The Witches of Caledonia by Erin Lavelle
Love, history and mystery in the Scottish Highlands – the scene of Macbeth and the witches!
Excerpt – I turned to get a proper look at the stone and was surprised to see vases of flowers next to it. Nobody ever left flowers at the stone twenty years ago. I noticed there was also a sturdy metal sign erected on the grassy bank above it. That hadn’t been there before either.
The black sign with white lettering read,
WITCHES STONE
From Cluny Hill witches were rolled in stout barrels through which spikes were driven. Where the barrels stopped they were burned with their mangled contents. This stone marks the site of one such burning.
I shuddered. ‘Mangled contents.” It was too horrific to imagine. But were these witches Macbeth’s witches? I’d a vague memory of that theory being described as a myth by our history teacher. But no matter – I dare say the women who suffered this appalling fate were not thinking of eternal fame in a Shakespeare play as they were bundled into a spiked barrel. I dipped into my handbag and pulled out the Witchfest programme that Emma had given me.
Friday the 20th June. 7 p.m. The Town Hall. ‘Macbeth and the Three Witches. Fact or Fiction?’ Speaker: Professor Timothy Malone, University of Aberdeen.
“That’s a definite one to add to Emma’s potions and lotions workshop,” I thought.
I took a last look at the stone which was some size – about three foot by two foot and found myself thinking of the poor women who’d suffered such an appalling death. The sun was beating down and yet I felt a shiver run up my spine.
I shuddered and decided to change the mood by going for a touristy mooch round the gift shops dotted along the High Street. Isla could only make it up for the weekend (teachers and holidays and all that) and was staying at Emma’s. The plan for today was to meet up at the Beastie for a bar supper and drinks at 5.30 p.m. So that gave me a few hours to kill. This afternoon was to be dedicated to browsing and recovery time. I’d three weeks to fit in the more vigorous stuff like hill walks and beach combing.