The Scotland of the imagination is a land of rolling green hills, kilt-wearing bagpipers, and crumbling castles. While you can find all of this in Scotland, there is a great deal more to this fiercely patriotic country. With a land area equal to the state of Maine in the US, this small country is chock-full of fascinating history.

10 Fortingall Yew
The 5,000-Year-Old Tree

In the heart of Scotland stands one of Europe’s oldest trees, the Fortingall Yew. Experts speculate that the tree may be 5,000 years old. It is named for the small village in which it is found—Fortingall, in Perthshire. The land surrounding Fortingall contains some of the most amazing archaeological sites in Scotland, from plague burial grounds to the remains of a 1,300-year-old monastery. While the Yew first sprouted long after the first people moved to Scotland over 12,000 years ago, it’s probably as old as the first settlements at Fortingall.

The Fortingall Yew is significant not just because of its age, but because of the intriguing folklore surrounding this ancient living entity. Yews are part of the landscape at countless British churches—many times the trees were planted at the same time as the church was founded. The Fortingall Yew predates its sister chapel by thousands of years, leading experts to believe that it was an important site for pagan rituals long before Christianity came to Perthshire. It was common practice for early Christians to build over sacred groves and other existing religious sites in order to promote the dominance of their own religion. Folklore linking the Fortingall Yew to Christianity soon built up around it.

Legend says that Pontius Pilate, the judge and Roman governor who sentenced Jesus to crucifixion, was born by the tree and played in the shade of the Yew during his childhood. This legend, while unlikely to be factual, tied Scotland to the history of Christianity in a tangible (if mythological) way. New Age practitioners have also been attracted to the Fortingall Yew, claiming the tree was important in the rituals of the druids, and that the druids did not built near it because of its immense energy. Today the tree is badly damaged and even had to be cut back to save it from rot, but it still stands strong in the heart of Scotland, reminding visitors of the sacredness of ancient trees.

9 Redheads

A rumor has been floating around online that redheads could be extinct in a hundred years. It arose when a Bradford University professor was misquoted in The Daily Mail, which reported him saying that we would see redheads disappear through migration and intermarriage. What he meant was that their numbers may dwindle, although they will not disappear entirely.

If the redhead gene lives on anywhere, it’s southeast Scotland, where 40 percent of the population are carriers. All told, the British Isles are home to some 20.4 million people who carry the redhead gene. Being redhead, which is linked with having very pale skin, may be an evolutionary advantage in the far north where it is so often cloudy. Humans need a significant amount of vitamin D and redheads are generally able to get more vitamin D after less time in the sun than people with darker complexions.

Redheads make up a bigger proportion of the population than they do south of the border, with 6 percent of Scots being natural redheads. Although other researchers suggest that this number may be as high as 1 in 8, or 12.5 percent. It’s this large population of red-haired people that made it a natural location for the UK’s first ever Ginger Pride Parade, which was held during the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August of 2013. It was a refreshing party to counter the bullying that many redheads experience. South Park popularized “Kick a Ginger Day” which school children have done in real life. The studies on hidden redhead genes are hoping to counteract prejudice and shed light on ancestral migration.

8 Hadrian’s Wall

Rome first invaded the southern shore of Britain in 55 BC, near the end of the Iron Age. Small invasions continued for the next 100 years until finally Emperor Claudius sent in 40,000 troops in 43 AD. They reached Scotland, which the Romans called Caledonia, around 79 AD. Their invasion failed, as did several subsequent attempts to conquer it. The warring tribes of the north were not vulnerable to foreign invasion and the best Rome could hope for was civil trading relations, a fact Roman Emperor Hadrian knew well before he visited the area in 122 AD.

At Hadrians behest, 15 years of construction resulted in an impressive fortification lining the northernmost reach of the Roman Empire in Britain, dubbed Hadrian’s Wall. It was 117 kilometers (73 mi) long and had been constructed in small stretches of eight kilometers (five miles) at a time. Sections were separated by forts which also served as trading posts. The wall was 3 meters (10 ft) wide and varied in height from five to six meters (16 to 20 ft). While the exact reason for building the wall remains unclear, it is evident that Hadrian was attempting to fortify his defenses before attempting to conquer land further north. The Scots will tell you Rome was afraid of them and built the wall to keep the terrifying warriors out of Rome.

