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Blood Beneath Ben Nevis
Tales of murder, myth and mystery from Lochaber's dark past. A companion book to The River Runs Red.
In Blood Beneath Ben Nevis Mark Bridgeman has created a fascinating collection of tales, events and folklore from around Lochaber, all focused around the uncanny, the disturbing, and the downright odd. Despite the mysterious overtones, the newspaper clippings on the back cover give the sense that what you are about to read happened to real people in a very real past. The landscape and the places are recognisable, as are the characters, with many of the familiar names living on in Lochaber today.
In Blood Beneath Ben Nevis Mark Bridgeman has created a fascinating collection of tales, events and folklore from around Lochaber, all focused around the uncanny, the disturbing, and the downright odd. Despite the mysterious overtones, the newspaper clippings on the back cover give the sense that what you are about to read happened to real people in a very real past. The landscape and the places are recognisable, as are the characters, with many of the familiar names living on in Lochaber today.
- GenresScotland
196 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2020
About the author
Mark Bridgeman
25 books14 followersMark Bridgeman was born in Swindon, Wiltshire and is now based in Highland Perthshire, Scotland. After a career working in Finance, Marketing and Sports Coaching, he has now turned his passion for writing, crime fiction and non-fiction, history and sport into words. Mark's first book "The River Runs Red" is now available. A history of true crime in Highland Perthshire, the book has proved an immediate success.
Surviving In The Shadows and Blood Beneath Ben Nevis were released in March 2020 to great reviews.
The Lost Village of Lawers followed in September 2020 and became an instant success.
Mark also contributed a series of short stories to the West Highland Museum website and to his own blog.
As featured on the BBC, The Beacon On The Hill was released in December 2020, taking up the story of Christ Church in Swindon, following on from a book originally written by Mark's late father. In May 2021, Mark released The Dark Side of the Dales (a series of true crime stories from the Yorkshire Dales) and Footsteps at Finlarig, the history of Finlarig Castle in Killin. Both books were well reviewed and proved instant successes.
Mark is currently working on two other projects for release in 2022 and has appeared at several book festivals, on ITV, Channel 5, BBC Radio, and the History Channel.
Surviving In The Shadows and Blood Beneath Ben Nevis were released in March 2020 to great reviews.
The Lost Village of Lawers followed in September 2020 and became an instant success.
Mark also contributed a series of short stories to the West Highland Museum website and to his own blog.
As featured on the BBC, The Beacon On The Hill was released in December 2020, taking up the story of Christ Church in Swindon, following on from a book originally written by Mark's late father. In May 2021, Mark released The Dark Side of the Dales (a series of true crime stories from the Yorkshire Dales) and Footsteps at Finlarig, the history of Finlarig Castle in Killin. Both books were well reviewed and proved instant successes.
Mark is currently working on two other projects for release in 2022 and has appeared at several book festivals, on ITV, Channel 5, BBC Radio, and the History Channel.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 1, 2024
A set of tales from my local area. Some of them are on the tall side.
I had thought from the title that the book was going to be about dastardly deeds, and these do feature. A couple of the stories were already known to me. The Appin Murder was a real-life event that featured in Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Kidnapped, and the Well of the Seven Heads is a well-known monument that commemorates the outcome of some dynastic feuding within one of the local clans. There were a few other tales of true crime though, describing cases of murder, fraud etc. Perhaps the most interesting to me was a story from WW2, when the Nazis planned to use one of their agents – an Irish nationalist – to sabotage the aluminium smelter at Kinlochleven, a facility that made an important contribution to the British war effort.
Much of the book though is taken up with local mysteries. One chapter featured the “lost gold” of Bonnie Prince Charlie – money supplied by the French and Spanish to finance the 1745 rebellion. After the rising failed the gold was allegedly hidden around Loch Arkaig, one of the area’s many freshwater lochs. When I was a kid my dad used to sometimes take the family up to Loch Arkaig on a Sunday. There are lots of small sandy bits around the shoreline and he used to encourage me to dig for the lost treasure. Inspired by stories like Treasure Island, I was convinced I would find the gold. Only in later years did I realise this was all a ruse by my dad, to keep me busy and allow him to read the Sunday paper in peace. Lol!
