A ghostly tale

This morning I went blipping to Greyfriars' Churchyard in Edinburgh. Thousands of people flock here every year - not so much attracted by the fact that Scotland's National Covenant was signed here in 1638 - but because of the story of Greyfriars' Bobby - the faithful mutt who lay on his master's grave for ten years after the master had passed away.

But this building here is the mausoleum of George Mackenzie who was born in 1636. He became one of the worst persecutors of the Covenanters - handing out cruel and vicious punishment, putting to death arbitrarily hundreds of those who sought religious freedom. He was known as "Bluidy Mackenzie".

In December 1998, a homeless man broke into the tomb to sleep. He fell through a hole in the floor and found himself among the corpses. Screaming he ran out of the tomb cutting his head open on the tomb's entrance, terrifying another man who was out walking his dog. At the sight of the filthy, bloody man, the dog-walker began screaming too. The homeless man, thinking the dog-walker was screaming because something was coming out of the tomb behind him, screamed even louder and the pair of them - and the dog - ran off into the night.

Now it seems that since that day twelve years ago, more than 400 people have felt themselves attacked in this area of the Churchyard. So much so that part of the area has now been closed to the public. People have blacked out, been bruised, cut - felt themselves touched or pulled. A large number of dead animals have been found. And an exorcist by the name of Colin Grant left it alone saying he feared for his life - and then almost immediately died.

The schoolboys of Heriot's school next door used to chant a children's rhyme as they passed the tomb on the way to school!

Bluidy Mackenzie, come oot if ye daur, lift the sneck and draw the bar!

Did the taunt work? Has the challenge been accepted? You must believe what you will! I couldn't possibly comment!