In 1597, Aberdeenshire woman Ellen Gray was accused of using sorcery, witchcraft, and charms on farm worker Thomas Reddoch “so that his wand nevir lay doune”. Thomas apparently later died from his condition.
Bram Stoker holidayed in Cruden Bay, Aberdeenshire while researching and writing Dracula, and used New Slains Castle as the inspiration for Dracula’s castle, including the Count’s octagonal room. Pictured here is the Octagonal Hall at Slains.
image creds: Mikey Shepherd (lower), Colin Smith (upper) both CC.
Between 1862 and 1866 pitch black heavy rains fell on Slains parish 7 times. Two showers were accompanied by large rafts of pumice stones on the sea (8-10in diam. and >1lb in weight). Attributed to Etna and Vesuvius eruptions, it fell nowhere else in Scotland*.
*Carluke, Lanark got one black rain at the same time (no pumice) but that’s some pinpoint accuracy for volcanic meteorological phenomena. The true cause was hotly debated in the papers but never settled Needless to say, parishioners in Slains lost their shit.