Murder of Robert Allan

On December 1, 1904, 34-year-old Robert Allan was at his home at Drumshangie Farm between Greengairs and Airdrie, Scotland with his wife and 3-week-old child. This was the first night that they did not have any servants at the farm. 

Just after they went to bed some people came up to the window and disturbed them. This irritated  Robert and he opened the door holding his double-barrelled fowling piece. He fired into the sky to scare them away. This however did not happen as the people became more roudy. He went back in put on his trousers and went back out with his gun. He would fire another shot and never be seen alive again. It's believed he had followed the men down the roadway to where the trolley had been drawn.

He would be found dead on an old pit road leading from the farm to Watstown. He was lying across a track partially on his right side with one arm underneath him. His gun was a few feet away from him resting on the embankment on the road. It was found that he had been shot in the stomach. It's believed he was shot with his own gun. 

One theory was that he had stumbled in the dark and accidentally shot himself, but his guy was found several feet away and the locks of the gun were found to be empty of cartridge cases. The other is that Robert and one of the men fought over the gun and he was shot in the struggle. That the killer moved him and his gun from their original positions. 

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Disappearance of Ian Douglas Dickinson

In May of 1991, 22-year-old Ian Dickison was visiting Toronto, Ontario, Canada from Scotland. He would be last seen around 4:00pm on May 12, 1991 he was last seen leaving a restaurant near Yonge Street and Eglington Avenue. He was supposed to return on May 23, but he did not board his flight.

Ian is a white male and was 22 years old at the time. He is 175 cm (5'9") and 73 kg (161 lbs). He has red wavy hair, blue eyes, and fair skin. He has a scar on his left leg.  He was wearing a light green and white rugby shirt, denim blue pants, and brown leather shoes.

SOURCES:

Canada's Missing

Folklore: Toothstone

Photo by Salazar an Atlas Obscura User

The Toothstone lies in a glen just outside of the village of Port Charlotte, Scotland. The stone itself looks somewhat like a molar. The Toothstone was used for generations by the people in Port Charlotte. It was believed that the stone could relieve a toothache.

For the desired outcome if you wake up with a toothache during the night you were to go to the Toothstone. You bring a hammer and nail and then hammer a nail into the stone. This was to magically heal your toothache.

SOURCES:
Atlas Obscura

Edinburgh News December 26, 2020

New Berwick Archer

 

Archeologists were investigating the historic Kirk Ness, which was the site of a church and cemetery in North Berwick, Scotland. The dig was organized by the Scottish Seabird Centre and latterly supported by Historic Scotland. It revealed structural remains including stone tools, lead objects, ceramic material, and butchered bones of seals and sea birds. This suggests that it was once a settlement.

One discovery was that the skeletal remains of a young man from the 12th or 13th centuries were found. He was over 20-years-old with a slightly better build than average. He had worn to his shoulder that suggests that he might have been an archer.

His death was brutal and seemed to have been professional. He had been fatally stabbed four times in the back, twice in the left shoulder, and twice in the ribs. The injuries suggested that the weapon used was a dagger-like weapon with symmetrical lozenge-shaped sections with sharp edges and at least 2.75 inches long. This suggests that the weapon may have been a dagger that was a specialist military weapon carried mainly by military men. With the weapon and the accuracy of the stab wounds pots towards a degree of professionalism and arguably a degree of calculation.

SOURCES:
Archeology Magazine

BBC February 21, 2014

The Herald February 21, 2014

The Mirror February 21, 2014

The Courier and Advertiser February 22, 2014

November 22, 2006 Port Logan, Scotland Jane Doe

 

On November 22, 2006, the body of a woman was found on the beach at Port Logan, Scotland. She had been in the water for 6 months. 

She is a white female between 30 to 50-years-old. She was 152 cm-165 cm with a thin build. She was missing teeth (unspecified). She was wearing a size 10 black trousers brand is Bay Trading. Size 34C white bra brand Bhs, light-colored underwear, tan-colored tights. 

SOURCES:

UK Missing Persons

Locate Missing People

The Doe Network

August 26, 1952 Dunblane, Scotland Baby Doe

  On August 26, 1952, a newborn baby was found Thornhill to Callander Rd in Dunblane, Scotland. She was found lying among pieces of newspaper, garbage, and potato peelings. The baby was found alive and was murdered. Someone had shove portions of newspaper down her throat. It's believed that someone may have taken the child there in a garbage pail, probably by car, and disposed of the previous night.