After Emperor Hadrian passed away in 138 AD, Antoninus Pius became emperor. He wasn’t keen on Hadrian’s Wall and wanted to expand further north, building the lesser known Antonine Wall about 160 kilometers (99 mi) north of the previous fortification. This wall was built out of turf and was 60.8 kilometers (37.8 mi) long. Attempt after attempt failed to conquer the Highland tribes, even with this new wall which had many more forts and likely more troops than Hadrian’s Wall ever did. Antoninus’s efforts failed and his successor, Emperor Marcus Aurelius, abandoned the wall, relocating his troops back to Hadrian’s Wall where they stayed until the fifth century, when Rome withdrew from Britain.

The remnants of the wall were declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. Visitors to the wall can fully explore the unguarded site, but the archaeologists among us would remind visitors to be mindful of the site’s ancient history and be careful to not damage the historic structure.

7 Edinburgh Vaults

Beneath the streets of Scotland’s capital, Edinburgh, lies a series of underground chambers that today are referred to as the Edinburgh Vaults. These vaults were not, as is commonly the case, the city before streets were raised, or secret tunnels built to transport illicit goods. They are beneath South Bridge, the first street that was constructed as a purpose-built shopping district. Although South Bridge appears by all accounts to be a street, it is actually a bridge connecting two hillsides, Southside and Old Town. The bridge had 19 arches and was up to 9.5 meters (31 ft) in places, as well as reaching nearly seven meters (22 ft) below ground in others. Construction on the bridge wrapped up in 1788.

Over time, the street/bridge became populated by shops and the lower levels by basements and storerooms. The street suffered damage over time because it had not been properly waterproofed and the storerooms below ground had to be abandoned. So as legitimate businesses moved out, illicit trade moved in.

The deeper spaces were closed off and turned into chambers for everything from underground pubs to illegal tenement housing for poor immigrants. During Ireland’s Great Famine, Scotland saw an influx of immigrants from Ireland, and the vaults became a refuge for the most underserved populations. The area was informally known as Little Ireland in the mid-1800s. There is little official documentation of what went on below South Bridge, as people making use of the space weren’t likely to write about it since they were there illegally. The chambers were abandoned in the late 1800s only to be rediscovered in 1988 by someone exploring the space below their building.

Today the Edinburgh Vaults are thought to be one of Edinburgh’s many haunted locations. Hearing voices, being scratched, pushed, and feeling cold pockets of air are all common claims by visitors. A haunting legend says that the infamous 1820s West Port murderers, Burke and Hare, stored the bodies of their 16 victims here before selling them to Edinburgh’s Doctor Robert Knox to use in anatomy class. Before turning to murder, Burke and Hare dug up corpses to sell to medical schools. After Burke was caught and hanged, his corpse was dissected in public, items such as wallets were made from his tanned skin, and his skeleton was put on display in Edinburgh Medical College, where you can visit it today.

6 Violence And Football

Glasgow has long been known as the murder capital of Europe. In fact, it’s ranked third. Studies report Glasgow has more violent incidents per capita than Rio de Janeiro or New York City, although their murder rate is half that of New York City. Unlike New York, guns are rare in Glasgow, so violence happens face-to-face with knives and fists. Certainly it is the most dangerous place in the United Kingdom, with significantly more murders per capita than London (2.7 per 100,000 versus London’s 1.67 per 100,000). The crime rate has dropped significantly in the last 10 years, but Glasgow has a history marred by religious violence, high poverty, and vicious sporting rivalries.

Many pubs have notices reading “No football colours allowed” because this is a city where walking into the wrong pub wearing the wrong color can incite a brawl. The fiercest rivalry is between the two Glasgow teams Rangers and Celtic (collectively known as the Old Firm), the two most successful clubs in Scotland. The rivalry runs along deep religious divides, with the Rangers representing the Protestants and aligning themselves with the British monarchy while Celtic represents Roman Catholicism and dress in green to align with Ireland. In fact, both teams were founded by members of their respective religions: Celtic was founded by a Catholic monk while Rangers was founded by a group of Protestant rowers.

Even today, the prejudice against and for these particular religious affiliations affects everything from the crews hired to clean the field to the managers who run the entire club. Legislation has attempted to crack down on the violence, but it is still there. From bombs in the mail to racist slurs and tasteless taunts about death, nothing is off limits for some diehard fans.

The violence doesn’t end when the brawls are broken up after the game. Recent research from St Andrews University presented solid evidence that domestic abuse increases considerably on the days of Old Firm games. Most victims of these cases are female, and with the low rate of reporting by victims the actual rate is probably much higher than the study shows.

