Posts Tagged ‘scotland’

Posted on November 18, 2009 - by Andrew

Hanging tree ghost caught on camera at Fort William

A French couple on holiday in the Highlands of Scotland claim they have managed to photograph a ghost.

The couple took the strange photograph on the high street of Fort William.  Sophie Mager and Remy Ruckey told press that they didn’t see the ghost themselves; it only became visible to them in the photograph.

They add that it was only after the photograph was taken that they discovered from locals the spot was the location of an old hanging tree – chopped down in the 1970s to make way for a new library.

It was said at the time that cutting down the ancient tree would bring about “Buidseachd” (pronounced Bootchach) the Gaelic name for a curse.

Staff in the library now on the scene have reported hauntings; boos, paintings an pot plants throwing themselves in to the floor and the sound of dog snufflings even though there were no animals in the building. At one point library workers fled the building when an electric typewriter started to print its letters upside down.

In Pure Spirit

Do you think Mager and Puckey have managed to capture the ghost of the old Fort William hanging tree on camera? Or is this a genuine mistake? A con?

Posted on October 27, 2009 - by Andrew

“Sun Compass Templar” stone found in Scotland?

Archaeologists from Historic Scotland are divided over the discovery of a mysterious stone in the village of Temple, the site of the Templar Preceptory for Scotland.

John Ritchie, author and historian, admitted the debate, “It is a crude carving, quite primitive, but I have never seen anything like it in my life. It has a whole series of symbols on it and the symbols are very interesting.

“The symbols at the bottom look like Viking sun compasses, while the dials at the top look a little bit like a Celtic cross but with notches carved on them.”

David Connolly, of Connolly Heritage Consultancy, told The Scotsman that; “It is a significant site because it was the Templar Preceptory for Scotland. I think from the condition, it may once have been set inside the church – which was once much bigger,”

“He could be a Templar, he could be a Hospitaller, he could just be a knight who wanted to be buried there – but the heraldry is like nothing anyone has seen before.”

Connolly believes the stone may have been carved in the 13th or 14th century.

However, the historian Michael Turnbull was more sceptical. He told the newspaper that he did not think the find was significant; “There were certainly Templars there but this might be a fake,” he said.

The stone was discovered by Crispin Phillips as he worked to renovate a house beside The Old Parish Church. He was repairing an old wall which was beginning to fall into the graveyard when he unearthed the stone among the foundations.

The plan is to compete the rebuilding of the 17th-century graveyard wall but to leave an opening or arch to allow scholars to further examine the stone.

Treasure in Temple

The remains of an abbey founded by the Templars can be found in Temple. The building was placed on lands granted to the Templars by King David I of Scotland in 1127.

The Templars were famously rich knights. Many believe it was their wealth that led to their downfall as some of the royalty of Europe and the Catholic Church turned against them. The Templars are also credited with the early invention of international banking as they used credit notes to allow the easy transfer of wealth between people and support the vast sums of gold they had hidden elsewhere.

It is believed that some of this gold was hidden in Scotland. An old Temple legend suggests that some of this treasure is buried in the village. The only clue is an old rhyme, “Twixt the oak and the elm tree/You will find buried the millions free.”

In Pure Spirit

Do you think the stone is significant? A fake or perhaps another clue in the great Templar mystery?

Posted on October 25, 2009 - by Andrew

The evil history of Lancaster’s Palatine Hall

Palatine Hall and 2 Dalton Square are adjacent buildings; number 2 was once the home of the infamous doctor Buck Ruxton.

Ruxton was once called Bukhtyar Rustomji Ratanji Hakim. He was born in Bombay, India, on the 21st of March 1899 and was a Parsi – according to tradition therefore descended from a group of Iranian Zoroastrians who emigrated to Western India more than 1,000 years ago.

Dr Buktyar Rustomi moved to England in 1930, changed his name to Buck Ruxton and began practising as a doctor in from his home.

