The White Lady of Corstorphine

If you are sitting comfortably, I have a story to tell you this All Hallows Eve...

In 1659, James Forrester the local laird in Corstorphine was known for his rather "relaxed" approach to the morality of the time and was known to have had a number of mistresses.

One of Forrester's lovers was Lady Christian Nimmo who was not only married but also his niece.

It was a custom of Forrester to meet his secret lovers by the old dovecote. One night the Lady Nimmo arrived for such a clandestine meeting only to find no-one there. Since she knew Forrester's habits well, the Lady sent one of her servants to fetch him from the local hostelry (appropriately, here is a local pub sign!).

When Forrester finally arrived, he was drunk, rude and abusive. An argument began between him and his lover, which was ended when Lady Nimmo grabbed Forrester's sword and killed him in a fit of rage.

Lady Nimmo was caught and executed. Her ghost, dressed in purest white, has since then haunted the scene of her crime, the sword in her spectral hand still dripping with blood.

There have been a number of reports of her sighting over the years ... ahh!