[Thomas McDonald]

Ghostly Traditions

Culloden
The moor - site of the last battle on British soil -has its share of ghostly traditions, perhaps befitting for the scene of so much bloodshed and slaughter.

There is a tradition of haunted battle sites in Britain and Culloden is no exception, ghostly soldiers are supposed to appear on the anniversary of the battle on the 16th of April, and the cries of battle and the clash of steel have also been reported.

The spectre of one of the Highlanders is also said to frequent the area, he is tall in stature with drawn features - he is supposed to say, "defeated" in hushed tones when encountered. One woman visiting the moor from Edinburgh in August 1936 lifted a tartan cloth covering one of the mounds - which mark the Jacobite graves - to discover an apparition of a dead Highlander underneath it. Another tradition attached to these grave mounds is that birds do not sing in their vicinity, perhaps hushed by the ominous atmosphere.

There are numerous wells dotted around the area, on the battle site itself and nearby. St Mary's Well is said to be haunted by the ghosts of the dead highlanders, and a Clootie Well in Culloden wood is festooned with brightly coloured rags, offerings from people wishing to be cured of ailments.

http://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/hauntings/culloden.html

[Douglas G.]

Hello Thomas,
It is my experience that most such haunted battlefields, and haunted places in
general are the result of area boosters looking for a few tourist Dollars or Pounds. I
would like nothing more than for some to be truely so, like the Lava Fields where the
thirty six or so Modoc warriors stymied overwhelming U.S. forces so handily, or Ft.
Stevens where ghostly Civil War soldiers are supposed to still walk picket. Having
been to both, since I live in Oregon, the only haunting I have experienced is the
morning, after beers around the camp fires. I suspect this is the case with the shades
of my sad Jacobean forbears at Culloden. This is no reason not visit the site and pay
one's respects anyway.

All Best,
Doug

"He stood six foot and two without stocking or shoe,
and so dear was my Charlie to me" from song Charlie Stuart