Police are investigating claims that the grave of a legendary Edinburgh lawmaker, who is now supposed to haunt the city, has been opened and the remains tampered with by ghouls.
It has been alleged that an Edinburgh tour firm employee entered into the mausoleum of Sir George “Bloody” Mackenzie in Greyfriars Kirkyard and took photographs of the corpse, reported the Daily Record.
Police are looking into the alleged incident and a spokesman said: “Enquiries are at an early stage.”
The council has also been made aware of the complaint after it was claimed the culprit used keys accidentally sent out by the department who oversees the city’s graveyards.
A source told the Daily Record: “This person gained access to the locked mausoleum of Bloody George Mackenzie and removed the lid to one of the coffins.
“He photographed the corpse and, along with a friend, “examined” it in order to determine the sex. The council are also involved as the keys were sent by accident.”
Sir George “Bloody” Mackenzie is one of Edinburgh’s most famous figures who died in 1691 and he is thought to now haunt Greyfriars.
A former Lord Advocate, he earned the "bloody" nickname for sending hundreds of Protestant Covenanters to their deaths and imprisoning over 1,000 in a field next to the graveyard he is now said to haunt.
The doors to the mausoleum should be locked but visitors can peek through and recite the old rhyme: “Bluidy Mackingie, come oot if ye daur, lift the sneck and draw the bar.”
Two teenagers were charged under ancient legislation used to prosecute Edinburgh’s notorious 18th and 19th century grave robbers after disturbing remains in 2004.
They were put on probation after forcing their way into the mausoleum of Mackenzie and playing with a skull.
It was the first time for over 100 years that anyone had been accused of “violation of sepulchre”.
Before that the grave had been disturbed also in 1999 when a homeless man had sought shelter in the mausoleum and fell through the floor leaving a huge hole which can still be seen.
