Halloween is the time of year when we willingly terrify ourselves with stories of ghosts, ghouls and things that go bump in the night. But long before cinema gave us monsters and villains, Scotland's courts were dealing with crimes so bizarre, disturbing and downright frightening that they make modern horror films look positively tame.
Halloween is the time of year when we willingly terrify ourselves with stories of ghosts, ghouls and things that go bump in the night. But long before cinema gave us monsters and villains, Scotland's courts were dealing with crimes so bizarre, disturbing and downright frightening that they make modern horror films look positively tame.
We thought it would be fitting to celebrate the season by looking back at some of the most chilling crimes in Scottish legal history. None involve vampires, zombies or werewolves. The frightening thing is that every one of them was real.
Burke and Hare's Murder-for-Profit Enterprise
No list could begin anywhere else. William Burke and William Hare discovered that selling bodies to Edinburgh's medical schools was far more profitable than honest work. Rather than waiting for people to die naturally, they accelerated the process themselves, murdering at least sixteen victims by suffocation and selling their bodies for dissection. Their crimes horrified Victorian Scotland and gave the English language a new verb: "to burke" someone. Hare turned ‘King’s evidence’ and was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for giving evidence against Hare. Hare was convicted, sentenced to death and (ironically) his body was donated to Edinburgh University for dissection by students.
Deacon Brodie's Double Life
By day, William Brodie was a respected Edinburgh councillor, tradesman and member of society. By night, he was a burglar, stealing from wealthy citizens to pay for his gambling habit, his two mistresses and five children. Using copies of keys he acquired through his business, Brodie conducted a secret criminal career while maintaining a spotless public reputation. Brodie was betrayed by an accomplice, ran away to Amsterdam but was captured, returned to Edinburgh for trial and on conviction hung before a record-breaking crowd of 40,000. His story later inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde.
The Ardlamont Murder Mystery
A wealthy teenage heir disappeared during a shooting trip in Argyll, and was later found in a remote location shot through the head. His tutor and companion claimed that he shot himself but was charged with his murder despite the absence of clear evidence about what had actually happened. The trial gripped the nation and featured one of the earliest uses of forensic science in Scotland. Early-day forensic experts argued that the gunshot could not have been self-inflicted. The case against the tutor was found “not proven” and the true facts remain a mystery to this day. (It looks like there was just one accused Monson so have tweaked this slightly).
Madeleine Smith's Poisoning Trial
Glasgow socialite Madeleine Smith was accused of poisoning her lover, Pierre Emile L’Angelier, in one of Scotland's most sensational criminal trials. The couple were involved in a secret affair but when Madeleine became engaged to another man he threatened to expose her. , Soon after, Pierre was found dead from suspected arsenic poisoning. The murder weapon (poison) was allegedly delivered in a cup of cocoa – invisible, odorless and difficult to detect. The verdict was "Not Proven", Scotland's famously distinctive third verdict (but now abolished).
The Ruxton Murders
Dr Buck Ruxton murdered his wife and servant before dismembering their bodies and dumping them near Moffat in Dumfriesshire.. Ruxton was convicted after trial and confessed shortly before his hanging. The investigation produced groundbreaking forensic evidence involving facial reconstruction and anatomical comparison. While the crime itself was horrific, it changed the development of criminal investigation techniques throughout the UK.
And finally…….
Sawney Bean and the Cave of Nightmares
Part crime story, part legend, this tale tells of a clan accused of robbery, incest, murder and cannibalism on an industrial scale. It is said that Sawney Bean and his large family, who lived in a cave near the Firth of Clyde, murdered and cannibalised over 1,000 travellers to the area, with their uneaten remains being pickled. Historians dispute whether the story is true. Nevertheless, it remains one of Scotland's most enduring and disturbing criminal legends and earns a place here purely for its nightmare-inducing qualities.
Happy Halloween from the Individual Crime Team!
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