady" is said to be a servant who once saved Mary when her bedclothes caught fire.

Mary's hauntings are not confined to Scotland. She is also reputed to hover around several sites in Derbyshire and Staffordshire in England – she was held captive at Babington Hall in Derby, on the orders of her cousin Elizabeth I, and later beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle.

But Mary's tragic death only sealed her place in Scotland's romantic history.

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Spooky Scotland