Tuesday 24 May 2022

Skulferatu #71 - St Leonard's Crag, Holyrood Park, Edinburgh

There are many stories around the hills and paths of Holyrood Park and of the hills and paths leading into the park.  Today, while out on a walk around Edinburgh I cut through the St Leonard’s area of town, onto St Leonard’s Hill and over to St Leonard’s Crag which runs alongside Holyrood Park.  On the flat area of the crag there stands the old James Clark School, which has now been converted into flats. Long before the building was there, this was the site of a rather notorious event in the history of old Edinburgh.

 

A photo showing the tower and part of the building of the old James Clark School building that sits on the site of St Leonard's Crag in Edinburgh.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View down St Leonard’s Bank to the old James Clark School building

 

An old style photo showing the St Leonard’s Crag street sign. Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
St Leonard’s Crag street sign

 

A photo showing part of the building of the old James Clark School with a dirt path running along the side of it at St Leonard's Crag in Edinburgh.  Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View of James Clark School from St Leonard’s Crag

 

An old style photograph showing a view through a gap in the trees on St Leonard’s Crag out over to Arthur’s seat in Holyrood Park in Edinburgh. Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
View through trees from St Leonard’s Crag to Arthur’s Seat in Holyrood Park

 

The story goes that on a warm spring day many years ago, Sunday 2 April 1600 to be precise, St Leonard’s Crag was the site of a duel with tragic consequences for both parties.  The night before, Robert Auchmowtie, a barber surgeon from Edinburgh, had been drinking with friends in one of the local taverns.  Also out drinking that night with a group of friends, was James Wauchope, the son of a wealthy local merchant.  At some point during the night Auchmowtie and Wauchope got into an argument with each other.  The reason for the argument is not recorded, but I would guess that too much alcohol and surging testosterone played quite a big part in it.   The result of the argument and the harsh words they exchanged with each other was that Auchmowtie and Wauchope decided to settle things the next morning with a duel at St Leonard’s Crag.

 

At five the next morning Auchmowtie and Wauchope both met on St Leonard’s Crag, each arriving with two companions to ensure fair play.  The duel then commenced with swords being the weapon of choice.  The fight appears to have quickly gone Auchmowtie’s way and within minutes he had struck Wauchope several times to his face and head.  Bleeding heavily and mortally wounded Wauchope fell to the ground.  The duel over and honour restored, Auchmowtie and his companions left while Wauchope’s companions comforted him during his final moments.  They then carried his body home.

 

The matter did not end after the duel.  Wauchope’s father on hearing of his son’s death was understandably upset but was also enraged, and he informed the authorities that his son had been murdered by Auchmowtie and two accomplices.

 

After some hesitation on the part of the authorities, a warrant was issued for Auchmowtie’s arrest, and on the 23 April 1600 the City Guard arrested him for murder.  At first the court was favourable towards Auchmowtie and his version of events.  They accepted that Wauchope had been killed fairly in a duel that he had consented to take part in.  There were various postponements of proceedings and it looked very much like the matter would be dismissed with no trial taking place.  However, Wauchope’s relatives had friends in high places and after petitioning King James they submitted several letters to the court from him.  Firstly the king asked the court to look at the case again, but when they didn’t move on this he wrote and ordered that Auchmowtie be put on trial for murder and taking part in a duel without having been granted a licence to do so (odd as it may sound now, the King, or Queen, could grant a licence for a duel to take place, as it was seen as sometimes being a way to end a feud and avoid a lot of unnecessary bloodshed).  Auchmowtie was then tried for murder, and probably due to the king getting involved, was found guilty.  He was sentenced to death and sent to the Tolbooth Prison to await execution.

 

While imprisoned Auchmowtie, feeling hard done by and not particularly relishing the prospect of being put to death, came up with a plan to escape.  He hung a cloak outside the window of his cell and a cloak on the inside.  He told the prison guards that he was ill and could not bear daylight.  The guards accepted this without question, though unbeknownst to them Auchmowtie had acquired some aqua fortis (nitric acid) and was applying this to the iron bars of his cell window.  Within a few days the acid had done its work and eaten through the bars.