SOURCES:

Unsolved Murders UK

Unsolved Murder of Caroline Glachan

On August 24, 1996, 14-year-old Caroline Glachan spent the evening with friends in Renton, West Dunbartonshire, Scotland. She and her best friend left a local building around 11:45 p.m. and they said goodbye to each other neat the Bonhill shops around 11:54 p.m. Caroline was heading off to meet a new boyfriend of hers. 

Around 12:15 a.m. a Taxi driver saw walking along Dillichip Loan towards The Towpath and the Black Bridge. This would have been a shortcut. The taxi driver also noted that a man wearing a green hooded top with sharp features was approaching Caroline from behind. It was noted by witnesses that screams were heard at this time.

On August 25th Caroline's body was found on the west bank of the River Leven. She had been attacked, but not sexually assaulted. She was thrown into the river still alive and drowned. She still had her clothes on, but her shoes were still on the riverbank.

Sketch of suspect

The suspect is a white male around 20 to 25-years-old. He was wearing a green hooded top and had sharp features. He was around 5'6" or 168 cm. Police ask of people who are potentially protecting the attacker to think of the 14-year-old girl who was killed.

SOURCES:
Scotland Police
Daily Record
The True Crime Files

Who was the Rosemarkie Man and Why was he murdered?

In 2016 members of the Rosemarkie Caves Project discovered the body of a medieval man in Black Isle, Ross-Shire in Scotland. He was found in the recess of the cave with his legs crossed and rocks on top of his limbs. He was possibly buried there because it may have been thought of as an "entrance to the underworld" as part of a ritual. animal bones near his remains showed there may have been a celebration for him. Even though it seemed as if he was carefully buried his death was brutal.

It's believed that he was Pictish. The Picts were a group of tribes in Scotland during the iron age and Medieval times. Romans gave them their name likely from the word "picti" which means painted ones. The Picts had distinctive tattoos and war paint.

The man had died between 430 to 630 and was around 30-years-old at the time. He was 5'6" and was well built much like a rugby player.  He likely had a high protein diet. The fact that he had a high protein diet and didn't have any injuries that warriors would have or wear and tear from being a laborer it's believed he was Royal or a Chieftain. 

His end was not pleasant. He had been attacked about the head 5 head injuries With a weapon the first 3 impacts broke his teeth and fractured his left jaw and the back of his head. The 4th, which likely ended his life, the weapon used was driven through his skull from one side out the other as he was laying on the ground. 

It's unknown who this man was and why he was killed and this will remain a mystery. 

SOURCES:

Archeology

Live Science

BBC July 24, 2019

BBC Feb. 17, 2017

Ancient Origins

Disappearance of Mary Ferns

aAt 9:20 a.m. on 17 June 2008, 88-year-old Mary Ferns left her home in the Howden area of Livingston, Scotland. She was believed to have been heading for the Almondvale Shopping Center to buy some tights. She was never seen again. This was out of character for Mary and police are concerned for her well being. 

Mary is a white female and was 88 at the time. She was 5'3" and has a slim build. Her hair was short and grey and she has green eyes. She was last seen wearing a brown three-quarter length jacket, brown skirt, brown shoes, and carrying a brown bag and her floral patterned walking stick. 

SOURCES:

Police Scotland

Missing People

Daily Record

Murder of Lord Darnley and William Taylor

Henry Stuart better known as Lord Darnley came from a family that had both the Scottish and English thrones via ties with James II of Scotland and Henry VII of England.  He had the potential to claim either side. Lord Darnley met Mary Queen of Scots when he was 20 in Feb. of  1565.

The two became smitten with each other. They have soon married in July and he had become King of the Scots. Soon the bliss faded though. Lord Darnley had a bad temper and made enemies in a drunken and arrogant manner.

Mary Knew that he shouldn't succeed the crowd as he would make an awful ruler. She refused to grant him the Crown Matrimonial which would make him the successor if she was childless. Mary didn't have to worry about that as she became pregnant with her son James. Who would become the future James I of England.

Mary became close to her private secretary David Rizzio. He was stabbed 56 times on March 9, 1566, by Darnley and his confederates and Protestant Scottish nobles. This was all front of Mary whom people suspected was pregnant with David Rizzio's child.

In 1567 Lord Darnley was staying the Kirk o' Field in Edinburgh, Scottland. In the weeks leading up to Feb. 9, 1567, he was either suffering from smallpox or syphilis and stayed at the Old Provost's lodging at Kirk O'Field. He had formed pocks on himself. He was staying with his family in Glasglow before but Mary thought he'd do better there.

