The Hidden Gold of Largo Law

The conical mound known as Largo Law is rumoured to contain a hoard of buried gold, protected by a terrifying ghost. The people were far too frightened of the treasure’s guardian to even think about hunting for it. One night, a young shepherd finally plucked up the courage to approach the spectre.

The boy shakily approached and greeted the ghost which replied with a strange rhyme:

"If Auchindownie cock disnae craw,

And Balmain horn disnae blaw,

I'll tell ye where the gold mine is in Largo Law."

The shepherd excitedly ran down the hill and got to work killing all the cockerels nearby. Then he found Tammie Norrie, the cowherd of Balmain, making him promise under threat of death not to blow his horn until he gave him permission.

Delighted that everything was going to work out, the shepherd started thinking about all the ways he would spend his impending fortune. When the agreed time came the next night, he was skipping along to meet the ghost again.

Just when the location of the treasure was about to be revealed, the sound of a cow horn blew somewhere in the darkness. The spectre screamed out:

"Woe to the man who blew that horn,

For out of the spot he shall never be borne."

The mysterious ghost disappeared, never to be seen again and the boy was furious. He was ready to give that cowherd a piece of his mind, but he found Tammie Norrie lying dead with his horn still by his side. No matter how hard they tried, the locals couldn’t move the body. Rather than leave him lying in the open, they piled rocks and soil on top until they had built what’s now known as Norrie’s Law.