Drummer of Cortachy
The Drummer of Cortachy is the name given to a spirit who is thought to haunt Cortachy Castle. There are many interpretations of the story, but he is variously thought to portend the death of a member of the Ogilvy family, Earl of Airlie or the owners of Cortachy Castle.[1] He is said to be nine foot tall and is occasionally accompanied by ghostly pipes.[2] The legend can trace its roots back to at least the 19th century and the death of the 14th Earl of Airlie.[3] He is said to play a tattoo when he appears.[2]
The ghost is thought to be the spirit of a drummer for the Carlisle family; who was thrown out of a window in the high tower of the castle after incurring the jealousy of the then Lord.[4][5] However, some versions of the story say that the drummer was the messenger for a hated chieftain[citation needed] and in yet another version of the tale, he is the spirit of a drummer who deliberately failed to warn the castle of an impending attack.[6] In all versions of the tale he was stuffed into his drum before his death.[citation needed]
The most famous sighting of the drummer was in 1844, when the Lady Airlie (or in some versions, her guests) heard the noise.[2] She would later write in a note on her deathbed that she 'knew the drumming was for [her]'.[1]
The spirit is now thought to be dormant since in 1900 the Earl of Airlie died in the Boer War without a reported sighting.[1]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Cheung, Theresa (2006). The Element Encyclopedia of the Psychic World. Harper Element. p. 173. ISBN 978-0-00-721148-7.
- ^ a b c Elliott O'Donnell (1928). Confessions of a Ghost Hunter. London: Butterworth. pp. 116–.
- ^ Raymond Lamont-Brown (1975). Phantom soldiers. Drake Publishers. ISBN 978-0-87749-777-6. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
- ^ Elliott O'Donnell (May 2003). Scottish Ghost Stories. Kessinger Publishing. pp. 120–. ISBN 978-0-7661-5909-9. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
- ^ Whichelow, Clive (June 15, 1997). "101 Ghostly Outings". The People. pp. 31–32.
- ^ The New law journal. Butterworth. 2000. Retrieved 24 July 2011.