The Drummer of Cortachy
At a Scottish castle, the sound of a drum where no drummer is said to warn the family that one of them will soon die.
What was reported
Cortachy Castle in Angus has been the seat of the Ogilvy family, the Earls of Airlie, for centuries. Family legend says that the sound of an unseen drummer, beating somewhere in the castle or the grounds, is heard before the death of a member of the family.
The story tells of a drummer who came to the castle long ago with a message the family didn't want, was killed there, and swore to haunt them. Victorian writers on the supernatural collected accounts of guests who heard drumming at night and asked who was playing, only to find the household go quiet.
Explanations offered
Stories of warning sounds tied to old families, such as banshees and death knocks, are found across Scotland and Ireland. The accounts that survive were written down long after the fact, and nothing about them has been tested. Drumming sounds in old buildings can come from wind, water pipes and loose fittings.
- When
- Reported since the 1600s
- Where
- Cortachy Castle, Angus, Scotland, UK
- Witnesses
- Guests and household of the castle, as told in Victorian books
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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