The Old Religion is the magic of the Earth itself. It is the essence which binds all things together.
The Grave of Seath Mor Sgorfhiaclach
The stone above explains what’s written on the actual stone in the photo below.
Seath Mor Sgorfhiaclach was a 14th century chief of the Clan Shaw.
The story goes that he was a formidable bad ass warrior, striking terror into the hearts of even his own people.
The tomb of this warrior lies in a secluded area of the ancient forest of Rothiemurchus.
But, apparently he’s been quite busy even in death – Seath has been seen on many occasions by a lot of different people in the area of his tomb, which had five cheese shaped stones lying on top of it.
It seems his spirit appears to travellers who wander too deep into the forest.
And if that wasn’t enough, he challenges them to do battle.
People who have survived the altercations say that if you show fear or run away like a coward, you will never be heard from again. However, if you remain calm and accept the challenge, the ghostly chieftain disappears and will leave you in peace.
It’s also advised to keep a safe distance from the tomb due to another entity being present – the guardian spirit of the tomb taking the form of Bodach an Duin – an elf-like spirit who has a terrible temper.
Remember those five stones atop the tomb – in the 19th century a walker passing the area is said to have thrown one of the circular tomb stones into the River Spey.
The next day locals found that the stone had been placed back on the tomb, but the walker was found dead in the nearby river.
The stones on the grave are now beneath a metal cage to deter anyone moving them.
Five “cursed” stones protect the grave and anyone messing around with the stones will be cursed.
After several cases of illness and death, an iron grate now keeps the stones from being touched.