 

Auchmowtie then put his plan to escape into action.  He summoned his apprentice and showed him the dissolved and broken bars at the window and asked if he would go out and signal to him when the guard stationed outside the prison had left.  The boy then willingly agreed to help him and went to wait outside and keep watch, while Auchmowtie pulled the cloaks back slightly from the window and peered down at him…waiting…waiting…

 

The guard eventually wandered off and on seeing this the boy pulled a white handkerchief from his pocket and waved it up to Auchmowtie, as the agreed signal.  Auchmowtie pulled the cloaks back and lowered out a rope he had crudely constructed from his bedsheets.  He then clambered through the window and began to scramble down to freedom.  However, the guard had noticed the boy earlier and having become suspicious had actually hidden himself so he could observe what he was up to.  On seeing Auchmowtie come out through the prison window the guard ran back and grabbed him as he lowered himself to the ground.  He then struck him on the head with his cudgel to subdue him and summoned other guards from inside the prison.  Auchmowtie was bound and placed in another cell where a watch was kept over him.

 

Auchmowtie languished there in despair until the day of execution arrived, when he was taken from his cell and marched through the streets by the Town Guard to the Market Cross (the current Mercat Cross, near to St Giles’ Cathedral, stands close to the location of the original Market Cross).  There a platform had been constructed on which stood the Maiden (an early form of the guillotine).  In front of a huge crowd of excited spectators, Auchmowtie was led up onto the platform where he prayed briefly with a local minister.  He was made to kneel in front of the Maiden and place his head on the block.  An iron bar was then pulled down over the back of his neck to stop him from pulling away or lifting his head.  Seconds later the executioner was given a signal, the blade of the Maiden was released and RUMBLE, THUD, SPLAT, Auchmowtie was beheaded, and the crowd let out a cheer.

 

Illustration of the Maiden from Cassells Old and New Edinburgh, Volume 1.  This shows a tall wooden structure that looks a lot like a guillotine and was used in Edinburgh to behead those convicted of various crimes.
Illustration of the Maiden from Cassells Old and New Edinburgh, Volume 1

 

And so, my dear friends, that is the end of Auchmowtie and his story. No last minute escapes and no happy Hollywood endings here I’m afraid. 

 

Today, on my walk I left a Skulferatu in the bark of an old tree at St Leonard’s Crag, where it can watch over any more drunken duellers who stumble there to sort their differences out with a bit of violence.

 

An old style photo of an old, gnarly tree at St Leonard’s Crag.  Its branches are bare of leaves. Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Old, gnarly tree at St Leonard’s Crag

 

A photo of a hand holding up a small, ceramic skull (Skulferatu 71).  In the background is a gnarly old tree on St Leonard's Crag. Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #71

 

A photo of a small, ceramic skull (Skulferatu 71) sitting in the bark of a tree. Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #71 in bark of old tree at St Leonard’s Crag

 

A photo of a small, ceramic skull (Skulferatu 71) sitting in the bark of a tree. Photo by Kevin Nosferatu for the Skulferatu Project.
Skulferatu #71 in bark of old tree at St Leonard’s Crag

 

TomTom Map showing location of Skulferatu #71
Map showing location of Skulferatu #71

 

The coordinates for the location of the Skulferatu are:

 

Latitude 55.943685

Longitude -3.1772880

 

I used the following sources for the tale of Robert Auchmowtie –

 

Cassels Old and New Edinburgh – Volume 1

(pages 383-384)

By James Grant

 

Criminal Trials in Scotland – Volume Second

(pages 112 to 124)

By Robert Pitcairn

1833

Digital version available from National Library of Scotland

 

History of Scottish Medicine to 1860 – Volume 1

(pages 190 to 191)

By John D Comrie

1927

Available at https://electricscotland.com

 

The National Museums of Scotland Website

The Maiden (nms.ac.uk)


Article and photographs are copyright of © Kevin Nosferatu, unless otherwise specified.

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