Stornoway Notes.
A Sensational Ghost Story.
When matters were beginning to assume their normal condition here, after the unusual excitement of election times, part of the burgh has the good fortune (or as some of those immediately concerned might call it, the misfortune) of having amongst them quite another kind of novelty, which has created no little sensation in the neighbourhood, and has aroused some of the good people to a state of considerable excitement, and even alarm.
This is a veritable and well authenticated ghost story. There is situated in Bayhead a double self-contained house, one half of it being occupied and the other half unoccupied, and it is in this latter part, that his ghostship has for the present taken up his abode, and in the silent midnight hour is said to kick up therein such “high jinks” and mysterious pranks as are sufficient to make the hair of even clearheaded stalwart men literally stand on end.
Bells in the house are violently rung by some mysterious hand; doors are opened and violently closed again, and the noise in some of the rooms is said to be at times as if heaps of furniture were being hurled pell mell from one side of the room to the other.
Many attempts have been made in order if possible to solve this wonderful mystery, but as yet all to no purpose. One night recently two men of good nerve and undoubted respectability, volunteered to go and watch, and took up their position in or near the haunted house, but after spending an uncomfortable night there, they entirely failed to unravel the extraordinary mystery. His unseen highness was apparently on that night in one of his quieter moods and did not hold such a “high carnival” as he was wont to do on some previous occasions, but even on that night the watches, it is said, heard sufficient to satisfy them that there was something “uncanny” about the premises, and they were well satisfied when they found themselves once again safely ensconced within their own peaceful abodes.
One of the latest phases of the sensational story is that the occupant of the other half of the haunted house is said to have provided himself with a revolver to defend himself if possible against the ghostly intruder. But it is very questionable if this will do any good, as even should the eye be clear and the hand steady, he may only be taking aim at what is but the “baseless fabric of a vision.” Even if his weapon contained a “crooked” sixpence – that is said to be the only missile that will prove effectual against a witch – it is very questionable if it would be of any avail against this visitor from the spirit world.
The excitement caused by the story is such that for some nights lately, crowds were to be seen eagerly watching and listening outside the house, and on one night a party of ten “brave fellows” volunteered to explore the house from basement to ceiling, but all to no avail, and when descending from the upper regions, such was that frame of mind that it became a somewhat serious question who would take up the rear, fearing that the old adage of “Deil tak’ the hindmost,” might be in the case of the unfortunate one once again verified.
Highland News, 20th October 1884.