The Monster of Glamis

One of the most famous legends associated with Glamis Castle is that of the ‘Monster of Glamis’; a child born to the family and so hideously disfigured he was isolated in secret chambers within the castle walls, which were sealed upon his death. Legend has its beginnings in 1821 when the first son of theRead more ⟶

Did William Wallace make his first kill in Dundee?

Dundee was certainly a pivotal city in the life of William Wallace, he was certainly educated here and did reclaim the city from the English during the wars of independence. But did he in fact, strike his first blow in the war that was to shape his life, here in Dundee? The story starts inRead more ⟶

Hurkle Jean

Grissell Jaffray is undoubtedly the most famous witch of Dundee, having been the last witch to be executed in Dundee, but Dundee’s superstitious side was still alive and well in the 19th century, when Janet Kindy, or ‘Hurkle Jean’, was believed to be responsible for a number of afflictions that allegedly beset the town. SicknessRead more ⟶

Bigfoot

Even the name “Bigfoot” evokes unease, conjuring up images of huge, hairy bipedal humanoids with primal, base instincts and a wild demeanor.  Whilst theories and sightings have been reported for years, nobody has ever managed to document irrefutable evidence of the legendary beasts. And whilst most of the more well documented cases are focused aroundRead more ⟶

Dundee crime statistics 1898 – 1902

The following is a collection of extracts of Dundee Crime Statistics from the Dundee criminal returns of 1898 to 1902 inclusive, read, in part, by us on one of our forays in the archives. A very informative and insightful glimpse into the lives and crimes of this era, it’s also hard sometimes to see whereRead more ⟶

Crime in 1920’s Dundee

Dundee is no stranger to a brawl – a reputation that has preceded the city for generations.  Petty crime in Dundee, Scotland in the 1920’s was unsurprisingly, not much different to as it is now. The men, and, perhaps more importantly, the women, have proven to be a fearsome populace, and continue to fight andRead more ⟶

The Dundee Body Snatchers

In Dundee, body snatchers, graverobbers, or “Resurrection Men” turned over a considerable amount of business.  When Cholera struck in 1832, the memories of Burke and Hare’s atrocities were still very much at the forefront of people’s minds. Even though Burke had been executed in 1829 (whilst Hare spent the rest of his years in relativeRead more ⟶