Perhaps this is sheer poppycock (after all, it was published in the Silly Season in the Daily Mail, and does read rather like fiction). But it surely captures the romance of such an area. And it’d be fun to think it were a true experience. I notice it’s peculiarly geographically specific for just a story. And personally, I’d be in an altered state fit to hallucinate if I’d just hiked up a hill.
Scottish ‘wraith’ stories are perhaps a little played out, writes Mr James A. Pickop, to the editor of the London ‘Daily Mail,’ but I cannot refrain from sending you an account of my extraordinary experience during the past week in the Highlands, in the hope that some of your readers can throw some light on the matter.
During the course of a short walking tour in the Highalnds I arrived on the evening of Thursday, August 18, on the road between Ardfern and Ford, in the valley of the River Barbreck (Argyllshire). Though I wished to get to Ford by nightfall, the beauty of the sunset enticed me to mount a hill on the left of the road overlooking the grounds of --- House and commanding a splendid view of the loch (Craignish) and islands.
Just before I reached the summit I was startled to see a figure on a rock above me. I had been looking straight before me and could not imagine how I had escaped seeing the man or woman approach. On drawing nearer I saw the figure to be that of a very tall girl. She wore apparently a short skirt and a plaid or golf cape of some darkish brown or green tartan. Her long hair was blowing wildly round a face the features of which I was not near enough to remark, but which I could see to be of extraordinary whiteness. She appeared at first as though she neither heard nor saw me; the next moment she beckoned to me wildly, ran to the rock’s edge, and was gone.
I ran to the spot and looked over. There was hardly cover for a rabbit on the hillside, which sloped extremely steeply to the woods round --- House. I was so bewildered by the swiftness of her disappearance that it was some minutes before I decided that I must investigate the matter more fully. I descended the hill, calling all the time, and finally went through the wood at the foot to --- House to inquire if any of the house party had lost their way or been hurt on the hill.
On inquiry I found that --- House is at present let to an eminent London physician. Upon my inquiry he became exceedingly interested, and told me that several of his house party had been much disturbed by the sight of this same figure, a tall girl. I was introduced to a sufficiently typical and phlegmatic young Englishman, who gave me very tersely what was in all respects a replica of my own experience, except that in his case the figure had simply run a few paces downhill and then vanished into thin air. He could offer no explanation, and added that he and others in the party had heard cries which seemed to be those of pain or anger on the summit of this hill.
Another member of the party had seen the figure of a tall pale woman nearer the house, and had been much startled. There are other families of English tenants near by in lodges on the Barbreck who have seen the figure, but I have not heard their account. Many legends are connected with this valley, and the ghillies and shepherds have, I hear, many circumstantial stories of the ‘hooded maiden of Barbreck.’ Time alone forbade me from searching the valley for further evidence.
From inquiries made by the --- House party and others it is made perfectly certain that no girl in the very least answering to this description lives in the scattered community of this thinly-populated district. I may add that I have never before had any occult or psychic experience whatever.
As reprinted in the Grimsby Daily Telegraph, 27th August 1910.