On Feb 10, 1567, around 2 a.m. an explosion could be heard. The place that Lord Darnley resided was in rubbles, but his body was not inside the home. He and his valet, William Taylor, were found in the orchard. Their bodies were found outside surrounded by a cloak, a dagger, a chair, and a coat. Darnley seemed

Two barrels of gunpowder were placed underneath Lord Darnley's room. Something had spooked him and he and William ran outside the place. It's believed that Lord Darnley had been asleep at the time because he was only dressed in a nightshirt. He had apparently been smothered there were no physical signs of violence, but he had internal injuries possibly from the explosion. It's not stated how William died and why they thought the items that were around them were around them.

Some suspect that it was Mary who had plotted his death. That she may have gotten revenge for David Rizzio's death or because she was in love with James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell. She was a devout Catholic and believed that divorce was not an option. James Hepburn soon became her third husband.

That night the soldier that came upon the bodies was initially cleared of any involvement. This was quickly changed as he was offered up as a scapegoat and was executed for the crime. But it's not entirely believed he committed the crime.

It's unknown what had really happened that night.

SOURCES:
Tudor Society
Wikipedia
The History Jar
Historic Mysteries
National Archives

Disappearance Moira McCall Anderson

On Feb. 23, 1957, 11-year-old Moira Anderson left her grandmothers Coatbridge, Scotland home to go one an errand for her grandmother. She was supposed to go and buy a birthday card and butter for her mother's birthday. This was unfortunately during one of the worst snowstorms that the area knew.

She was last seen around 5:15 p.m. on the bus by a couple. Police believed that the girl was abducted while traveling home on the bus and murdered. Her body was never found.

Two years later Janet, Moira's sister, was out on her lunch break from school. A man working under his hood asked her to hold his dipstick. While holding it the man groped her and she ran from him, but not before taking note of his registration plate. She reported it to the school and they called the cops. This caused the school to ask students to pair up if they leave.

Nothing was done of this incident, but it was later found out the man was Alexander Gartshore. At the time Alexander Gartshore was out on bail for raping his young babysitter. He was also the bus driver of the bus Moira was last seen on. 

When his daughter, Saundra Brown, was older she wrote a book Where There is Evil about suspecting him of killing young Moira. At one point he when she was bringing up his shortcomings as a father he told her that his father thought he killed Moira. That his father tried to convince him to go to the police to admit where Moira's body was. He said he didn't know the girl, but was the last person to talk to her. It wasn't a confession, but his own father was convinced he had done something to the girl. His own daughter even believed so. 

He died in 2006. He was a suspect before his death but wasn't prosecuted due to a lack of evidence. But in total it isn't really known what had happened that snowy night. 

Moira is a white female and was 22 at the time. He's 5'3" and 113 lbs. She was wearing a fawn-colored kilted Burberry coat, a blue winter scarf, a blue jumper, a lemon-colored cardigan, a thick tweed skirt, fawn socks, brown shoes and a navy-blue woolen pixie hat with red bands. 

SOURCES:

Doe Network

BBC

The Scottish Sun

Old Glasglows Murders

WANTED: Derek "Deco" McGraw Ferguson

               

Derek Ferguson is wanted in the connection of the murder of Thomas Cameron who was shot on June 28, 2007, at the Auchinairn Tavern in Bishopbriggs, Scotland. Police believe that Ferguson, who is known for using a fake Irish accent, was in Spain, Netherlands, or Ireland. 

He was born in Glasglow in 1964. He has blue/green eyes and occasionally had a beard. He's 158 cm (5'2") and stocky.  He has 3 known tattoos one on the left arm one of a heart design, an arrow, and a dagger. He is missing the top part of his left ear and has a scar on his left knee. 

SOURCES:

Scotland Police

Disappearance of Sandy Davidson

On April 23, 1976, 3-year-old Sandy Davidson was playing in the garden of his grandmother's house in the Boutreehill area of Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland. He was playing along with the family dog and his 2-year-old sister.

The dog escaped the garden and the two followed it out of the garden. Donna returned on her own. She told them that "Sandy was away with a bad man."

 There was an intensive search by the police and members of the community. Some witnesses stated they saw Sandy leaving with a strange man in a car.

Sandy is a white male and 3 years old at the time. He has blue eyes and blonde hair.