Many people will have heard of the Loch Ness Monster, but that location is a little outside the geographic scope of this book. Never fear - many of the Scottish lochs have a monster story attached to them - a couple of them feature in here. The author gives a great deal of credence to the legends whereas I am highly sceptical of them, but people disagree about things. There are also lots of stories relating to ghosts and other supernatural phenomena. These stories are widely accepted by local people – I am untypical in tending towards scepticism - but I quite enjoyed reading some of them anyway. One that especially struck me was “The Grey Dog of Meoble”, the aforementioned dog being a harbinger of death to successive generations of a particular family. The author comments that the legend spread to Nova Scotia via Highlanders who emigrated there, and indeed the Nova Scotian author Alistair MacLeod wrote a short story called As Birds Bring Forth the Sun, which I now realise is a straight re-telling of this old legend. I hadn’t previously realised the connection.
The author hasn’t written this book for an academic audience, and it should be read in that context. In my opinion it scores high on entertainment value. Four stars from me.
I had thought from the title that the book was going to be about dastardly deeds, and these do feature. A couple of the stories were already known to me. The Appin Murder was a real-life event that featured in Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Kidnapped, and the Well of the Seven Heads is a well-known monument that commemorates the outcome of some dynastic feuding within one of the local clans. There were a few other tales of true crime though, describing cases of murder, fraud etc. Perhaps the most interesting to me was a story from WW2, when the Nazis planned to use one of their agents – an Irish nationalist – to sabotage the aluminium smelter at Kinlochleven, a facility that made an important contribution to the British war effort.
Much of the book though is taken up with local mysteries. One chapter featured the “lost gold” of Bonnie Prince Charlie – money supplied by the French and Spanish to finance the 1745 rebellion. After the rising failed the gold was allegedly hidden around Loch Arkaig, one of the area’s many freshwater lochs. When I was a kid my dad used to sometimes take the family up to Loch Arkaig on a Sunday. There are lots of small sandy bits around the shoreline and he used to encourage me to dig for the lost treasure. Inspired by stories like Treasure Island, I was convinced I would find the gold. Only in later years did I realise this was all a ruse by my dad, to keep me busy and allow him to read the Sunday paper in peace. Lol!
Many people will have heard of the Loch Ness Monster, but that location is a little outside the geographic scope of this book. Never fear - many of the Scottish lochs have a monster story attached to them - a couple of them feature in here. The author gives a great deal of credence to the legends whereas I am highly sceptical of them, but people disagree about things. There are also lots of stories relating to ghosts and other supernatural phenomena. These stories are widely accepted by local people – I am untypical in tending towards scepticism - but I quite enjoyed reading some of them anyway. One that especially struck me was “The Grey Dog of Meoble”, the aforementioned dog being a harbinger of death to successive generations of a particular family. The author comments that the legend spread to Nova Scotia via Highlanders who emigrated there, and indeed the Nova Scotian author Alistair MacLeod wrote a short story called As Birds Bring Forth the Sun, which I now realise is a straight re-telling of this old legend. I hadn’t previously realised the connection.
The author hasn’t written this book for an academic audience, and it should be read in that context. In my opinion it scores high on entertainment value. Four stars from me.
March 14, 2020
Firstly, let me say that I do know Mark but if you have read any of my previous reviews you know this will not sway my view!
I have been greatly anticipating this work as I have many fond recollections of the area, as a child I followed THE THREE PEAKS YACHT RACE and so spent a fair amount of time for a few Summers up there.
My Parents encouraged my interests - I was a bit spoilt!
Where to start? Some tales I knew or had a " flavour " of , given my time in the area but many were completely unknown to me...
Especially a character by the name of " Morag " - whom has me wondering why my parents let me learn to sail the little Dinghy my Uncle gave me on a specific Loch... Was I a very well insured child? Hmmm...
I would highly recommend this as a " taster introduction " to the area before visiting to intrigue/entice you. Or even if you have been and feel you know the tales - I think you will be surprised by unknown tales, cruel and cautionary. Wise and Wary. And in one tale a sense of such poignancy that I feel hope for the future of Humanity!
There are lessons to be learnt, advice to take, and cautions to uphold all within this work...
Also you may feel the urge to purchase a metal detector... I'm thinking of it - it would seem a soothing alternative to Fly-Fishing for this antisocial Book Geek...
I would like to Thank MB as I had not anticipated the joy of memories that this work would trigger from my unconcious...
In particular a trip to The West Highland Museum with my Dad, in all honesty - I think Mum wanted shot of the pair of us for some peace and quiet!
I'm smiling as I recall my Dad showing me the secret portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie - I can see it before me as I type - a thing of wonder...
Is it in the book? Well, that's a secret for you to find out!
I have been greatly anticipating this work as I have many fond recollections of the area, as a child I followed THE THREE PEAKS YACHT RACE and so spent a fair amount of time for a few Summers up there.
My Parents encouraged my interests - I was a bit spoilt!
Where to start? Some tales I knew or had a " flavour " of , given my time in the area but many were completely unknown to me...
Especially a character by the name of " Morag " - whom has me wondering why my parents let me learn to sail the little Dinghy my Uncle gave me on a specific Loch... Was I a very well insured child? Hmmm...
I would highly recommend this as a " taster introduction " to the area before visiting to intrigue/entice you. Or even if you have been and feel you know the tales - I think you will be surprised by unknown tales, cruel and cautionary. Wise and Wary. And in one tale a sense of such poignancy that I feel hope for the future of Humanity!
There are lessons to be learnt, advice to take, and cautions to uphold all within this work...
Also you may feel the urge to purchase a metal detector... I'm thinking of it - it would seem a soothing alternative to Fly-Fishing for this antisocial Book Geek...
I would like to Thank MB as I had not anticipated the joy of memories that this work would trigger from my unconcious...
In particular a trip to The West Highland Museum with my Dad, in all honesty - I think Mum wanted shot of the pair of us for some peace and quiet!
I'm smiling as I recall my Dad showing me the secret portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie - I can see it before me as I type - a thing of wonder...
Is it in the book? Well, that's a secret for you to find out!
February 22, 2024
I gave this book five stars as I am less skeptical than Ian - do read his excellent review, here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I won't repeat what Ian says about the most important stories in the collection - which I really think have been laboured over, in the sense of the research put in - but I'll add one or two remarks. The story of the lost 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' gold is particularly well researched in this entertaining book. As Ian says, we grew up with this tale, as we used to go up to Loch Arkaig, but I always thought that the story of the lost Spanish Gold was just legend, when Mark Bridgeman demonstrates just how well documented the hiding of the gold was. The hiding of it, yes, but that elusive "X marks the spot" didn't feature in the various accounts! I was impressed that on this subject Mark Bridgeman points out that the modern-day road is above the 18th century track, which means quite an important shift of focus for anyone searching near the edge of the road.
I was fascinated by the differing accounts of how the money was used, and into whose keeping it fell from time to time. The detail of MacPherson of Cluny and his "cave" was especially interesting to me. Cluny is a familiar figure way beyond the geographical reach of this book through Robert Louis Stevenson's "Kidnapped" (which I personally think ought to be compulsory reading for all Highland children!).
Another detail that's not in the book in the way I heard it is that some of the gold was rumoured to be buried at Loch nan Uamh (The Loch of the Caves) but there is mention of an Arisaig site, and Arisaig is very near the loch. The evidence offered in the book for the hiding of the gold is not mere hearsay. Next time I'm in Fort William I'll have a look in the museum for a certain deathbed confession . . .
The Fort William Hen! I loved it! I can't spoil the story here but would have it known that this hen was "a bit of a character". The "presence of the rogue hen" was demanded in Oban Sheriff Court. I'm still laughing!
I was familar with a number of these stories but not with their detail. The only one I was a bit skeptical about was one about a ghost in the town library who threw books about and made typewriters type upside down - but my daughter had worked in the town library and had heard all about this!
So there you are - "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy".
Some of the stories are much more serious, and, like Ian, I was unaware that the Kinlochleven site for aluminium and railway works was later used as a P.O.W. camp in the 1914-18 war and then as an espionage/sabotage project in World War Two. On the earlier history of the Kinlochleven works I would recommend the books of Patrick McGill, who worked there as a navvy: "Children of the Dead End" and "Moleskin Joe".
I started this review thinking that to enjoy this book fully you might need to be local to the area, but no, I think it has enjoyment and interest for anyone. Despite my having been familiar with many of the stories, a new light was shed on each by Mark Bridgeman's detailed research.
I hereby offer Mr Bridgeman the keys to the town! A statutory local!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I won't repeat what Ian says about the most important stories in the collection - which I really think have been laboured over, in the sense of the research put in - but I'll add one or two remarks. The story of the lost 'Bonnie Prince Charlie' gold is particularly well researched in this entertaining book. As Ian says, we grew up with this tale, as we used to go up to Loch Arkaig, but I always thought that the story of the lost Spanish Gold was just legend, when Mark Bridgeman demonstrates just how well documented the hiding of the gold was. The hiding of it, yes, but that elusive "X marks the spot" didn't feature in the various accounts! I was impressed that on this subject Mark Bridgeman points out that the modern-day road is above the 18th century track, which means quite an important shift of focus for anyone searching near the edge of the road.
