page_title: Bessie Dunlop of Lynn
section_title: The Elfhame of the Blair
hierarchical_section_title: Bessie Dunlop of Lynn / Association with Thomas Reid and the Queen of Elfland / The Elfhame of the Blair
caption_attribution_description: English: An 1833 plan of the Cleeve Cove cave system on the Dusk Water, near Dalry / Kilwinning, North Ayrshire, Scotland. Rosser 10:16, 25 July 2007 (UTC) From Pont's Cunninghame, James Dobie, 1876.
context_page_description: Living in the 16th century Bessie Dunlop, Elizabeth Dunlop or Elizabeth Jack was an Ayrshire farmer's wife who was 'burned at the stake' at Edinburgh for the crime of sorcery, witchcraft, incantations, etc. Her case was unusual in the amount of fine detail related in her testimony and the lack of anything but positive or neutral outcomes of her recorded ministrations and actions. Her admission to the use of a 'familiar spirit' and association with the fairies were the main cause of her conviction and her death sentence. For consistency the name 'Bessie Dunlop' is used throughout.
context_section_description: An interesting associated aspect of Bessie Dunlop's story is that the extensive limestone Cleeves Cove site, one of Ayrshire's greatest natural history sites, lies on the Dusk Water only a few miles from Lynn Glen and Monkcastle. As the barony officer to the Blair Thomas Reid would have known this area well. Tradition records that the caves were the "Elfhame o'the Blair" or the 'Elfhouse' and the locals at that time believed that these magical creatures had made this their abode within the many chamber containing stalactites and stalagmites. At Halloween it was said they would come riding out of the caves on horses that were the size of mice, their long yellow hair straming or tied in knots with crimps of gold. Their quaichs were acorn cups and they drank wine beneath the toadstools. Their cloths were green velvet and their arrows were made of moss-reed tipped with flint arrow heads that were dipped in hemlock poison. The bows were made from the rib bones of unbaptised babies who had been secretly buried in the shaws and glens. It is not known how old these 'Elfhame' traditions are however excavation shows that it was dwelt in by man and was used by Covenanters seeking a hiding place from the king's troops.
caption: A map of the Cleaves Cove - The Elfhame o'the Blair
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