5 Inventions

Scotland lays claim to countless inventions that we take for granted today. While some inventors are well known, such as the controversial Alexander Graham Bell (a native Scotsman who immigrated to North America), others have never received proper credit for their contributions.

Kirkpatrick MacMillan invented the pedal bicycle, although others took the credit and profited from copies of his invention. The ubiquitous ATM is another Scottish invention. John Shepherd-Barron, a Scotsman born in India, is said to have come up with the idea while in the bath; the first one was installed in 1967. And although the heyday of the fax machine may be over, it was a crucial piece of technology for decades. Alexander Bain began work on the first rudimentary fax machine in the mid-1840s.

Taking a look around the kitchen we find more Scottish inventions in action. The microwave is a staple in today’s modern kitchens, the principles of which were laid out by James Clerk Maxwell in the mid-to-late 1800s. He studied the electro-magnetic spectrum and noted the waves on which the energy traveled. Artificial cooling was invented by William Cullen in 1748. At the time, it was thought to be useless in everyday life—it wasn’t until later that it was implemented in refrigerators. And if you open up that fridge to pour yourself a gin and tonic, you can thank George Cleghorn, the Scottish doctor from the 1700s who combined quinine, tonic, and gin as a way to combat malaria.

Take your G & T into the living-room and take a moment to remember John Logie Baird, who invented both the first television in 1926 and the first color television in 1928. And if you end up having a few too many gins? You’ll probably need to make use of the device invented by Alexander Cumming, a Scottish watchmaker. He patented the first flushing toilet in 1775. Archaeological evidence suggests that the first toilets ever were possibly built in Orkney, Scotland in 3,000 BC. Thank you Scotland, for all the useful ideas.

4 Viking Ties

The Norse made a lasting impact on Scottish culture. They first conquered many of Scotland’s smaller islands in the 11th century before taking on the main British Isle. While the stereotype of Vikings may be vicious and bloody, the real Vikings were very different. Family life was very important to them and they and took their wives with them once they had successfully conquered a place. Scotland, to the Norse, was a vital part of their main trading route, which expanded from North America’s Newfoundland all the way to Baghdad, with their reach extending even further afield than that.

The Vikings, as scary as they may have been in battle, actually warned their fellow countrymen to be wary of Scotland. A Norse travel guide of sorts from the 1200s depicted Scotland as a place that was dark and dangerous. They described the language as impossible to understand and the people as violent and terrifying. They also feared the seas surrounding Scotland because of the unpredictable weather patterns and strong gale winds. The Vikings didn’t plunder the native population so much as they went after unguarded places such as monasteries—because the Scots were not going to give up their goods without a fight.

The Vikings did settle in Scotland and their lineage carries on today. Words that come from Old Norse are still in use in the local Scots language, such as “muckle,” which means large, and even “kilt,” which comes from the Old Norse word kjalta. There are many in Scotland who consider their culture to be closely related to that of Scandinavia, with a shared interest in dark humor and a proud lineage of rebellious warriors.

3 Unicorns

Scotland’s official animal is the unicorn. Yes, their famous native animal the unicorn. It’s not so surprising considering the love Scotland has for legend. Unicorns were revered by the Celts, the symbolism being much the same as it is today: grace, purity, healing, and happiness. The creature was printed on gold coins when King James III was in power between 1466 and 1488 AD. The Scottish Royal Arms had two unicorns on it, and a unicorn is still a part of the United Kingdom’s Royal Coat of Arms alongside the lion.

Scotland is no stranger to mythological creatures, whether modern or ancient. The first sighting of the infamous Loch Ness Monster was some 1,500 years ago. It’s said that the beast jumped from the lake and ate a farmer. The first photograph was taken in 1934 and since then thousands flock to Inverness every year to try and catch a glimpse of the supposed monster. Some of the other terrifying creatures that are said to make their home in Scotland have been mentioned here, such as the nuckelavee, who caused disasters on the Orkney Islands or a spooky portent called the beane nighe that cleans the blood off people who are going to die.

The unicorn, even with its angelic qualities, is depicted chained up. A unicorn could only be tamed by a virgin and so they were considered very dangerous in the wild. While the other animal of Scotland, the red lion (which was adopted when Scotland’s King James VI took the throne after England’s Queen Elizabeth I), is not chained in official iconography. Perhaps it is the unicorn’s fierce love of freedom that resonates most strongly with Scotland.

