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The Spirits of Spynie Palace

Greg Stewart

Spynie Palace in Moray, close to the town of Elgin, shares similarities with St Andrews Castle in that it was built as a bishop's residence rather than specifically as a defensive building. However, the nature of these dangerous times in Scotland still necessitated defences, and Spynie certainly grew to become a formidable structure.


Origins of the Palace

Although the exact time of construction is unknown, the palace is documented from the latter part of the 12th century when it was referred to as Spynie Castle. The bishop at that time utilised several churches in the area until the Church of the Holy Trinity at Spynie was elevated to become the cathedral in 1207. Elgin later became the permanent cathedral site in 1224, however, the bishops chose to retain their previous residence at Spynie.


The palace initially stood on the banks of Loch Spynie, a natural sea loch which provided direct access to the Moray Firth for both bringing in supplies and providing an escape route. However, much of the loch has since become silted, and it was later drained, leaving just a small inland body of water.


During the early 1300s, Bishop David of Moray is believed to have replaced the original building with a stone structure, sections of which remain the oldest surviving parts of the palace today. This reconstruction included huge curtain walls which enclosed the courtyard. Such precautions were shown to be well-judged when in 1390, Elgin Cathedral and much of the surrounding area was attacked and set alight by Alexander Stewart, the Wolf of Badenoch.


The Wrath of the Wolf

Stewart, the 1st Earl of Buchan, was a powerful but brutal leader and the illegitimate son of the future King Robert II. He used his position to enlarge his area of rule, including marrying Eupheme de Ross, the Countess of Ross, to gain control of her lands and property. After seven years of marriage and with no children, Stewart blamed his wife for not providing him with an heir and so requested that Bishop Alexander Bur of Moray formally terminate the marriage to allow him to wed again.


The bishop, however, refused, which Stewart ignored. He threw out his wife and began a public relationship with his mistress. In response, the bishop had Alexander Stewart excommunicated, leading to Stewart's destruction of the cathedral and surrounding area. It is not known whether Spynie was attacked during this time, but if it was, it is likely to have been the curtain walls which saved it from significant damage.


There is also a suggestion that the Bishop of Moray had been paying protection money to the Wolf of Badenoch for some time, and it was his attempts to end this which resulted in the attack. Ironically, after the death of Bishop Alexander Bur in 1397, Spynie Palace was placed temporarily in the hands of the Wolf prior to a new bishop being appointed the following year.


Reconstruction and the Reformation

In 1462, David Stewart was appointed as Bishop of Moray and he went on to carry out extensive remodelling of the palace, including the construction of a new tower house named David's Tower, which remains one of the largest tower houses in Scotland.


The palace survived the Protestant Reformation and continued to be used as the residence for the bishop until 1682, after which it was rented out, but decay and decline soon set in. The ruins of the palace have been under the care of Historic Environment Scotland since 1973.


Paranormal Activity

It is said that the ghost of a man is seen at the landing on the first-floor entrance of David's Tower, with descriptions saying he appears as though he is leaning against the railing with a menacing look.


Witnesses report a sense of fear and anticipation when seeing him, resulting in many associating the wraith with Alexander Stewart, the Wolf of Badenoch. However, Stewart died in either 1394 or 1405, depending on which version surrounding his demise is correct, meaning he passed away long before David's Tower was built. His spirit would therefore be unlikely to focus on part of the building which did not exist during his time, although if the tower house was built on an existing structure, that may offer an explanation.


An elderly woman is also reported to be seen sitting in one of the openings in the wall of the great tower entrance, although who she is or why she is there is a mystery. Higher up the tower, a feeling of nausea and a headache can overcome visitors, although it is claimed that by politely saying 'excuse me' and stepping to one side as though to allow an unseen energy to pass will immediately remove this sensation.


A strange mist is said to have appeared and knocked a visitor over, although it is not clear whether this was connected to the energy mentioned above, and more recently, a phantom lion is said to have been witnessed.


With several other tales of strange happenings, it is easy to see why Spynie Palace is thought to be one of the most haunted buildings in the country.

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