Haunted Scotland
Ghosts, spectres, spooks – whatever you want to call them – simply crowd the pages of my latest book, Paranormal Scotland, which was a joy for me to write.
I am a huge fan of the supernatural. The unexplained has always been part of my life and I started to write ‘ghost stories’ as a little girl, the scarier the better. I liked to illustrate them too. The difference is that way back then I made them all up, they seemed to emanate in their droves from somewhere in the dark recesses of my brain, whereas in Paranormal Scotland, the tales are true …. yes, indeed they are, of course I do realise that depends on how much of a believer you are or want to be.
I wrote my book by dividing it into sections covering all things creepy, so when you pick up a copy to read – and I really hope you do – you’ll find out that these phantoms reside not only in Scotland’s swathes of castles and palaces of which there are so many, but they also appear from time to time on railways, roads and gardens, they are seen on the sea, not only on or under the waves but also in ships and boats while supernatural goings on are par for the course in theatres. They make their presence felt in churches and cathedrals too, especially in Rosslyn Chapel, St Andrews Cathedral and Melrose Abbey and pop up all the time to scare the living daylights out of those residing in houses grand and not so grand. To be honest, they are all over the place. Not that it’s just your everyday ghost that we’re talking about here. No, not at all. Scotland has it all, from witches, wizards, fairies, sea monsters and yeti-type creatures to UFOs and a plethora of female spirits called glastigs and caoineags who appear in various forms. No shortage of mermaids and seal maidens or selkies either. These are beings who cast off their sealskins in order to be able to shapeshift, within the magical skins lies the power to return to seal form and therefore the sea. There are naughty poltergeists, unwanted love children, kilted bagpipers and blood-stained clansmen too. Of course, your common everyday ‘spook’ makes plenty of appearances within the pages, as well as ethereal drummers, phantom vehicles and spectral dogs and horses … yes, Scotland, my beloved homeland, is simply swarming in ghostly tales.
I am a huge fan of the supernatural. The unexplained has always been part of my life and I started to write ‘ghost stories’ as a little girl, the scarier the better. I liked to illustrate them too. The difference is that way back then I made them all up, they seemed to emanate in their droves from somewhere in the dark recesses of my brain, whereas in Paranormal Scotland, the tales are true …. yes, indeed they are, of course I do realise that depends on how much of a believer you are or want to be.
I wrote my book by dividing it into sections covering all things creepy, so when you pick up a copy to read – and I really hope you do – you’ll find out that these phantoms reside not only in Scotland’s swathes of castles and palaces of which there are so many, but they also appear from time to time on railways, roads and gardens, they are seen on the sea, not only on or under the waves but also in ships and boats while supernatural goings on are par for the course in theatres. They make their presence felt in churches and cathedrals too, especially in Rosslyn Chapel, St Andrews Cathedral and Melrose Abbey and pop up all the time to scare the living daylights out of those residing in houses grand and not so grand. To be honest, they are all over the place. Not that it’s just your everyday ghost that we’re talking about here. No, not at all. Scotland has it all, from witches, wizards, fairies, sea monsters and yeti-type creatures to UFOs and a plethora of female spirits called glastigs and caoineags who appear in various forms. No shortage of mermaids and seal maidens or selkies either. These are beings who cast off their sealskins in order to be able to shapeshift, within the magical skins lies the power to return to seal form and therefore the sea. There are naughty poltergeists, unwanted love children, kilted bagpipers and blood-stained clansmen too. Of course, your common everyday ‘spook’ makes plenty of appearances within the pages, as well as ethereal drummers, phantom vehicles and spectral dogs and horses … yes, Scotland, my beloved homeland, is simply swarming in ghostly tales.
Those of you who are interested in Scotland, perhaps you live there or spend holidays there, or maybe you’ve never actually been to the ancient land of Dalriada, but whoever you are, it is extremely possible that you have probably heard about many, or maybe just one or two, of the places I’ve mentioned within the pages. There’s Loch Ness for instance – yes, quite, absolutely everybody has heard about this terrifyingly deep loch and its gloriously famous occupant. Then, if you like Edinburgh, you may have come across Greyfriars Kirkyard. Most people who have heard of it connect it to the sad story of the little Skye terrier, ‘Greyfriars Bobby’ who wouldn’t leave his master’s grave. Lots of folks come here to see the statue of the lovely little dog and also pay a visit to Thomas Riddell’s grave, he was the one who gave his name to the nasty dark Lord Voldemart in the Harry Potter books. Here too though is a building called the Black Mausoleum, a structure which has been described as the ‘scariest place on earth’. I’m not going to go into the story here, I’ve written about it at length in my book. All I will say is, if you happen to be in Edinburgh and fancy seeing it for yourself then visit at your peril – the fear factor for this one is frightful!
I could go on about the world just beyond the veil, but will sum it up in a few words. You know what they say - mortals live until they die, but ghosts hang around long afterwards………
Let me finish with part of this traditional Scottish prayer, “From ghoulies and ghosties and long leggedy beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord deliver us”
I have written other books about the paranormal too; Haunted West End, published by The History Press and Paranormal London, published by Amberley. More ghostly stuff here and here
image copyrights (c) Gilly Pickup