Its is within and around the unyielding bulk of David’s Tower (named for Bishop David Stewart who began its construction in the 15th century) that much of Spynie Palace’s paranormal activity is centred. Maybe it’s because she is now able to greet guests as they enter her house, but as one member of staff told me "she’s been a lot happier since the move." Read it over two days. It’s an excellent collection of tales of hauntings and other weird phenomena reported over many centuries in Scotland- Highlands and Lowlands, from cities and countryside, castles and crofts, involving the famous and the ordinary folk. The new owners hadn’t been told of any unusual activity and were surprised when one of their guests told them in the morning that the “Ghost had been active last night”. The guests, a young couple, had been staying in one of the rooms in the older part of the house. When they went to bed they had left their mobile phones sat on the bedside cabinets, but at some point during the night they were awoken by one of the phones skipping through all the different ringtones. The only way they could stop the phone was by pulling out the battery. But as soon as they stopped one phone, the other phone started to do the exact same thing and it didn’t stop until they pulled out the battery.

On 13th June 1291, led by Robert Bruce and John Balliol, the Guardians and Lords of Scotland lined up to place their hands in Edward’s and, one by one, surrendered their nations independence by recognising him as "superior and direct lord of the Kingdom of Scotland."Killiecrankie, a name derived from Gaelic and meaning "wood of aspens," is a tranquil oasis, set amidst dramatic and spectacular scenery. But their victory was a hollow one. For "Bonnie Dundee" suffered a fatal wound as he waved his highland warriors on to victory. One day his discontented eye fixed upon one wife’s relatives, a young woman named Grizel Leslie. She was more than welcoming of his Lordships advances and, very soon, the two were enjoying a passionate affair. But they were ill equipped for their flight and found themselves at the savage mercy of the elements. Many were overcome by the bitter winter temperatures, or else floundered in the deep snows where they perished miserably on the unrelenting slopes. Indeed the very first recorded encounter with either "Nessie" or, more probably, one of her ancient ancestors, occurred in AD 565 when a disciple of the Irish missionary St. Columba, was swimming across the River Ness to fetch a boat for his master.

More disturbing is the column of white mist, human in size, that has been known to materialise in mid air and drift briskly towards astonished witnesses. Shortly afterwards the accession was settled in favour of John Balliol who was duly inaugurated at Scone. Taking his words literally, the locals stormed the castle, wrapped de Soulis in lead, and plunged him head first into a boiling cauldron. On 10th September 1297, William Wallace stood upon the lofty heights of Abbey Craig - where Scotland’s national memorial to him now stands - and gazed across the River Forth at the English held stronghold of Stirling Castle.The whole castle, cut off from the outside world by a huge encircling wall, seems trapped in a time warp, and exploring it in in the company of the kilted and bearded Laird is an experience without equal. Leith Hall enjoys a lovely location amidst peaceful and rolling countryside. It is a squat, grey building resplendent with round towers and an abundance of chimneys. Ben Talla, or Talaidh is the 2496 foot mountain whose shapely slopes overlook Glen More, not far from where the story originated. Barcaldine Castle, north of Oban, is Scotland's only ancient castle to offer Bed and Breakfast facilities. The stunning castle also offers those in love a romantic location for a Scottish wedding. Only occasionally does Robertson cast doubt on any of these accounts of the supernatural for the most part seeming to take them at face value but is it perhaps a result of that intimately Scottish embrace of a harsh religion for a harsh environment that led to people having - or at least recounting - such strange experiences? In the light of these tales it is perhaps no coincidence that many pieces of Scottish literature deal with meetings with the devil.