| More modern ghosts linked to battles make appearances at Montrose's old aerodrome. This base was established just before the First World War to the north of the town on the links. Today, the airfield is home to a museum. At least three spirits appear here, one of them a phantom biplane that crashed in 1913. This apparition has been witnessed on a number of occasions over the years, notably by Sir Peter Masefield in 1963.
The same aeroplane almost caused the death of another pilot during the Second World War. The aerodrome was placed on red alert when reports came through that a German aircraft had been spotted. A fighter pilot was sent up to investigate, but despite flying all around the district, there was no sight of the enemy. At Montrose, the commander in charge of the air base decided it was too risky to illuminate the full runway, so turned on the lights on the edge of the runway only. The pilot was experienced, so the sparse lighting should have been enough to guide him home. As he descended towards the runway, he suddenly pulled up and away from the landing course. Those observing on the ground wondered why he had done so, assuming he was perhaps just off course. The aeroplane circled the aerodrome once more and began a second descent. Again, just before landing, the fighter was jerked off course and the pilot made a quick withdrawal. The ground staff could not understand what was amiss, so the commander ordered the entire airfield lit. This time, the pilot made a perfect landing and cruised into position.
As he opened the cockpit, the pilot yelled out, 'What fool was that who kept cutting me out?' He was told there were no other planes in the air. 'Yes there was, it was some idiot who kept cutting across in front of me', he insisted. 'Why do you think I had to keep coming in again?' When he gave a full description of the aircraft, it turned out to be a biplane, not unlike a Tiger Moth.
The pilot of the biplane has also manifested in spirt at Montrose. He was Lieutenant Desmond Arthur of No. 2 Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps, whose aeroplane crashed here in May 1913. As he was descending from 4,000 feet, the starboard wing of his BE2 biplane collapsed and he plummeted to his death. His apparition has been noted on many occasions, Major Cyril Foggin having witnessed it eight times.
The third ghost is that of an RAF flight commander. It is said he was an unpopular figure and that when his aeroplane crashed in the summer of 1942, foul play was suspected. The official inquiry cited engine failure . as the cause, though many thought a fitter in the workshops had sabotaged the aircraft during routine maintenance. 
The Jacobite forces were finally defeated at the Battle of Culloden 16 April 1746. The site of the battle is now protected by the National Trust of Scotland and there is a visitor's centre and museum at Old Leanach Cottage. A number of memorials commemorate the clansmen who were killed in action – the Graves of the Clans (above) being but one site. It is there and at the Well of the Dead that most phantoms have been seen, from single soldiers to full battle scenes.
It is said that descendants of soldiers who took part in the battle may experience visions of the day should they arrive on the battle's anniversary. An American visitor named Ian MacDonald had such an experience in 1896, when he found himself in the midst of battle. He was stabbed in the chest and fell from his horse. The American later woke up in hospital where he was told he had fallen from his horse and sustained bruises. There have been reports of the ghost of a dead soldier wearing blood-spattered Stewart tartan. Others have seen reflections of soldiers' faces in the waters of the Well of the Dead. It is even said that some experience pains in the same parts of their bodies as the wounded spirits.
At nearby Culloden House, which dates to 1772 and is now a country-house hotel, the apparition of Bonnie Prince Charlie himself has been sighted. Several relics once belonging to the Young Pretender were kept here, including his bed and walking-stick. The house was erected on the site of Culloden Castle, in which the prince spent the night before the battle. Bonnie Prince Charlie's spirit has been seen in various parts of the house, including the library, corridors and bedrooms.
It is perhaps the same phantom Jacobite army that is said to haunt the byways around Inverness. There are a few accounts of these mounted soldiers appearing at various places around the capital of the Highlands, but they never remain visible long enough for full descriptions. The troops are led by an officer sporting a bonnet decorated with gold braid and wearing a dark blue cloak similar to that worn by the Hussars. Source: Scottish Ghosts by Dane Love. |
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