Great Mysteries To Solve In Scotland

Scottish Mysteries

There is something about Scotland that radiates an aura of mystery and legend. Even with the Loch Ness monster phenomenon, it drives hundreds of visitors to Inverness each year to witness and see for themselves the alleged home of “Nessie“. Several structures and locations in Scotland have sparked investigations, research, movies and books with the attempt and purpose of finding meaning to all the unanswered questions that have been asked throughout the years.

Sparked by the highly controversial movie, The Da Vinci Code, the Rosslyn Chapel just outside the capital of Edinburgh has had its recent surge of visitors, all wanting to see the location in the Chapel where the movie was shot. Conspiracies and theories have also been made about the true meaning behind the cryptic and symbolic images carved on to the posts and walls of the Chapel. Throughout the many years, theories have been speculated that it is the final resting place of the Holy Grail, or it is the exact replica of Solomon’s Temple where the vaults underneath the Chapel contain hidden treasures. Questions have also been raised about the true meaning of the Apprentice Pillar, the carving of a bearded man across the Chapel 120 times, over 200 mysterious cube carvings and its heavy link with the Freemasons and the Knights Templar. These many questions have never been answered and despite many investigations no-one can really explain the mysteries surrounding Rosslyn Chapel.

Much taller than Stonehenge, the Callanish Stones are situated near the village of Callanish on the Western Isles. These stones have had their share of speculation and mystery. Thirteen primary standing stones form a circle 13 meters in diameter and resembling a Celtic cross can be found circling a burial chamber. The purpose of this structure is unknown to this day. The why and how despite many archaeological findings and investigations has never been answered. Only theories and rumours but never really concrete answers. Built way before 3000 BC, this structure was made during the Stone Age and it must have served as a sort of astronomical observatory, used by our stone age ancestors to observe the movements of the moon.

Scotland is also famous for several mermaid sightings off its coasts. The mer-people and Finfolk of Scottish mythology and legend have been much talked about in books, movies and several investigations. Called the “Holy Island,” by the Vikings, Eynhallow Island is part of Orkney on the North coast of the mainland.

It has its own set of unexplainable vanishings and the ruin of a monastery church whose history and purpose have never been known. Eynhallow is a small uninhabited island. A 75 hectare land area it is believed by many to be the summer residence of the Finfolk whose daughters are believed to be mermaids. If you want to visit this eerie and deserted island you’ll have to hire a private boat as there is no available ferry to take you there. Every year in July, the Orkney Heritage Society organises a trip so you can apply to join the group for a visit to the island if you want a sneaky peak.

One of the most intriguing stories of Eynhallow occurred on July 1990. A group of 88 people from the organised trip disembarked on the island but only 86 returned. A massive search was made by the police and coastguard, using heat sensors to locate the 2 missing persons. They never found these two people and it has been concluded that there may have been a miscalculation of the number of people who headed to the island that day. Old folks speculated that the missing persons were actually Finfolk who returned to their home or that they extracted revenge by abducting the two people for having disturbed their island.

The truth will never be known.