Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Country and County: Tayside

Ancient Sites / Black Dogs / Fairies / Folklore / Scottish Fairies / Wells

Schiehallion

The dark brooding presence of Schiehallion (pronounced She-hal-e-on)- the fairy hill of the Caledonians – looms over the Eastern end of Rannoch moor like a voluminous guardian. The mountain is one of the traditional haunts of otherworld beings.

Ancient Sites / Earth Works

Cleaven Dyke

Cleaven Dyke was thought to be a Roman defensive structure until excavation revealed that it was in fact a Neolithic Cursus (a ceremonial earthwork), which must have been one of the largest – and most

Ancient Sites / Early Christianity / Fairies / Featured Sites / Folklore / Scottish Fairies

Inchmahome Priory

Situated on an island in the middle of Lake Menteith, the only ‘Lake’ in Scotland, Inchmahome Priory is a ruined Augustine (The Black Cannons) priory founded in 1238 by Walter Comyn, who was the Earl of Menteith. The Earl is likely to have founded the monastery for the good of his soul, and to show of his status as an important landowner.

Hauntings

Cortachy Castle

Cortachy Castle is large baronial manor built around a 15th century stronghold and is the hereditary seat of the Earls of Airlie. The lands were granted to Sir Walter Ogilvy by King James II in 1473 which is probably when the construction of this castle began, though there had been a an earlier castle of the Stewart Earls of Strathearn dating from 1330 on the site previously.

Apparitions / Haunted Battlefields / Hauntings

Dunnichen Hill

This is the site of the Battle of Nechtansmere found between the Picts and the invading Northumbrians of King Ecgfrith. The battle took place at 3.00pm on 2 March 685AD. The Picts had been subjugated under Drust, a puppet King supported by King Oswui of Northumberland. When Oswui died in 672AD the Picts (called Picti ‘painted ones’ by the Romans) overthrew Drust.