I went down the Whaligoe Steps not once, but twice, which may not sound unusual considering I live here. But when you discover that I was dressed up in a boiler suit, put on a pair of steel toe-capped boots and was wearing a claustrophobic mask you may ponder why would I do such a thing?! Well, it is Halloween and I can be over-zealous when caught in a moment, plus in this example I had indulged in a movie franchise binge and found my over-active imagination stimulated to unhealthy proportions.
In recent months behind the scenes there has been plenty of researching, note-taking and general mischief and merriment to make even a pirate blush, and the results of these eye-opening activities will be surfacing in one form or another during the ever-anticipated and unfolding future. But for now I wanted to share with you a fascinating mystery. I felt the essence of this mystery bid a salute to this time of year, which is the spooky and creepy event some regard as Halloween.
It was the 14th of July, 1848, and a Whaligoe fisherman out on the ocean waves along the coastline here at Caithness, vanished aboard his fishing boat whilst seeking out a herring catch to make the most hardy of competitors sweat with jealousy. Nothing was ever found or deduced in relation to his disappearance apart from his bonnet floating eerily on the surface of the sea. The crew which consisted of his two sons had no account worthy of substance as to the reason why this local man simply disappeared without warning or notice. Their unanimous account rallied the narrative of waking up and finding that Donald Miller had simply vanished without trace during the night.
Mr. Miller’s Brother Alexander, was also regarded as a local Whaligoe fisherman, and lived in Pulteneytown which is located around seven miles away. On the evening of the 11th of December, 1856, what was later identified as his hat was discovered onboard a boat called the “Rambler”, but there was quite literally no sign or sound of the man himself. It appeared that on this fateful late hour, Mr. Alexander Miller had simply vanished without any trace leaving only his hat as a signature of existence.
Curious tales of disappearance, a mystery wrapped up in an enigma. To this day as I sit here after stumbling across these two moments of curiosity; eight years apart but both showcasing a disappearance with no satisfactory conclusion and leaving behind their hats – I think this is a worthy blog entry on the day of Hallows Eve…
Thanks as always for your time, take care and be safe.
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