The Halloween Visitor of the Black Water

On Halloween, when mist gathers over the Black Water and the mountains disappear into the darkness, Inchbae can feel like a place where the past is never very far away.

Long before pumpkins became the familiar face of Halloween, Scottish families marked Samhain, the turning of the seasons, with stories, guising and lanterns carved from turnips. Their flickering light was said to help keep unwelcome spirits at bay.

A light beside the river

Many years ago, so the story goes, a traveller was making his way towards Garve on a bitter Halloween night. The wind swept through the trees and the Black Water murmured unseen beyond the road.

As he passed Inchbae, he noticed a small orange light down by the riverbank. Thinking someone might be in trouble, he left the path and followed it through the mist.

There, on a moss-covered stone, sat a turnip lantern. Its crooked face glowed in the darkness. Beside it stood a woman wearing a long grey cloak, her features hidden in shadow.

The traveller asked whether she needed help. For a moment she did not answer. Then she turned towards the river and whispered, “I am waiting for the river to return what it took.”

Before he could ask what she meant, a cold gust swept along the bank. The candle went out. The woman vanished, leaving only the smell of wet leaves and the sound of the water.

The traveller hurried back to the road. Behind him, drifting over the river, he heard the faintest trace of a woman's song — old, sad and almost lost beneath the wind.

The mystery of the Grey Lady

Was she waiting for someone who never returned? Was the lantern a warning, or an invitation? No one could say. And on certain misty Halloween nights, perhaps it is better not to look too closely at the lights beside the Black Water.

This Grey Lady is a character in our own Halloween tale, inspired by the atmosphere of the Highlands and Scottish seasonal traditions — not a documented local ghost or historical legend.

Halloween at Black Water Holiday Lets

Here at Black Water Holiday Lets, the river, the woodland and the mountain make wonderful ingredients for a spooky story. And if you should glimpse a mysterious shape beneath the water, don't be too alarmed. It may only be Bessie, our very own Black Water monster, checking who has come to visit.

So light your lantern, wrap up warm and enjoy a little Highland mystery. If you hear singing beside the river tonight, it's probably just the wind.

Probably.

Happy Halloween from everyone at Black Water Holiday Lets, Inchbae! 🎃