The Banshee of Glenisla

The high passes through the Angus Glens can be dangerous places in Winter. These might be beautiful, sweeping landscapes but at night, they’re haunted by the spirits of battles fought long ago.

Traveller communities often had no choice but to risk the journey. These were the quickest routes north and south between the Highlands and Lowlands of Scotland but fortunately, they usually had safety in numbers.

On a particularly wild evening, one man had been trying to catch up with his family through Glenisla. He had stayed behind to finish a job, but it had taken much longer than expected. The night was so bitterly cold that when he saw an abandoned bothy, it didn’t take much to persuade the exhausted man inside. Best to rest there and catch up in the morning.

The windows were boarded up and the door wouldn't latch, but he still managed to get a few bits of heather burning in the hearth. That swinging door was constantly blowing open then banging shut, so he found a big boulder outside and rolled it in to jam the doorway.

Then just as the traveller was settling down near the fire to sleep, he heard three enormous thuds. Something stronger than any human was knocking on the door and the boulder holding it closed was shaking. Next, a piercing voice wailed down the chimney, enough to put out his fire and shake him to the core.

Before he knew it, everything had gone quiet. Maybe it was just the stormy weather and tiredness playing with his mind. A minute later the banging and wailing started again and the traveller realised it was blowing from both sides of the bothy at once. This was no ordinary wind.

Not happy with being so close to the door and open chimney, the man scampered away to cower in the far corner. As soon as he had moved, an enormous crash accompanied the boulder flying across the room and thumping into the wall, right where he had been sitting.

Lucky to be alive and with everything falling silent again, the man bolted out of the open door and carried on running along the glen. With fear and adrenaline rushing through the veins, the traveller reached his family in no time.

It was still the middle of the night, but they were already packing up to leave. His brothers told him it wasn't safe to stay in Glenisla that night. A strange white spirit had been seen sweeping across the hills in the distance, crying out in pain and anger.