2 Strange Games And Sport Bans

There is a tumultuous and fascinating history with sport in this northern land. Scotland has long been considered the motherland of golf, where it was invented in the 15th century. It caught on so quickly and was so popular that King James II had the game outlawed because he believed it was preventing his men from training properly for war. Golf wasn’t the only sport to get banned: Football (soccer) was made illegal by King James I in 1424. He was displeased with the roughness of the game and thought it was unnecessarily injuring the players. The ban didn’t last and the very first international football game was held in Scotland in 1872.

Football and golf are immediately associated with Scotland, but there is also less well-known sport that the Scots excel at. That sport is elephant polo—like regular polo but played atop elephants. This game is normally played in Nepal, India, Thailand, and Sri Lanka so it’s surprising that Scotland has for many years been top of the ladder. Variants of the game originated in India but modern elephant polo was co-founded by James Manclark of Scotland in the 1980s. The elephants have two people on their backs, a driver and a player. The game is played on a field that is 100 meters (328 ft) in length by teams of four elephants, with their riders attempting to handle the ball with ridiculously long 2.5 meter (96 in) playing sticks. There are strict regulations preventing the elephants from being overworked or mistreated.

1 Independence

Scotland is a sovereign state in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Although it’s part of the UK’s constitutional monarchy, it has a lot of independence. Scotland’s education system is separate and governed from within Scotland. Scotland offers free water for its citizens, although oil and nuclear energy are governed by the UK. Although their their health system is part of the greater National Health Service, Scotland controls its implementation (which allows them to provide free prescriptions to everyone, something England does not do).

Scotland also has its own judicial system— unlike most western systems, courts can come back with a decision of guilty, not guilty, or not proved. The police force of Scotland are separate from that of the rest of the UK. Scotland also has its own distinct parliament, which is chaired by the First Minister of Scotland.

In 2014 Scottish people will vote on the independence referendum. This ballot has voters choose either yes or no on the question “Should Scotland be an independent country?” The voting population will be legal residents of Scotland aged 16 or older. It’s a heated topic and one that is rousing the political fever of even the most relaxed resident. As mentioned earlier, Scotland has never taken kindly to invaders but they were unified with England in 1707 when King James VI replaced the deceased Queen Elizabeth I. Immediately factions in Scotland wanted independence and some were never happy with the unification.

Robert Burns, the famous Scottish poet, penned the quote, “We are bought and sold for English gold. Such a parcel of rogues in a nation.” His quote reflects the sentiments of many of his fellow countrymen and in a year we will see just how many want complete separation from England.

Kristance is a freelance travel writer, editor and researcher. When she’s not compulsively traveling the globe, she’s looking up weird facts and making awkward YouTube videos. Connect with her on twitter @diggingtoroam, read about her adventures at diggingtoroam.com or have a laugh at her gif-filled instalaugh.tumblr.com.

To an outsider, Scotland is a place that can often be associated with stereotypical things like tartans, haggis, bagpipes, and Mel Gibson’s portrayal of William Wallace in Braveheart. In reality, however, it’s a far more interesting country than that. It’s one with a number of strange curiosities that you may not be aware of—curiosities such as…

10 The Glaswegian Conehead

Glasgow, the largest city in Scotland, has become well known over the last couple of decades for being a bustling cultural hub. It is home to a world-famous School of Art and has recently played host to the COP26 Climate Change summit.

Something which may seem strange to non-locals, however, is the tradition of placing a traffic cone onto the head of the Duke of Wellington Statue found outside the Gallery of Modern Art on Queen Street.

Yes, over the years, for one reason or another, it’s become part of the Glaswegian tradition, so much so that the image can now be found on postcards. On top of that, the city council themselves have taken to putting it up, something done to stop drunken natives from injuring themselves as they attempt it.^[1]

9 Irn Bru Outsells Coca-Cola

Describing the taste of Irn Bru to a non-Scottish native can be a difficult task. It’s incredibly sweet, with some describing it as having a fizzy bubblegum flavor and others saying it tastes of orange. Not the fruit, the color.

Whichever way you explain it to someone, the fact remains that it is far and away the most popular soft drink in all of Scotland, actually outselling the industry leader, Coca-Cola.

