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Evil Scotland
Scotland is one of the friendliest and most hospitable countries in the world. Yet it has a sinister side that includes horrific murders, satanism, ritual killings, supernatural occurrences, alien abductions and phantom beasts. All of this and more is explored by best-selling author Ron Halliday in what is sure to be one of the most talked about and controversial books of the year.
256 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 27, 2022
Not a good read at all I think
This is not a history book or a factual book about the dark histories of Scotland, it's closer to a list of people saying "I saw a ghost once, honest!". One of the most frustrating things about the book is how the author claims everything is a police or government cover up whenever there is no evidence to back up his claims. (Such claims include that fire breathing dragons and vampires are real btw). Infact his catchphrase in the first half of the book is "there is no evidence, but..."
Halliday is even capable of jumping to conclusions so far fetched that Evel Knivel would be impressed. Take for example when he tells us of a young womans account to the police that a killers surname may have been "Templeton, Sempleton, or Emmerson" the author then states with great conviction that he didn't say just one, he said all three...and that he actually didn't say those names he said "Temple of Solomon, Jerusalem".
When the author is likened to Scotlands Spooky Mulder, it must just be because he wants to believe rather than because he undertakes any real investigations himself. I'll also add that he takes the words of psychics and dowsers as expert opinion despite being nothing more than frauds and liars. Even trying to take his word for anything is hard as nothing is cited or referenced and the quotes are all unattributed.
This is all before his outaded views on sexuality, gender, and class come into play.
The second half of the book has more "True Crime" content if that appeals to you over the supernatural stuff but it all circles back round to black magic ritual conspiracies.
To say something positive the book does include a few stories of gàidhlig mythology and stories from medieval Scotland that I liked, but not many.
The only ghostly goings on here seems to be that other people have rated it 4 stars.
This is not a history book or a factual book about the dark histories of Scotland, it's closer to a list of people saying "I saw a ghost once, honest!". One of the most frustrating things about the book is how the author claims everything is a police or government cover up whenever there is no evidence to back up his claims. (Such claims include that fire breathing dragons and vampires are real btw). Infact his catchphrase in the first half of the book is "there is no evidence, but..."
Halliday is even capable of jumping to conclusions so far fetched that Evel Knivel would be impressed. Take for example when he tells us of a young womans account to the police that a killers surname may have been "Templeton, Sempleton, or Emmerson" the author then states with great conviction that he didn't say just one, he said all three...and that he actually didn't say those names he said "Temple of Solomon, Jerusalem".
When the author is likened to Scotlands Spooky Mulder, it must just be because he wants to believe rather than because he undertakes any real investigations himself. I'll also add that he takes the words of psychics and dowsers as expert opinion despite being nothing more than frauds and liars. Even trying to take his word for anything is hard as nothing is cited or referenced and the quotes are all unattributed.
This is all before his outaded views on sexuality, gender, and class come into play.
The second half of the book has more "True Crime" content if that appeals to you over the supernatural stuff but it all circles back round to black magic ritual conspiracies.
To say something positive the book does include a few stories of gàidhlig mythology and stories from medieval Scotland that I liked, but not many.
The only ghostly goings on here seems to be that other people have rated it 4 stars.
August 17, 2025
An interesting collection of Scottish baddies, nasty things and unexplicable goings-on.
I wouldn't necessarily classify extra-terrestrial beings and UFOs as inherently evil - we don't really know.
Halliday has a tendency towards the breathless & sensationalist styles of writing, but he has gathered a useful collection of tales, some of which would bear revisiting or further research. Some good plot points for a variety of crime fiction writers here...
I wouldn't necessarily classify extra-terrestrial beings and UFOs as inherently evil - we don't really know.
Halliday has a tendency towards the breathless & sensationalist styles of writing, but he has gathered a useful collection of tales, some of which would bear revisiting or further research. Some good plot points for a variety of crime fiction writers here...
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews