Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Country and County: Scotland

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Fairies / Folklore / Folktales / Scottish Fairies / Scottish Folktales

A Changeling In Nithsdale

In his The Science of Fairy Tales’ (1891), Edwin Sidney Hartland gives the following description of a Changeling in Dumfries and Galloway. ‘In Nithsdale the elf-child displays a superhuman power of work. The mother left it on one occasion in the charge of a servant-girl, who sat bemoaning herself.

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Fairies / Folklore / Folktales / Scottish Fairies / Scottish Folktales

Changelings In The Borders

Edwin Sidney Hartland gives the following account of Dumfries and Galloway Changelings in his ‘The Science of Fairy Tales’ (1891). ‘A Kirkcudbrightshire tale represents a child as once left in charge of a tailor, who "commenced a discourse" with him. "’Will, hae ye your pipes?’ says the tailor. ‘They’re below my head,’ says the tenant of the cradle.

Folklore / Hauntings / Legends / Vampire

Annan Castle

Annan Castle was the home of the Lords of Annandale, the de Brus family (later known as the Bruce family), before they moved to Lochmaben Castle. The move occurred after the River Annan flooded and damaged the motte and bailey castle’s foundations.

Hauntings / Vampire

Melrose Abbey

In 1136 the Cistercian Melrose Abbey was founded following a request from King David I (Scotland) (Born 1084 – Died 24 May 1153) and took ten years to build, though it was added to and extended over the following decades. Being in the border region the Abbey was unfortunately damaged several times during conflicts between the English and the Scottish.

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English Fairies / Fairies / Folklore / Irish Fairies / Manx Fairies / Scottish Fairies / Welsh Fairies

Changelings

Changelings are part of Western Folklore, a child of a fairy type (Elf, Troll etc) which has been secretly swapped for a human baby and left in its place. George Waldron gave the following description of one he saw in the Isle of Man and it was subsequently reprinted in ‘The Science of Fairy Tales’ (1891) by Edwin Sidney Hartland.

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Early Christianity

The Monition of Cursing, Archbishop Gavin Dunbar of Glasgow

"Gude folks, heir at my Archibischop of Glasgwis letters under his round sele, direct to me or any uther chapellane, makand mensioun, with greit regrait, how hevy he beris the pietous, lamentabill, and dolorous complaint that pass our all realme and commis to his eris, be oppin voce and fame, how our souverane lordis trew liegis, men, wiffis and barnys, bocht and redeimit be the precious blud

Apparitions / Hauntings

Hartavagh Bay Sheiling

In ‘Tales From Old Barra, Told by the Coddy’ (1960) (John MacPherson, Northbay, Barra, 1876 · 1955) a haunted ruined sheiling at Hartavagh Bay is mentioned. Here some fishermen would spent the night whilst out on fishing trips.

Ghost Ships / Hauntings

Uist Spectre Ship

Raymond Lamont Brown gives the following account of a ghost ship in his ‘Phantoms Legends, Customs and Superstitions Of The Sea (1972)’. ‘Spectre ships have been long seen on the coast of Uist (Outer Hebrides, Inverness, Scotland)’, and one particular story was often related by Shony Campbell (Seonaidh Caimbeul)* the famous storyteller and Gaelic poet.

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Anniversary Ghosts / Apparitions / Black Dogs / Civil War Hauntings / Green Ladies / Haunted Battlefields / Haunted Hotels / Haunted Wedding Venue / Hauntings / Poltergiests

In Search Of Britain’s Haunted Castles by Marc Alexander & Paul Abrahams

I’m always enthusiastic about new books that take a tour of this country highlighting great places to visit and sites to see, it’s even better when the book concentrates on Haunted locations, and in this case focussing on castles across England, Scotland and Wales.