SOURCES:
Missing People
The Scottish Sun
Scotland Police 

Loch Ness Monster

Photograph taken by Robert K. Wilson 1934

Accounts of a beast living in the waters of Loch Ness, Scotland goes back about 1,500 years, but the Loch Ness Monster we know today started in 1933.

Kelpies or water horses are creatures of Scotland folklore. They are shape-shifting water spirits that reside in both large and small bodies of water. They will sometimes also assume human form, but with hooves. They are known to prey on humans.

The earliest reported sighting of a beast or Kelpie in Loch Ness was in a biography of Saint Columba, who is credited with bringing Christianity to Scotland. According to Saint Columba On August 22, 565 he had stopped along the shores of Loch Ness on a journey to see the Pictish king. He claimed that there was a man who was swimming in the lake being attacked by a beast. Columba claims he raised a hand invoking God and commanded "Go back with all speed." and thus he saved the man as the beast left.

After April of 1933 sighting, it was the start of what we know as the Loch Ness Monster or Nessie. The sighting was published in a newspaper people began to grow more interested in it. When a couple also claimed to see it, but it was on land crossing shore road it really piqued the interest of the people. By October many British news reporters were sent to Loch Ness. On the radio programs would be interrupted by updates of what was happening at Loch Ness. There was even a £20,000 or $25948 reward for the capture of the beast.

Tons of tourists were even coming to Loch Ness to catch a glimpse of the monster that resided in it. Many of the people that came were boy scouts and outdoorsmen who would sit in boats or in deck chairs so that they could see the beast.

In December of that year, London Daily Mail hired actor, director, and big-game hunter Marmaduke Wetherell to track down the beast. After a few days of being there, Wetherell reported finding fresh footprints of a four-toed animal. This prompted London Daily Mail to carry out the dramatic headline of "The Monster of Loch Ness is Not Legend but Fact."

There was plaster of the so-called footprint of the beast, and it was sent to the Natural History Museum in London. In Jan. of 1934, it was found that the footprints were faked. The plaster footprint was of a hippopotamus foot that was more than likely stuffed. It was the first faked evidence of many for the years to come. This even had also tainted the phenomenon of the Loch Ness Monster and caused people to doubt it was real. It isn't known if Wetherell was the one who tried to pull off this hoax or was just a victim of it.

Even though the hoax of the footprint came out and the popularity of the Loch Ness Monster deflated people still came forward claiming that they had seen it. Many of the witnesses described a large creature with one or more humps much like an overturned boat. Many of the witnesses seemed to be of level-headed people.

On April 19, 1934, Robert K. Wilson a surgeon from London was on a hunting trip near Loch Ness. While he was driving by Loch Ness he saw movement in the water and pulled over to see what it was. By chance, he had a camera with him as he saw a large neck of an animal. So he had taken the picture and then sold it to Daily Mail and it is now one of the most known images of the Loch Ness Monster. It is also believed that this image was also faked.

The most popular theory is that the Loch Ness Monster is a Plesiosaur, a prehistoric aquatic reptile that lived in the warm waters around Scotland 70 million years ago. 65 million years ago they had become extinct as there has been no fossil evidence of them being alive after that time. The Plesiosaur shares many physical aspects with Nessie.  People theorize that 12,000 years ago when Loch Ness was solid ice that a Plesiosaur got frozen in it also and survived when being thawed out.

The downside of this theory is that Plesiosaur would not have survived being in ice and being thawed out. It wasn't possible. Another thing is that it lived in warm waters and Loch Ness would be considerably way too cold for the extinct reptile. Also after it was thawed out why would the Loch Ness Monster go to Loch Ness when it had few fish and nutrients after the ice age. Also, the reptile breathed air, so it would have to frequently come up for air constantly and would be seen more often. In that aspect, there would also be more evidence of Nessie if that was true.

This was the beginning of how we see the Loch Ness monster or Nessie as people term it now. Like back then people in the present day's people still go hunting Nessie. Even now people claim to have seen the monster. Scientists also haven't found evidence that neither confirms or denies the Loch Ness Monster.


SOURCES:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/loch-ness-monster-sighted
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/legend-loch-ness.html
http://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends/riding-seas-kelpies-and-other-fascinating-water-horses-myth-and-legend-006170
http://mentalfloss.com/article/71114/feeding-beast-10-facts-about-hunt-loch-ness-monster
https://www.edhelper.com/ReadingComprehension_40_63.html
http://www.loch-ness.org/candidates.html