HOME IS WHERE THE “DARK” HEART IS

I N V E S T I G A T I N G CROWLEY’S CRIB

John Tolladay checks off Boleskine from his bucket list

Friday nights were very special for me in my early teens, I loved the Hammer horror movies which were at the time a regular feature at 10:30 pm with my heroes Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee playing roles in Frankenstein and Dracula classics.

I was of course, a bit young to be staying up late on a Friday night, but myself and my dad had a very set routine as to how we would watch them together. I would go to bed at the correct time, about 9pm and then about an hour later, I would hear mom climb the stairs and go to bed herself. Around 15 minutes after that my dad would come up the stairs, pop his head around their bedroom door, say goodnight to mom and then close the door behind him, while at the same time opening mine to shield the noise. Then we would both go back down together, and I would settle on the floor in front of the TV and wait until the movie began. Dad would get me a drink and a bag of crisps and we would have a great time watching them battle good against evil. Fabulous memories which are hard to re live today thanks to the invention of the games console. I remember them as if it were last week with great affection. One movie in particular made a great impression on me, it was ‘The Devil Rides Out’, in which Christopher Lee played Duc De Richleau, a demonologist who to protect his friend, took on an occultist named Mocata (loosely I am sure based on Aleister Crowley) who summoned demons, It has been in my collection ever since in both video and DVD format and I must have watched it well over 200 times.

This was how I became interested in demonology, the paranormal and the occult, reading books loaned from my local library or purchased with my pocket money and wages from my then two paper rounds.

One of the books I purchased was ‘Magick’ by Aleister Crowley. Though it was hard reading I became fascinated by the man, I began reading everything I could find about him, eventually making him the subject for my History GCSE’s to the bewilderment of my teacher. I have remained fascinated to this day.

Amazingly, I had never visited his one-time residence Boleskine House on the shores of Loch Ness in a place called Foyers, in fact I had never even been to Scotland.

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So, on taking early retirement this year from the NHS after 35 years service, I decided I would like to visit. In August, friends of mine were in Scotland doing the N500 trip around the West Coast in the Highlands and had contacted the Boleskine Foundation Trust asking if they could have a tour of the house during their holiday and they had agreed. Because they knew I had the interest and was an avid Crowley fan and paranormal investigator, they contacted me and asked if I wanted to join them for their visit, how could I not go? So, at 1am on a Tuesday morning in August, I started the 9-hour drive to a place near Foyers with a tent and kit in the boot. It was a long drive, but I enjoyed every second of it and will be doing this again. Once you hit the highlands, you are hooked. When we went to Foyers it, we drove down a narrow road aside Loch Ness with great views all the way. On the left side of the road we came to the Boleskine Cemetery, which is a wonderful place itself, with old graves looking over the loch. There are rumours of a tunnel being there which leads from Boleskine House used by Crowley during rituals, which will hopefully be proven or disproven soon by the Boleskine House Foundation Trust, when they investigate the building properly. After looking through the cemetery, we had a short walk to the entrance of the property and we were welcomed by the dogs on site who followed us down the road behind the fence till we reached the iron double gated entrance. We were welcomed by three members of team and they walked us up the long drive to the house itself. One guy was talking to us as we did so but to be honest, I wasn’t listening as I was so engulfed in the sight before me. Boleskine House is now of course just a shell of the original building after two really bad fires which engulfed the place over the years but it still remains an absolutely beautiful place and with the help of the Foundation and its members, will be restored to its beautiful old self. Sadly, I wasn’t able to go inside the building apart from a couple of sneak peeks because of the scaffolding erected around the house as part of the restoration project which will soon be restoring the roof, enabling the Trust to begin work on the inside of this once proud building. The surprising thing for me was the land attached to the house, it was a massive property, with fields and a natural stream leading into a small lake (which I am sure, once searched will no doubt hold some surprises) in Crowley’s own garden area rear of the house. A hillside stream leading into the loch and further buildings used once as stables and a pig farm with a further small cottage nearby. We saw volunteers working on the stream removing years and years of overgrowth and working enthusiastically, doing a really good job and enjoying what they were doing, a rare sight indeed.

Seeing the house itself was great, the Oratory which Crowley built for his six month ritual to raise the twelve kings and Princes of the lower realm and with a door and steps facing the North (a requirement of the ritual) is still there to see. Looking from the lower front garden of the property makes the place even more spectacular. The tour lasted a good hour and a half but felt like it was over so quick. The team at the property could not have been more friendly or obliging and I have to say, gained my support immediately, they were a pleasure to meet. Walking around the building and grounds made us aware of the massive amount of work the Foundation Trust has taken on but their enthusiasm and their knowledge was inspiring, I have no doubt their dream will be fulfilled and Boleskine House will be restored to its original grandeur, with the Oratory planned to be restored into a Victorian library and the garden to be restored to its Victorian past. The adjoining fields will be cleared and eventually, with planning permission agreed, hold an area with ‘Hobbit’ like dwellings built into the ground where people will be able to stay and admire the magnificent views of the Loch and of course see the house in its then true original glory.

For me, my trip to Boleskine House started as a tick off my bucket list and no more, however after seeing the place finally, I am planning my next trip and look forward to seeing it grow back into an absolutely awe inspiring place, where in future, we will hopefully be able to stay.

My deepest thanks go to the Boleskine House Foundation Trust for a most memorable, happy, and inspiring tour, if anyone wishes to join the foundation Charity, they can be found on Facebook. I don’t like using the word very much, but I have to say, once the project is finished, Boleskine House will be truly ‘magickal’

John Tolladay

Wednesbury Paranormal, Keap Paranormal, Festival of the Unexplained.

QR CODE: https://www. boleskinehouse.org/

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