Arcadia Scotland

Some of you might be a bit disappointed to find that in the UK we don’t take Halloween quite so seriously as in the USA, nonetheless, Scotland’s history is full of macabre legends, far more terrifying than your average Hollywood blockbuster. By now most of you will have realised that the Scottish diet is pretty poor, but compared to Sawney Bean and his cannibal clan, the modern Scot’s culinary choices might not seem so bad. Although his life is surrounded in mystery, Alexander ‘Sawney’ Bean is believed to have been born in the Lothians in the 16th century. The young Sawney eschewed the honest life of a ditch-digger, and eloped with ‘Black’ Agnes Douglas, a woman of ill-repute and a supposed witch. Unable to find work, Sawney took to robbing and cannibalising weary travellers from a cave at Bennane Head, about 10 miles from Girvan. The Bean family eventually grew to eight sons, six daughters, 18 grandsons and 14 granddaughters, many of which were the product of incest. With such a large family to feed, legend has it that the Beans' killed more than 1,000 people before finally being captured. King James VI, who was incidentally an expert on witchcraft, was made aware of Sawney’s murderous brood, and dispatched 400 men with bloodhounds to put an end to the sordid affair. When the party found Sawney’s cave they discovered human remains pickled in large barrels alongside the belongings of their victims. Surprisingly the Beans surrendered without resistance, but were considered unworthy of a trial and summarily executed. Sawney was brutally mutilated and left to bleed to death, but not before making the chilling claim  "It isn't over, it will never be over." Agnes and her daughters. meanwhile, were burned at the stake as witches, thus ending the Beans’ reign of terror. To this day many towns and villages in Ayrshire have their own tales of the Bean clan, and who knows with a family so large maybe there are still a few descendants out there!

Although Sawney Bean is long dead, hopefully, there are still plenty of spooky happenings in Scotland this Halloween. Here are a few of our favorites: 

Edinburgh- Edinburgh Dungeons,The Home of Halloween, £14 when booked in advance.

The Edinburgh Dungeons are scary enough at the best of times, but at Halloween they really aren’t for the fainthearted. The tour includes the New White Lady Ghost Show and many other scary surprises. 

St Giles Cathedral ‘Spooky Tours’, Next Monday and Tuesday afternoon.

Our very own Kayla Czaplicki will be giving guided tours of St Giles with a spooky twist. This is a great opportunity to learn about some St Giles' darker secrets and legends. 

Glasgow- Glasglow, Glasgow Botanic Gardens, £14.

This Halloween season, step through the portal and discover nine incredible worlds. Enjoy an impressive light show, as well as a street food village and cosy bar.

Stirling- The Witching Hour Exhibition: Tolbooth Gallery, FREE

A combination of historic archival sources and contemporary art all themed around witchcraft in Scotland. 

Also keep an eye out for ghost tours as most cities will have at least one.

Happy Halloween!