And this makes Scotland one of the only countries in the world where Coke is not the most popular fizzy beverage. The only other places where this occurs appear to be those where the U.S. has trade restrictions, places like North Korea and Cuba.^[2]

8 No Official National Anthem

As Scotland currently remains a part of the United Kingdom, its formal national anthem continues to be the English one, “God Save the Queen.” That said, with the historic rivalry between Scotland and England still strong after all these years, you’d be hard pushed to find many folks north of the border who will stand for this one.

Instead, whenever the situation calls for it, Scots will generally go for one of two unofficial national anthems, “Scotland the Brave,” an old Gaelic tune, or “Flower of Scotland,” a 1967 song written by the folk band The Corries.

In recent years though, with the debate over Scottish independence continuing to be a hot button issue, there have been suggestions that a newer, more modern song should be used. And the most popular suggestion out of these has been The Proclaimers hit, “500 Miles.” It would certainly be an interesting one to hear at the Olympics alongside “The Star-Spangled Banner” or “La Marseillaise.”^[3]

7 An Epic Fierce Sports Rivalary

There are a lot of notable sports rivalries out there, whether it be the Lakers and the Celtics, the Red Sox and the Yankees, or Ali and Frazier. However, when it comes to the most intense of them, that may come down to the heated competition between Glasgow’s two top football teams: Rangers and Celtic.

Yes, over the years, Old Firm games, as they have become known by the locals, have often seen the teams themselves play second fiddle to the passionate fan base watching in the crowds. In fact, on more than one occasion, this has even led to violence breaking out.

And part of the reason for this one being so intense is that it’s closely tied to the historic Protestant/Catholic rivalry within the city, with the Rangers largely being seen as the representative of Anglo Protestantism and the Celtic as the flag flyers for Irish Catholicism.^[4]

6 Free Higher Education

Growing up in Scotland might leave someone feeling spoiled when it comes to being able to get a good education. And that’s because, unlike other places where going to college can lead to decades’ worth of debt, it’s free of charge there.

Well, within reason, of course, as upon leaving school, every Scottish citizen is entitled to four years of higher education, completely funded by the government and non-repayable.

And this, then, has led to many lower-income families who would never normally be able to afford a college education for their children finding they have the option to do so.^[5]

5 The Land of Seven Cities

To travel around Scotland is to experience wilderness—a lot and lot of wilderness. Yes, while the more densely populated areas have become far more industrialized over the centuries, this only makes up a small percentage of the landmass.

In fact, there are only seven official cities in the country—with those being Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Perth, and Stirling. Outside of that, you’re talking about a lot of smaller towns and villages, many of which have relatively low populations.

What this does mean, though, is that, outside of these spots, Scotland remains home to some of the most beautiful scenery in the world. So if you’re looking for somewhere to experience the wild, all you have to do is travel an hour in either direction, and you’ll find something worth seeing.^[6]

4 The Unicorn

It’s been mentioned in articles on this website before that the national animal of Scotland is the unicorn. And while that’s an interesting fact in itself, the reason for this choice of animal is even more so.

Yes, playing up to the historical rivalry between Scotland and England, it appears the northern country chose this particular mythical beast as it’s been said to be the arch-nemesis of the lion. This is something that comes from an old nursery rhyme used by Lewis Carroll in his classic children’s tale, Alice Through the Looking Glass.

And with the lion, of course, being the national animal of England, it all starts to fall into place. So if you’ve ever wondered why there are no lions roaming about the wilds of Scotland, maybe this can provide an answer: the unicorns simply got them all.^[7]

3 A Knighted Penguin

Yes, you read that right. Inside Edinburgh zoo is a penguin named Brigadier Sir Nils Olav the Third, who has lived there since its opening in 1913.

How did this happen? Well, upon the zoo receiving a visit from the Norwegian King’s Guard in 1972, a lieutenant would become interested in adopting one of the animals. From there then, he’d claim Nils the First as one of his own and award him the rank of lance corporal in the Norwegian military.

Every time the military returned after that, they would increase the penguin’s rank, even after he died as it happened. That’s right. After the original penguin had passed, Nils the Second and later Nils the Third would take his place, with the latter having now reached the point of being given a formal knighthood and the rank of brigadier.^[8]

2 How Many Islands?

It’s well known that Scotland is a place that has lots of smaller islands branching off from the mainland. That said, some may be surprised to learn that there is actually upward of 790 of these spots.

