Hauntings, the BBC series exploring “the most intriguing, terrifying and enduring paranormal cases” in the UK and US, is set to spook viewers with a chilling new case.
Episodes one and two covered the Enfield poltergeist and a haunted house in Rhode Island, but the latest investigates Sir George Mackenzie, Edinburgh’s famous executioner, and what happened when his tomb was disturbed in 1998.
The latest episode in the series will air at 10pm on Sunday 20 October.
It’s also available to stream in full on BBC iPlayer.
Who was Sir George Mackenzie?
Sir George Mackenzie of Rosehaugh was a Scottish lawyer, Lord Advocate, essayist and legal writer.
Born in Dundee in 1636, Sir George was elected to the Faculty of Advocates, an independent body of lawyers in Scotland, in 1659.
During his legal career, he acted as justice depute, a post that saw him involved in extensive witch trials.
Sir George was knighted and became a member of the Scottish parliament for the County of Ross from 1669-74.
In 1677 he became Lord Advocate, and a member of the Privy Council of Scotland.
As Lord Advocate he was the minister responsible for the persecuting policy of Charles II in Scotland against the Presbyterian Covenanters, members of a 17th century Scottish religious and political movement who supported a Presbyterian Church of Scotland.
After the Battle of Bothwell Bridge in 1679 between government troops and Presbyterian Covenanters, Sir George imprisoned 1,200 Covenanters in a field next to Greyfriars Kirkyard. Some were executed, and hundreds died of maltreatment.
His treatment of the Covenanters earned him the nickname Bloody Mackenzie.
He died at Westminster on 8 May, 1691. He is buried in Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh.
What are the stories of the Mackenzie poltergeist?
There are several stories concerning the Mackenzie poltergeist, but one of the most famous occurred on the night of Christmas in 1998 when a homeless man entered the infamous Greyfriars Kirkyard in Edinburgh.
Sir George is buried in a mausoleum here and, seeking refuge, the homeless man broke into the tomb.
According to reports, a hole opened in the floor and the man dropped into a chamber filled with centuries-old bones. Panic-stricken, the man managed to climb out of the burial pit before fleeing in fright.
Local mythology claims that more than bones were disturbed during the interference.
“Within weeks, stories of blackouts and inexplicable attacks began to spread,” the Hauntings‘ promotional release reads.
“The injuries were so severe that Edinburgh City Council locked the gates and declared the area out of bounds for public safety.”
A week after the homeless man’s entry into the mausoleum, one woman claimed that she had felt herself blown back from the mausoleum by “an icy blast of air”.
According to the Icy Sedgwick folklore blog, visitors recorded both hot and cold spots, inexplicable bruising, scratches and of being pushed by an unseen presence. Reports include people having hair pulled or their limbs being grabbed.
Strange sightings have also been seen in the area surrounding the mausoleum, such as white figures.
A local tour guide thinks that Sir George haunts the area due to his conscience and maybe feels remorse for his treatment of the Covenanters.
This doesn’t explain why people have reported scratches and bruising, however.
Keen to make up your own mind? Tune in on Sunday 20 October at 10pm on BBC2.
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