What comes first to your mind when you think about Scotland? Is it its wonderful landscape, with rocky shores, against which the waves break, rage and foam? Is it its traditional fashion, which has men basically wearing plaid skirts – or tartan kilts, as they like to call them? Or is it its bloody history? It’s no wonder that William Shakespeare chose Scotland as the backdrop for Macbeth, one of his most blood-filled plays. Scotland’s past is filled with murdered kings and queens, blood-lusty monarchs and extremely violent and seemingly endless clan and tribe wars. What all these events of the past left behind is a country rich in both popular history and myth. Traveling to Scotland is ideal for those who want a thrill ride, as there are plenty of places around this hilly realm which will have you gasping, panting or even screaming in blood-curling terror…
Mary King’s Close
Located in Edinburgh’s Old Town, Mary King’s Close is a place where so many souls died that their numbers are lost in the mists of history… The building was partly demolished some years ago, then closed to the public, then shrouded in more myths and urban legends about ghosts and murders. The whole mystery started with the place being used to wall in plague sufferers during the Christmas 1644 plague. The disease, which afflicted the country for 18 months and killed a major part of the Scottish population, did happen. However, no plague victims were ever walled into any building, contrary to popular belief. The myth does linger on, though, and the place, which was opened as a commercial tourist attraction in April 2003, is still featured on TV programs, for instance, as one of the world’s most haunted places. Many claim to have seen the spirit of a young girl haunting the place, and the nearby Greyfriars cemetery was the place where infamous body snatchers Burke and Hare dug up the first corpses they used in their medical experiments.
Roslyn Chapel
The Collegiate Chapel of St. Matthew, or Roslyn Chapel, as it is popularly known, was built in the mid 15th century, founded by William Sinclair, 1st Earl of Caithness. It is a place of wonderful architecture, currently subjected to an extensive conservation program. Some of its most wonderful features include the Apprentice Pillar or Princes Pillar, the 213 Musical Boxes or Cubes, and the Famous Greenmen. Throughout the years, the Chapel has become a central location to various speculative theories on Freemasonry and the Knights Templar, which probably lead to Dan Brown using it as the setting for The DaVinci Code. It was even featured in the 2005 film of the same name, and it is said that ghostly flames flicker in the burial vault when a member of the Sinclair family is about to die. Additionally, rumor has it that the apprentice who carved the pillar can sometimes be seen or heard.
Fyvie Castle
Legend has it Fyvie Castle was built in 1211 by none other than William the Lion. Although historians haven’t confirmed this rumor, it is true that some of its oldest parts date as far back as the 13th century. Popular myths claim that the castle, which is located a few miles north of Aberdeen, is haunted by the ghostof Lilias Drummond, murdered here in 1601. It’s been alternatively surmised that she was starved to death by her husband or that she died of a broken heart. What remains of her real life existence is her name carved in the stone window sill to her husband’s bedroom. She is said to have written her name there the night her husband took a younger bride…
Author Bio: Robert is a dedicated article writer and an efficient Internet marketer, well versed in self catering Scotland
holidays. With a scoop on the right accommodation, self-catering holidays are the most budget-efficient way to see Scotland. Image by Moyan_Brenn