And while some of the most notable, such as Orkney, Shetland, Skye, and Islay, are home to small communities in themselves, places that thrive outside of the bigger location of the country, most of these places remain uninhabited.

In fact, according to census data, only 95 of them have people living there, leaving the rest to be the domain of the flora, the fauna, and the occasional island hopping tourist, of course.^[9]

1 The Right to Roam Anywhere

Now, we should clarify here that the right to roam in Scotland doesn’t mean you can just go into someone’s house whenever you feel like it. What it does mean, though, is that, for any hill walkers, there are no limitations on where you can wander outside.

That’s right. Even if it’s a field owned by someone else, everyone in the country has the right to travel through on their way to where they’re going, as long as they don’t camp there or cause any lasting damage.

And this, unsurprisingly, has seen Scotland become a hot spot for those who enjoy traversing the great outdoors. With the beautiful scenery seemingly being endless and there being no access restrictions on getting anywhere, people have come from all over the world to see what the country has to offer.^[10]

An ancient land with a rich and vibrant culture, Scotland is known for its outstanding landscapes, beautiful people, and storied past with a penchant for the dark and disturbing. It’s also the country that was home to the infamous grave robbers Burke and Hare, which has consequently made tourist attractions out of the creepy criminals. Scotland definitely has a twisted history that’s full of mysteries.

From unsolved murders to mysterious disappearances to serial killers who have never been caught, Scotland is a country that’s full of dark twists and turns. Let’s dive in and find out more—if you dare!

10 The Mystery Hangman of Dundee

You have to have a distinct kind of morbid curiosity to want to be a hangman, but in the 19th century, hangings were all the rage in Scotland, but not in the city of Dundee. Following the Jacobite rebellions and the mass executions, no one in Dundee wanted to hold the post of hangman. Understandable, right?

So from 1745 until 1835, Dundee did not have a hangman. That changed with the arrival of a troublesome gang called the Black Band, who were terrorizing the city. Eventually, one of the gang members, Mark Devlin, was captured and subsequently sentenced to death by hanging. The problem was that they needed the hangman to come all the way from Edinburgh.

With just hours to go and no sign of the professional hangman, the city decided to ask the locals for volunteers. One such man agreed, but under the proviso that he could wear a mask to conceal his identity. To this day, no one knows who hung Mark Devlin, but we know it was a morbid Dundee local who knew how much being a hangman would affect his reputation.^[1]

9 The Madeleine Smith Case

As history has repeatedly told us, forward-thinking and caring women are often treated horrifically. An aristocrat’s daughter, Madeleine Smith, decided to follow her heart and have an affair with an apprentice nurseryman named Pierre Emile L’Angelier. Oh, to be 20 again.

Obviously, her parents weren’t thrilled about the match. Instead, they set Madeleine up with a wealthy suitor. When she tried to break things off with L’Angelier, he threatened to publish some of the 250 letters she’d written to him and go to the press. With her family’s reputation, that was clearly not an option.

Following this, L’Angelier curiously and mysteriously died of arsenic poisoning. The police obviously found the letters and saw that Madeleine had recently bought arsenic and put two and two together. Cut to a scathing and popular trial that questioned a woman’s moral integrity more than it looked for evidence of a murder. As a result, there was not enough evidence to convict, but the damage was done, and Madeleine had to relocate to London. It’s tough being a woman!^[2]

8 The Murder of Marion Gilchrist

Prejudice is rife throughout history, and Scotland is no exception. After a well-known spinster named Marion Gilchrist was bludgeoned to death with a hammer by a home invader in 1909, there was a huge miscarriage of justice with a Jewish immigrant, Oscar Slater, being convicted.

As a neighbor interrupted the burglary, the killer only got away with a brooch. Later, Slater pawned a brooch and had a ticket to New York, and this was all the evidence that the biased judicial system needed at the time. He was supposed to be sentenced to death, which was later commuted to a life sentence.

There was a huge uproar about the case, with famous novelist Arthur Conan Doyle publishing a pamphlet about the lack of evidence. Slater was released almost 20 years later and given £6,000 in compensation. The creepiest part? The real murderer was never found.^[3]

7 Who Killed the Red Fox?

In another case of miscarried justice, the identity of the killer of the Red Fox, actually named Colin Campbell of Glenure, has remained a mystery for centuries. To be frank, Campbell was not popular. The whole clan was assumed to be doing the bidding of the English and were tax enforcers for other clans.

It was rumored that on the day of his death, Colin was about to kick a few Stewart families off their land and replace them with his Campbell brethren. However, he was shot and killed before that could happen. Within two days, the leader of the Stewart clan, James of the Glen, was arrested and tried for murder.

In what was the most biased jury of all time—predominantly made up of Campbell family members and presided by the chief of the clan—inevitably, James of the Glen was executed. However, it was clear that he was not the murderer. To this day, although it’s been rumored that it was the work of younger Stewart clan members, nothing has been verified.^[4]

6 The Mrs. MacRae Mystery

Fast forwarding through Scottish history to 1976, we have the Mrs. MacRae mystery. As the longest-running missing person’s case in Britain, it’s been a huge question mark for almost 50 years.

On her way to see her sister in Inverness, Mrs. MacRae and her son, Andrew, seemingly crashed their car. This has never been confirmed as the case but assumed by a passing bus driver who saw the car on fire. The bizarre and spooky thing? There’s been no sign of Andrew or Mrs. MacRae ever since—dead or alive!

William McDowell, Mrs/McRae’s alleged married lover, has long denied any involvement in the disappearance. He was eventually arrested for the murder of the mother and son in 2019; his trial was held in 2022. He was found guilty, although the defense argues that there was no evidence of a murder and that his client was not guilty.^[5]

5 The Fairy Coffins

What’s creepier than a stack of hidden tiny coffins in the hillside? Add in the mystery of not knowing who did it, why they’re there, or what they represent, and you start to get the spooky vibes associated with Edinburgh’s Fairy Coffins.

In 1836, a few boys were exploring the famous Arthur’s Seat hill in Edinburgh when they found 17 tiny coffins with little wooden figures in them hidden behind some slate. Although there wasn’t a ton of interest initially—in fact, they only sold the lot of them for £4—they’ve now been sold onto the National Museum of Scotland, where the conspiracies and mysteries are alive and well. Was it for witchcraft? Was it a ritual? Was it a message to do with Burke and Hare? Who knows.^[6]

4 Bible John

This list would not be complete without a serial killer, and Bible John became legendary in Glasgow in the 1960s. Stalking around the popular Barrowland Club, Bible John took to raping and strangling girls with their own tights.

Where did the name come from? Well, some witnesses claimed that he read bible passages, specifically from the Old Testament, to his victims as he attacked them. Creepier still is the fact the identity of Bible John is still a mystery, and justice has not yet been served. ^[7]

3 The Lost 9th Legion

It’s no secret that there is a long and bloody history of war in Scotland, especially against England. In around AD 100–190, when the Roman Empire took over what was then known as Britannia, the emperor Augustus sought to also take control of Caledonia to the North––which was essentially what we now know as Scotland.

To complete this ambitious task, he sent the Ninth Legion to Caledonia to fight the clans. The Ninth Legion had been successful all across the empire, so confidence was high. However, the entire legion seemingly disappeared from all records. Being 2000 years ago, this might seem unsurprising, but the Romans were meticulous in keeping track of their military units.

The assumption is that they were annihilated in such an embarrassing display that no one wanted to commit it to the history book. It’s also rumored to be the fuel behind building Hadrian’s Wall.^[8]

2 The Flannan Isles Lighthouse’s Missing Keepers

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, to lose one lighthouse keeper may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness. The Flannan Isles actually ended up losing three, for which Wilde had no response. This habit of missing lighthouse keepers has become a spooky legend throughout Scotland.

In the 1900s, all three lighthouse keepers who worked on a rotation system disappeared without a trace. A fourth lighthouse keeper was set to join them and was sailing across on the Hesperus. On closer inspection, they could see that no preparations had been done—that being the main job of a lighthouse keeper. Upon arrival, none of the three men could be found anywhere on the island and have never been seen since.^[9]

1 The Aberdeen Harbor Arm

A washed-up limb, a missing teenager, and a huge mystery to unravel. It sounds like the start of a Scandi-noir drama, but it was actually the real-life story of Elizabeth “Betty” Hadden from Aberdeen in 1945. After hearing a bloodcurdling scream on December 12, an arm was found in Aberdeen Harbor.

They deduced it was Betty’s arm and had been sawed off with a knife, but the murderer still remains a mystery. The leads were so cold that they got local girls to volunteer to scream in different areas of the city to work out where the attack may have happened. Alas, Betty’s remains were never found, and her killer was never brought to justice.^[10]