Mysterious Britain & Ireland

Country and County: Scotland

Apparitions / Folktales / Hauntings / Scottish Folktales

Jedburgh Castle

Jedburgh’s original wooden motte and bailey castle dated back to the 12th century and was founded by King David I of Scotland (Born 1084 – Died 24 May 1153). The Scottish demolished the castle in 1409, which by then was a stone fortress with a pele tower, gatehouse and courtyard. In 1823 a Howard Reform prison was built on the site of the castle which was then closed in 1868.

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Fairies / Folklore / Scottish Fairies

Orkney’s Terrible Trows

Trows are fascinating creatures found only in the folklore of the Orkney and Shetland islands. But, describing them accurately is difficult because sources are not clear. Folklorists have long insisted that the word “trow” is a corruption of “troll,” and that Orkney’s Trows descend from their Viking ancestors’ stories of Trolls.

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Articles / Fairies / Folklore / Mermaids / Scottish Fairies

Folklore And The Fin Folk of Orkney

Folklore is an integral part of any cultural heritage. Sometimes written off as childish fairytale, folklore deserves to be recognized as a valuable treasure trove of information about our own past. The tales and legends of folklore are the result of oral tradition handed down by mouth through the generations.

Apparitions / Hauntings

Strachur Manse

In his 1897 book entitled ‘The Haunted Homes and Family Traditions of Great Britain’, John Ingram gives the story of a haunt like experience at the Manse in Strachur.

Folklore / Folktales / Scottish Folktales

Archibald Boyle and The Glasgow Hell Club

Archibald Boyle is said to have been the leader of ‘The Hell Club’ in Glasgow during the 18th century. There is a story associated with his death which has appeared in Catherine Ann Crowe’s ‘The Night-side of Nature’ (1848), and repeated again in ‘The Haunted Homes and Family Traditions of Great Britain’ by John Ingram (1897).

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Fairies / Folklore / Irish Fairies / Scottish Fairies

The Cailleach

From high mountain pass, exhaling ice breath, (2).
Comes Cailleach clothed in summers death.
Cold fingers search under starlight’s lantern
Staff cracks dew to frosted mantle, (3).
In the stags hoary frosted bark,
Riding with wolves on the cloak of the dark. (4).
From mountain, hillock, stone and spring (5).

Apparitions / Hauntings

Clifton Park, Linton

The following account of a strange experience is taken from ‘The Haunted Homes and Family Traditions of Great Britain’ by John Ingram (1897), though it was originally printed in ‘Signs Before Death: And Authenticated Apparitions’ by Horace Welby (1825).