Evening star., 1895-08-03
GHOSTS IN SCOTTISH MANSIONS.
Some of the Castles In the Land of the
Thistle That Are Haunted.

Some of the Castles in the Land of the
Thistle That Are Haunted,
| From the Gentleman.
Scotland, the land of deep enthusiasm and
poetic feeling, Is essentially a land of super
| stition. Witness the firm belief of the peas
| antry in the weird traditions of the west
and the Highlands in the uncanny apparI-
| tions. foreboders of evil to the family to
I whom they belong. and their avoidance of
the so-called abodes of ghosts and evil
spirits. Nor do they stand alone in their
| beliefs; among the upper class credence is
given to much that is supernatural and not
! without cause, as the history Of the an
cient Castle of Gfamis in Forfarshire re-
| iates. Although the whole house abounds
\ in mysterious noises and ghcstiy visitors
one chamber in particular is known as the
| haunted room." and access to this fear
| some place is only known to Lord Strath-
more, his heir and the factor.
! There is no doubt whatever about the
noises; one night when they were more
weird and unearthly than usual, the pres
ent earl, with several chosen companions
| determined to investigate the cause and
| went to the room. Hardly had his lordship
opened the door when he fell back swoon-
ing. Nor could he ever be persuaded to
| tel wnat he saw. or even mention the SUBJ
] 1ect. One old story is that during a feud
| between the Lindseys and Ogilvies, some
OF the latter clan, in flight from their enc
| mics. besought hospitality from the owner
| Of Gfamfs. He gave them shelter in this
room; but, under plea of hiding them, LETT
them there to starve. 1t may have been
| the sight of the CHASTITY remains which
startled the earl. but whatever it wss is
still a secret. Another story is that of
| Earl Patie." celebrated for many vices,
put above all for that of gambling, He
| played continually, hobnobbing with his
| humbiest servitor. could he not obtain an
other partner However, one Lords cay,''
no one could be persuaded to play with
| him. The chaplain heaped anathemas on
| the head Of any one who dared to desc
| crate the 'Sawbath" by touching the
"deevil's buiks." he designated cards.
| Earl Patfe rather thar be thwarted in
his desire. invoking the foul fiend" to be
| his partner, locked himself into his room.
| Ihe DELI came, and then the fun was
| fast and furious; curses, oaths and shrieks
terrified the inmates and the butler Drawer
| than the rest. putting his eye to the key
hole, had 1t sorely scorched for his curl
| osity. The earl, coming out for a minute
! to get the wherewithal to settle up. re-
| turned only to find the room empty and
| nowhere could any trace of his ghostly
! comrade be found. After his DEATH five
years later. the same noises were constant
| ly heard issuing from the room and along
| the corridors.
AfIanbank, the seat of the Stuarts is
haunted by the ghost Of "Pearlin Jean"
| She was the wife OF the first baronet and
1 Frenchwoman, whom he married in Paris
and deserted. When returning to his native
land. she appeared at the last moment to
bid him goodbye. and stood on the fore
| wheel of the coach to address him. Much
annoyed, he bade the position drive on;
! the lady fell, and the wheels, going over
wheA driving under the arched entrance
gateway, Sir Robert saw "Pearlin Jean"
sitting on the top. her head and shoulders
covered with blood, and for years the rus
| tie of silk and patter of Louis XIV heels
were heard along the passages.
There is perhaps no more notorious ghost
than the "Airlie Drummer" his haunt is
an ancient stronghold, Cortachy Castle.
belonging to the Earls of Airlie. When
ever his drum is heard. those around take
1t as sure token of the speedy death of
the story is that the jealousy Of a former
Lord of Airlie was reused either by the
drummer or the officer whose messenger
he was. In rage he thrust the man into his
drum, and flung him out of the window
of the tower in which the music is usually
heard. The victim threatened, If his life
were taken. to haunt the family, and he
has been as good, or rather bad. as his
word. The music of the hapless drummer
has often been heard. and quite recently,
within the memory Of those ifving-in 1874.
before the death of Lady Airlie. and in
1S49, before the death of the ninth earl.
Spedlins s tower, now a ruined border fort
ress. was long haunted by the spirit sf a
miller named Porteous, who, being suspect
ed of arson, was incarcerated in the dun.
geon by Sir Alexander Jardine. Having oc-
casion to go away from home, he forgot all
about his prisoner, who perished of hunger.
No sooner was he dead than his ghost be-
gan to torment the family and gave them
no rest night or day. At last by the aid of
several ministers the demon was exercised.
ana Bible was placed in niche in his
cell. Years after 1t was thought necessary
to have the Bible rebound. Accordingly It
was sent to Edinburgh for that purpose
1t had not been long on its way before the
ghost left his dungeon, fed over the river
to the new home to which the family had
recently removed, hauled the baronet and
his wife out of bed, causing much terror
and disturbance. Only through returning
the Bible to its niche in ats old condition
was Porteous' revengeful ghost Quieted
and peace again restored.
Woodhouse Lee. the seat of the Fraser
Tytlers. is visited by the spirit of Lady
Hamilton of BothweIihaugh. Her husband
is known as the murderer of the Regent
Murray at Linlithgow. in 1869. and surely
no assassin had ever greater provocatfon.
Knowing Hamilton was from home, the
regent seized his house, turned his wife
and child out naked into the fields; before
morn she was a raving maniac her infant
dead, probably murdered and now her
restless spirit haunts the abode of her for
mer happiness. Part of the masonry of the
old building was used for the present man.
sion, which is built on the Pentland hills,
four miles distant from the scene of the
tragedy; and hut few years ago the do
mestics were terrified by the apparition of
a lady robed in white holding a child in her
arms. which shows the specter is still faith
full to her old home.
The lnveraray ghost Is another weif-au-
thenticated story, the hearse of which
drives up to the door of the castle before
the decease of any member of the Argyll
family. 1t is said. during the illness of the
late duchess. that two of the servants at
Inveraray, while resting in the cleaning
heard the noise of wheels, unbarred the
great door of the entrance hall. and, on
opening 1t. found nothing there. Shortly
afterward they heard of the death of their
mistress
Dunyegan. the home of the Macleods, the
oldest inhabited castle in Scotland. is WIS.,
tied by those delightful spirts-fairies.
There is still the fairy flag. given centuries
ago to the chief of Macleod By the fairies,
and which always brought them victory
when they took it to battle. A room in the
tower is devoted to them, music and danc-
ing are often heard, but all vanishes whep
the door is open.