For sale: One ghost
(Plus her haunted hamlet home...and all yours for a frighteningly cheap £100k)
AN enterprising estate agent would no doubt describe it as needing a little work.
But for those who enjoy ghost stories around the campfire, this could be the ultimate buy.
The reputedly haunted ruins of an ancient settlement on the shore of Loch Tay have been put on the market.
For £100,000 – the price of a small, onebedroom flat in Glasgow – you could own all that is left of the Old Village of Lawers.
The three-acre site includes the ruins of several homes and Lawers Kirk, which was built in 1669. At one time the Perthshire village was home to a community of people who survived by farming and fishing.
But today its only inhabitant is said to be the ghost of the Old Lady of Lawers – one of the last people known to have lived there and who partly predicted its demise.
Selling agent Jon Lambert, from John Clegg & Co, said: ‘An opportunity such as this to acquire part of Scotland’s historical heritage in what many believe to be the most beautiful part of the country arises very rarely. The word “unique” is overused but there can be very few times when it is so appropriate as with this chance to be the owner and custodian of an area so rich in history, romance and tradition.’
The Old Lady of Lawers is said to have had the ability to tell the future, and is known for a number of prophecies.
Her vision of ‘fire-coaches’ crossing the Drumochter Pass is believed to have been a prediction of the railway line later installed.
She is also said to have planted an ash tree at the north end of the church, claiming when it grew to the height of the spire, the church would fall. Both the tree and the church were later destroyed in a thunderstorm. The 1841 census reveals there were 17 people living in the village at the time. Just 50 years later only seven people remained and it was totally abandoned by 1926.
Anyone who buys the land might be able to secure grants from Historic Scotland to help safeguard the ruins, according the agent.
Planning permission for new buildings is very limited due to the historical importance of the site, but there is the possibility of erecting a small hut or building for recreational accommodation.
But have potential buyers been put off by the ghost? ‘Not so far,’ Mr Lambert laughed. ‘They are all quite intrigued.’