I was fascinated by the differing accounts of how the money was used, and into whose keeping it fell from time to time. The detail of MacPherson of Cluny and his "cave" was especially interesting to me. Cluny is a familiar figure way beyond the geographical reach of this book through Robert Louis Stevenson's "Kidnapped" (which I personally think ought to be compulsory reading for all Highland children!).
Another detail that's not in the book in the way I heard it is that some of the gold was rumoured to be buried at Loch nan Uamh (The Loch of the Caves) but there is mention of an Arisaig site, and Arisaig is very near the loch. The evidence offered in the book for the hiding of the gold is not mere hearsay. Next time I'm in Fort William I'll have a look in the museum for a certain deathbed confession . . .
The Fort William Hen! I loved it! I can't spoil the story here but would have it known that this hen was "a bit of a character". The "presence of the rogue hen" was demanded in Oban Sheriff Court. I'm still laughing!
I was familar with a number of these stories but not with their detail. The only one I was a bit skeptical about was one about a ghost in the town library who threw books about and made typewriters type upside down - but my daughter had worked in the town library and had heard all about this!
So there you are - "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy".
Some of the stories are much more serious, and, like Ian, I was unaware that the Kinlochleven site for aluminium and railway works was later used as a P.O.W. camp in the 1914-18 war and then as an espionage/sabotage project in World War Two. On the earlier history of the Kinlochleven works I would recommend the books of Patrick McGill, who worked there as a navvy: "Children of the Dead End" and "Moleskin Joe".
I started this review thinking that to enjoy this book fully you might need to be local to the area, but no, I think it has enjoyment and interest for anyone. Despite my having been familiar with many of the stories, a new light was shed on each by Mark Bridgeman's detailed research.
I hereby offer Mr Bridgeman the keys to the town! A statutory local!
May 15, 2026
I found Blood Beneath Ben Nevis completely by accident while hiking near Glencoe and stopping by the visitor centre gift shop. I had never heard of the author before and honestly had no idea what to expect from this kind of book. But wow, what a pleasant surprise.
I had an absolute blast reading it and finished the whole thing in one sitting. The stories at the beginning immediately pulled me in and kept me hooked. I mean, a drunk chicken in court… this one had me crying of laughter. Towards the final chapters, some parts started to feel a little repetitive to me, but it never took away from how much I enjoyed the overall experience.
What I really loved was the unique mix of storytelling and almost academic-style literature review. It made the book feel both entertaining and informative at the same time. You can really feel the passion and research behind it without it becoming dry or heavy.
I’m genuinely so happy I picked this book up, and I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone, especially if you’re interested in Scottish history, folklore, or just love discovering unexpected gems while travelling.
I had an absolute blast reading it and finished the whole thing in one sitting. The stories at the beginning immediately pulled me in and kept me hooked. I mean, a drunk chicken in court… this one had me crying of laughter. Towards the final chapters, some parts started to feel a little repetitive to me, but it never took away from how much I enjoyed the overall experience.
What I really loved was the unique mix of storytelling and almost academic-style literature review. It made the book feel both entertaining and informative at the same time. You can really feel the passion and research behind it without it becoming dry or heavy.
I’m genuinely so happy I picked this book up, and I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone, especially if you’re interested in Scottish history, folklore, or just love discovering unexpected gems while travelling.
Read
April 10, 2020A great collection of mysteries, crimes and murders with a couple of hauntings thrown in. One chapter scared me so much I wished I hadn't read it so late at night. And being a fan of Outlander I found the historical chapters riveting and could visualise the tales in my head. I could not put it down. Congratulations Mark on another winner. Now I can't wait for Volume 2 of The River Runs Red next year.
September 15, 2025
Very entertaining read. Just hiked the West Highland Way, perfect to learn more about the region afterwards. Diverse collection of stories, crimes and myths. Quick and very enjoyable. Makes hungry for more tales from the mysterious and deadly highlands!
March 22, 2026
Loved it from start yo guy finish.
May 26, 2022
Brilliant, really interesting stories.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews