Men in Kilts – Episode 4 Review

With Halloween coming up, what better subject for Men in Kilts Episode 4 than Witchcraft & Superstition. If you’ve been reading my stories for a while now you might have noticed that us Scots are superstitious people. The stories of witches, fairies, ghosts and the devil are seemingly endless and I was really hoping that Sam & Graham did a deep dive in this episode.

Unfortunately, Men in Kilts Episode 4 barely scratched the surface and was more an opportunity just to terrify Graham at every opportunity. I’ll do my best to give you an insight into each element of the show from a Scottish point of view. If you haven’t had the chance to read the previous review then you’ll find Episode 3 here!

Devilish Superstitions

Right at the very start of the show, our hosts mention that the Devil lurks in every shadow. They aren’t wrong since he certainly pops up in plenty of folk stories! Satan often appears in disguise to trick unsuspecting victims. At Glamis Castle, he played Earl Beardie at cards on the Sabbath, dooming him into an eternity trapped behind the stone walls. During the Robert Burns classic Tam O’Shanter, the Devil plays the bagpipes while witches dance amongst a gruesome scene in the ruined Alloway Kirk.

Being present in so many stories, Satan has picked up many names. You’ll find him called Auld Nick, Black Donald, Auld Mahoun, Clootie or just simply The Deil. Scots have clearly always had a fear of the Devil but why would he have so many links to this one country. Well when your dayjob is down in hell, wouldn’t you want to spend your free time in bonnie Scotland?

Greyfriars Kirk

The first location that Men in Kilts Episode 4 takes us is right to the heart of Edinburgh – Greyfriars Kirk. Unfortunately, they aren’t here to visit cute little Greyfriars Bobby but something altogether more sinister. After dark, this is one of the spookiest parts of the city. I enjoy a ghost walk as much as the next person though so I’m not knocking it!

Greyfriars is a very historic and rather tragic place, especially when it comes to the Covenanters. The locked off area that Sam & Graham are led inside is known as the Covenanter’s Prison. This section of the kirkyard along with a much larger part now covered in buildings was where hundreds died in the 17^th century.

Around a thousand were condemned to this open air prison by a man known as George “Bluidy” Mackenzie. Many died of exposure or starvation before whoever was left could be shipped as slaves to the colonies. The story of a homeless man breaking into a tomb in Greyfriars Kirkyard is very real. He climbed on down a little grate at the side to keep dry and while there, “accidentally” disturbed the bodies. Ever since then, people have claimed that an evil poltergeist is lurking around the graveyard.

The only problem is that the “Black Mausoleum” used in Men in Kilts Episode 4 wasn’t where this story happened. It was Bluidy Mackenzie’s Tomb in the picture above which backs on to the field where he imprisoned those people. No wonder his soul can’t rest. Mackenzie’s tomb is securely locked up tight forcing the tour groups to make use of the mausoleum round the corner that they do have the keys to.

Scottish Witches

Scotland is full of witch stories, many of them going hand in hand with the Devil. Some of these are comical stories like the Farmer’s Wife of Deloraine but others were brutal, unforgiving stories like the Witch of Laggan. Fife witch expert, Leonard Low tells our Men in Kilts that in Scotland, witchcraft was treated as heresy. What he doesn’t explain is where the witch hunting fever really came from.

Witch hunts or burnings in Scotland weren’t very common until 1590. That was the year when James VI returned from Denmark with his new wife Anne after a terrifying journey full of storms. James was convinced that witches had raised the storms and the North Berwick witch trials set a deadly precedent.

Both women and men were tortured until they admitted to very specific acts of sorcery. To make things worse, they would often implicate other people causing a chain reaction to the burnings. The most famous victim of the North Berwick trials was Agnes Sampson but she was accused by a woman called Geillis Duncan – a name familiar to Outlander fans.

I visited Tullibole Castle earlier this year, where Lord Monncrieff showed me to the witches maze. After getting lost a few times, Molly and I eventually found the monument recently raised at the centre. In the 17th century, the Moncreiffs had condemned 11 people to death for witchcraft. In a fitting gesture, the present laird created the maze to educate others about this gruesome chapter of history.

Calanais Standing Stones

The next stop for Men in Kilts Episode 4 is pretty special whether you’re an Outlander fan or not. I was surprised to discover that the stones in the TV show are actually casts of some of the Calanais Standing Stones. In the show, they call the Calanais Stones on the Isle of Lewis “The Stonehenge of the North”. My only comment would be that these pre-date Stonehenge so I think that makes Stonehenge the “Calanais of the South”!

These stones are full of stories including the one that Sam recalls, that they were giants turned to stone for not converting to Christianity. On Midsummer, a strange being called The Shining One is said to walk down the central passageway. My personal favourite legend is of a magical White Cow that climbs out of the sea to save the islanders from starvation and you can read the full legend here.

Not everybody will have the time to get out to the Isle of Lewis on their trip to Scotland, although I’d recommend it if you can. That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to enjoy magical standing stones though! Aberdeenshire is packed full of them just like Cothiemuir Stone Circle, hidden away in the forest adding a mysterious element. Just an hours ferry away from the mainland, the Isle of Arran also has the atmospheric Machrie Moor standing stones. They never cease to amaze.

Rounding off Men in Kilts Episode 4 in style!

For those of you who don’t know, Beltane is a festival celebrating what we now call May Day. From a time where there were only two seasons, that was the end of Winter and the start of Summer. The other side of the Beltane coin is Samhain which starts at sunset on the 31st October and has become known as Halloween!

All of the traditions that you associate with Halloween worldwide, have their origins in the Celtic Samhain festival. The veil between the realms of the living and the dead is at its thinnest this night. That’s why children were dressed up to disguise themselves amongst the ghoulish creatures wandering at night. In Scotland we don’t call it trick or treating, we call it “guising”. Additionally, before Americans discovered how easy pumpkins are to carve, it was always rock solid turnips that made Scottish lanterns!

There is plenty of folklore around both Beltane and Samhain. Samhain was when the winter goddess known as the Cailleach awoke and spread frost around Scotland. As the spring months came, her power faded until she disappeared on Beltane. There is far too much to get into here, but have a listen to this Folklore Scotland Podcast episode for more.

Both festivals are now celebrated in Edinburgh after the festivals were recently resurrected. Every year is slightly different but there are fires, drums, dancing and a lot of theatre. You can find details about the Beltane society and the upcoming parade here!

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