Piper of Duntrune

This story not only helped get me interested in the paranormal but also contains a little indirect family history. (The latter is probably part of the reason for the former.)

For a long time the castle of Duntrune was a Campbell stronghold. Probably not the branch of the Campbell clan I hail from, but Campbells nonetheless. Most likely this story involves the royal Argyll branch.

In any case, the Campbells and MacDonalds were at each other's throats as usual.

The story varies on how exactly the MacDonald piper became a prisoner of the Campbells. The way I heard it on the documentary was that the MacDonalds took the castle and left the piper there with a small garrison as the main force went on for more conquest. The Campbells came back, however, and took the piper prisoner.

The piper was still allowed relative freedom within the castle because of the status pipers carry. He took to pacing the battlements, wondering when he might do when his master returned.

Eventually, he saw his master's ship on the horizon, and not knowing what else to do he took up his pipes to play.

His master heard the song wafting over the waves and thought at first that his piper was playing to welcome him home. Then the song began to change and he realized the song was a warning to turn back.

Unfortunately, the Campbells realized this too and seized the piper. As punishment they cut off his hands and let him bleed to death. Then they buried him under the cobblestones of the courtyard.

The other version of the tale can be found at Ghosts and Paranormal UK. Here the piper is a spy that is discovered and imprisoned in a tower. Again he sees his master approaching and plays a tune saving his master but costing him his life.

Personally, I prefer the first version.

The ghost is still around even though the body has been found and given a proper grave.

The story was thought to be entirely made up until the renovations unearthed a skeleton without hands under the cobblestones.

There's no explanation for why the activity is still going on. Perhaps because the hands haven't been found. Maybe because he was given a Protestant burial instead of Catholic, since as a MacDonald he would have been a Catholic. No idea.

And what activities are there? Ghostly pipe music, moving furniture, clocks stopping (at the time of his death? I've never heard if there's a particular time when the clocks stop), and sometimes people see a man standing on the battlements of the castle holding a set of bagpipes.

And it was just such a touching story of loyalty. I pray that his soul finds rest.