Life seems to be going well for Ruxton. He had three children with his wife Isabella and mingled with the elite of the society.

However, Buck was intensely jealous and possibly mad. He became sure that Isabella had taken a lover and was having an affair. In a fit of rage he committed a murder – he strangled Isabella with his bare hands. Unfortunately for Buck there was a witness, the building’s maid, one Mary Jane Rogerson.

The evil doctor killed Mary Jane to stop her speaking. Being a trained and calculating surgeon Buck Ruxton cut up the bodies of Isabella and Mary Jane Rogerson using a bath to contain the blood. A bath that would later become evidence in his trial and scattered their body parts over a wide area.

The parts of Mary Jane Rogerson were found buried in a churchyard in Overton, a small village near Morecambe, and Isabella Ruxton were found 100 miles north of Lancaster in a stream near the Scottish town of Moffat.

Buck Ruxton had made some mistakes. In his mad dash from Palatine Hall to Scotland he had nearly hit a cyclist with his car. The cyclist had name a note of his registration plates. The newspaper he used to wrap some of the parts in was a special edition; sold only in Morecambe and Lancaster and had headlines that featured the Morecambe Carnival.

He was caught and brought to trial. The trial caught the attention of the public; not just for the horrible deaths at Palatine Hall but fore the forensic techniques used to expose the doctor; early fingerprinting was used, x-ray technology was used and even forensic entomology.

Buck Ruxton was hanged in Manchester, in Strangeways prison, on the 12th of May 1936.

Palatine Hall, the house on Dalton Square, was abandoned for many years after the murders. It was refitted in 1980 and is now a commercial building.

During the trial the public adapted the song “Red Sails in the Sunset”

Red stains on the carpet,
Red stains on the knife
Oh Dr Buck Ruxton
You murdered your wife.
Then Mary she saw you
You thought she would tell
So Dr Buck Ruxton
You killed her as well.

Hauntings

No one would live in Palatine Hall or the house after the twin murders. Today no one sleeps in the building.

Some locals and paranormal experts suggest the building is haunted. Likely ghosts include Isabella and Mary Jane Rogerson who both died in Palatine Hall.

Some investigators, on Twitter, have talked about orbs being photographed in the square and of the possibility of EVP from the building.

 

In Pure Spirit

Have you been to Palatine Hall, number 2 or anywhere in Dalton Square? What was your experience like?

Posted on October 20, 2009 - by Andrew

The mad ghosts and tweets of Inveraray Jail

This is the second time In Pure Spirit has written about Inverarary Jail and hauntings. In May of this year we had a copy of a ghostly blur caught on camera in front of “Cell X” in the Scottish jail.

We were also able to report that Ghost Finders Scotland had good samples of Electronic Voice Phenomenon and that Spectre, the paranormal researchers, ad recorded a dramatic temperature drop in cell 9 of the old jail building.

What we also now is that in May – around May the 12th – Most Haunted were visiting the jail and filming in. We learn this from the Inverary Jail Twitter account which now sadly seems to be out of action.

This their tweet;

“’Most Haunted’ team great fun and stirred up quite a response from our ‘inmates’!”

If you want to follow InverararyJail then sign into Twitter and visit @InveraryJail. At the time of posting they only have 21 followers so they could o with some more contacts. While you’re there then follow @inpurespirit too as we tweet additional information and updates.

So what might the Most Haunted crew have found?

We know that in July the jail started a blog. There might be some clues from there – the discovery of Burke and Hare’s life and death masks along with a genuine hangman’s noose were found in an old store room, for example.

There’s nothing to suggest that either Burke or Hare ever had anything to do with Inverary Jail. After murdering at least 16 people, selling their bodies on to medical science, they were caught and Burke was hanged. Hare turned Kings Evidence and is thought to have died a penniless beggar in the States. Burke’s body was skinned and dissected.

The blog also suggests the jail’s kitchen is a sport of paranormal activity. According to Gavin Dick, Inveraray Jail’s manager, people have reported the sensation of someone cowering behind the kitchen door.

We also know that the jail and courthouse, established on the shores of Loch Fyne back in 1820, was used to house men, women and children. Yvette Fielding, in particular, tends to be especially sensitive when the possible spirits of children are around and so watching her closely may be a good idea.

From prisoner records we also know that the jail held many insane prisoners over the years – people like Janet MacDonald who spent 168 days in Inverary in 1844 after both Dundee and Edinburgh lunatic asylums reviewed to take her.

There are also prisoners like Donald Campbell who we know was admitted to Inveraray Jail in November 1835 where he was declared a lunatic and died a year later in April 1836.

Archibald MacLellan is an even more interesting character. He was admitted to Inveraray Jail in June 1826 after he killed his own child with a stool. There were witnesses to the crime and they all agreed that the stress of trying to manage a family of 10 children had ruined his mind. In jail he was considered to be of fair character. The Prison Register states that he reached “now quite sound but has not been able to find caution.” Surely such a figure would be a perfect candidate to linger on?

This post is scheduled to go live a few hours before the Inverary Jail Most Haunted episode. Let us know how accurate you think we’ve been.

In Pure Spirit

The Jail is open to visitors and is a living museum and does run ghost hunting nights.

Are you a fan or foe of Most Haunted? Let us know… especially interested to hear guesses as to what Most Haunted Live: The 8 Faces of Evil might feature.

Posted on July 14, 2009 - by Andrew

Aberdeen city council to burn a witch

A Scottish city is set to burn a 16th century witch and is giving people the chance to meet the gaoler before hand.

The re-enactment will be held on Saturday the 18th of July at 11am, 12 noon, 2pm and 3pm at The Tolbooth Museum, Castle Street, Aberdeen.

The council’s press release notes that burnings were rare in Aberdeen except in 1597 when King James the VI encouraged a witch hunt. That year 20 people were executed for witchcraft.

The witches of Aberdeen often ‘confessed’ to dealings with the Devil and Castlegate and Fittie turned out to be the best two places to sign a demonic deal.

The council, in typical council style, also point out that it cost on average £3 for Aberdeen to burn a convicted witch but this price did not include the barriers often needed to hold back the crowds who flocked to watch the executions.

Aberdeen City Council assistant keeper (research) Chris Croly said: ‘It was a very dangerous time, suspicions were rife in Aberdeen and no one knew who would be accused of being a witch next. Even if someone was arrested on suspicion of the charge and found not guilty they would still be branded and banished from Aberdeen”.

In Pure Spirit

What do you think? A good tourist offering from Aberdeen, historical insight or a bad example?

Posted on May 27, 2009 - by Andrew

New ghostly photograph from Inverary Jail

Scottish visitor attraction Inverary Jail has released a photograph of a ghostly shape hovering at the surface.

Built by the side of Loch Fyne in Argyll, the former prison is widely reported to be haunted and visited often by paranormal investigators.

Inside the jail most sightings are reported in or around cell 10. Gavin Dick, manager of the attraction, said; “During the height of the X Files days we used to call it Cell X for obvious reasons.”

Dick also suggests the kitchen is haunted, “In the kitchen, which is in many ways the most unremarkable room we have had people sense that there’s someone cowering behind the door. There are various areas that cause reactions, and not just on ghost hunts.”

One woman, who visited the jail with her husband and young daughter, complained of having sensed an ‘unsettling presence’ in the prison and was surprised to discover a blurred image in one of her photographs which she didn’t notice when the picture was taken.

Ghost Finders Scotland have studied the jail and reportedly found good examples of Electronic Voice Phenomenon.

Spectre, the paranormal investigations and research group, recorded the temperature dropping from 16.8c to 9.0c in just ten minutes while investigating cell 9 in the old jail building.

In Pure Spirit

Have you been to Inverary Jail and experienced anything unusual? The jail operates both ghost tours and paranormal investigations for interested parties.

Posted on May 4, 2009 - by Andrew

Mary King’s Ghost Fest 2009

The fifth Mary King’s Ghost Fest runs from May 8th to May 17th and features a number of famous ghost hunters. Dr Ciaran O’Keeffe and Steve Parsons from Most Haunted will be headlining the investigations.

The Close – or narrow street in Edinburgh, Scotland – is named after Mary King who lived above one until she died in 1644. The ‘Real Mary King’s Close” was built over in 1853. This act, however, helped preseve the ancient street and today it can be accessed as a small underground capsule of houses, history and strangely dark shadows.

The 2009 Mary King’s Ghost Fest is not restricted to the Real Mary King’s Close and features over a dozen locations in Edinburgh.

Mary King’s Ghost Fest locations

1. The Real Mary King’s Close
2. Blair Street Vaults (run by Mercat Tours)
3. Camera Obscura
4. City of Dead Tours
5. National Library of Scotland
6. Canons Gait Pub
7. Waverley Bridge (run by Horrible Histories)
8. Scottish Mining Museum
9. Malmaison Hotel (run by North West Spirit Seekers)
10. The Scotsman Screening Room
11. Gilmerton Cove
12. South Niddry Street Vaults
13. Edinburgh School of Parapsychology
14. Celtic Lodge
15. Vogire House
16. The Museum of Edinburgh
17. The Peoples Story
18. The Beehive Inn
19. THe Rowan Tree

Travelling to Edinburgh and Ghost Fest 2009

The Real Mary King’s Close is only a few minutes walk from Waverly Station. In 2008 many ghost hunters arrived in Edinburgh by train*.

Arranging Ghost Tours

Fancy going on a ghost tour yourself or sending some friends on one? Both Black Hart and Mercat offer ticketed tours. You can also buy a ghost tour ticket from Buyagift*.

In Pure Spirit

Have you attended the Mary King’s Ghost Fest before? What did you make of the week of ghost-hunting?

If you go in 2009 then we’d love to know what you thought of the events.

Disclaimer: Links marked with a star(*) are revenue links.

Posted on February 4, 2009 - by Andrew

Good for everyone: Budget responsible travel

The credit crunch provides us with some holiday dilemmas. Can we go somewhere nice on holiday without spending too much? Can we go somewhere nice and be responsible, ethical and green?

Researching such budget ethical holidays can be hard work but here at In Pure Spirit we think it is worthwhile as success here is good for everyone.

The following post is five suggestions of good for everyone holidays from the responsible travel company.  Each suggestion is for an accommodation only offer from a holiday company which makes every effort to provide ethical and green choices.

Our first tip is relates to the current weakness of the Pound against the Euro. The best good for everyone holidays are found either within the UK or just outside Europe.

Lodges in a Devon farm

Choose from three lovely lodges on an ethical farm in Devon. This holiday is ideal for dog owners and BBQ lovers.

The warm lodges are good for everyone as they make use of electricity provided from 100% renewable sources. Guests are encouraged to recycle paper, glass, cans and plastic.

Another key feature of these lodges is the wildlife – specially the owls and other birds.

You can research this holiday some more here*.

Bed and Breakfast at Loch Ness

Loch Ness is famous the world over. Whereas only a few people are lucky enough to be able to claim to have had a monster sighting everyone can claim to have seen the loch’s wonderful views.

This good for everyone holiday is ideal for walkers and photographers.

You can research more about this Loch Ness holiday here*.

An ethical Tobago beach holiday

The Tobago rainforest is the oldest protected rainforest in the Western world. These two all-wood lodges sit near the edge of the mango trees and bamboo.

This is a family friendly good for everyone holiday as children have all the space they need to run and play. The coastline is also ideal for birdwatchers and it is even possible to arrange a tour with the famous ornithologist Newton George.

You can read more about this beach holiday here*.

Responsible accomodation in Transylvania

What can we say about a trip to the Carpathian Mountains, Romania and Transylvania. The countryside is breathtaking and the buildings historic – but we know everyone will be thinking about the most famous vampire story of them all.

This good for everyone holiday is ideal for monster hunters and culture vultures.

More information about responsible holidays in Transylvania can be found here*.

Imlil, the Atlas Mountains and Morocco

The Atlas Mountains are some of the most beautiful in the world. This family sized home has 4 bedrooms, two large roof terraces and dining room top of the kasbah.

This good for everyone holiday really helps to support the local economy. The entre Kasbah was built by local workers from the nearby village. The owners help run a local grocery shop.

More information is available about this holiday here*.

In Pure Spirit

Hopefully this list will help kick start your good for everyone holiday – you might even be able to research and book the whole thing during an ad break in Coronation Street.

What holiday tips would you offer to help people plan a responsible, ethical and green holiday that doesn’t break the bank?

Disclaimer: Links marked with stars* are revenue links.

Posted on December 30, 2008 - by Andrew

Ben Macdhui and Fear Liath Mhor

After Ben Nevis the mountain Ben Macdhui is the second tallest mountain in Scotland. It is part of the Cairngorms and popular with walkers and climbers.

Fear Liath Mhor

Since the 1920s there have been reports of a creature on Ben Macdhui. It is known as The Grey Man or Fear Liath Mhor in Gaelic.

The account from 1925 comes from Professor Normal Collie when he spoke at a General Meeting of the Caringorn club in 1925. He spoke of an encounter on the mountain, when the mist was thick and heavy, and he was heading away from the summit. The professor had been on the mountain many times before but on this trip down the slopes and in the mist he could hear the sounds of a second set of heavy footprints. The time between each crunch was longer than is – as if to suggest much longer legs. The professor, alone, was overcome with terror and fled the mountain.

One of the reported abilities of Fear Liath Mhor is to create terror and some investigators speculate whether this is used to try and herd climbers off over the dangerous cliffs on Lurcher’s crag.

The author Ricard Frere has written of an anonymous friend who while camping on Ben Macdhui witnessed a giant brown ape-like creature making its way down the mountain. In 1945 Peter Densham, an experienced climber, reported hearing footsteps and also the compelling and irresistible feeling of panic. Densham also fled the mountain.

In Pure Spirit

Have you climbed Ben Macdhui when the mist came in? Did you hear anything? Feel free to share any of your walking or climbing stories below.

Posted on December 29, 2008 - by Andrew

Save the common seal in Scotland: Time for an emergency ban?

It is currently legal for licensed individuals in Scotland to shoot the common seal. This is unusual for the United Kingdom, which has strict gun laws and where fox hunting was banned despite hundreds of years of tradition.

Scotland has had a large population of common seals. Shooting licenses are granted to cull the seals and help prevent damage to fish farm cages.

Recent research by the Sea Mammal Research Unit at St Andrews University suggests that the seal population has dropped by 56% in the last 7 years. This figure is much larger than expected.

The new research is being used by Robin Harper, a MSP from the Green Party, to call for an emergency ban on the culling. He has lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament to try and push the ban through.

Andy Ottoway from the Seal Protection Action group is also calling for an immediate ban.  Ottoway told the BBC that he wanted a ceasefire to protect globally important seal populations before it was too late.

The Common Seal

Also known as the Harbour Seal (Harbor Seal) is found on the Arctic and temperate coastlines in the Northern hemisphere. Females can live up to 35 years, about 10 years longer than an average male.

Common Seals are most easily spotted cue to their V-shaped nostrils. They can be gray, tan or brown in colour and reach a length of about 1.85 meters (which is just longer than 6 foot).

The global population of common seals is in the region of about half a million. This is largely due to seal hunting now being illegal in most countries.

In Pure Spirit

You can contact the Scottish Parliament about this if this is an important issue to you. Do you think culling is ever justified? Does mankind have an obligation to maintain the ecological balance now that we’ve been responsible for the introduction of some animals to new environments?