The Laird o' Coul's Ghost

A lively 18th‑century chap‑book brings listeners to the mist‑shrouded roads of the Scottish Borders, where folklore and a touch of wit mingle with the everyday concerns of clergymen and landowners. The manuscript’s provenance—found among the papers of a long‑dead collector and once circulated by travelling printers—adds a hint of historical mystery, while the brisk, conversational style makes the old world feel surprisingly immediate.

On a February night in 1722, a minister traveling home encounters a gray‑ridden figure who introduces himself as the Laird of Coul. A sudden, weightless strike sends the minister’s cane flying, and the ghost’s calm demand sets a tone of eerie humor: he asks for a service that few in the region would dare to perform, hinting at a conflict between duty and superstition. The encounter teeters between the ordinary and the uncanny, promising a short but engaging tale of spectral negotiation and 18th‑century Scottish charm.