It’s a decade since brothers Jag and Bro Betty founded the online guide Strange Places in Scotland (SPiS). Gayle Ritchie joins the intrepid explorers for an adventure in Angus.
Jag and Bro Betty are standing on top of a crumbling 18th Century lime kiln, peering down the perilously deep shaft.
A wild wind threatens to topple the brothers into the abyss, and, sensing danger, they crouch low to the ground.
They’ve made the trip to blustery Boddin Point, a spur of rock jutting out into the North Sea, to check out the remains of three kilns, a ruined bothy and an old harbour, all of which are being undermined by coastal erosion.
As founders of Strange Places in Scotland (SPiS), Jag and Bro’s passion for researching, locating and exploring unusual, abandoned and bizarre landmarks, filming their expeditions and putting them online, has won them an army of cyber fans – more than 46,000 since they launched their Facebook page in 2012.
Their popularity is testimony to the huge interest in exploring “strange” places, but also, because followers love the warm, witty and wacky way the brothers present their videos.
They are extremely likeable fellows, injecting their quirky style of humour into their films, sprinkling their storytelling with whimsical phrases like “crikey” and “whoops a daisy” and forever on the hunt for “secret” rooms, “sacred” doors, “hidden” towers, “mysterious” mausoleums and “lost” waterfalls.
They’re distinctive looking chaps, with Jag’s long, grey hair (today some of it is dyed pink) and mirrored shades, and Bro’s tinted yellow glasses.
They use what they call a “Spisometer” to rate trips, and today’s destination nets a solid nine out of ten.
“Boddin Point’s one of our favourite places,” declares Bro, 56.
“It’s a wild, windy day today but we’ve been here for sunsets and watched dolphins leaping. It’s really magical.”
As we stroll along the blasted heath, we check out the remains of the old slipway and harbour and the rotting husks of wooden fishing boats piled up on the shore.
“These were blue when we first came here 12 years ago but the paint’s faded over time,” notes Bro, wistfully.
“Look closely, though, and you can pick out the name ‘Sandra’ on the bow of one boat.”
The lime kilns on the promontory are a spectacular sight although, having been abandoned in 1831, parts have been in a state of collapse for years and signposts warn would-be explorers of the hazards of entering.
Jag and Bro are keen that fans take the safety message seriously and encourage followers not to take risks.
I’m happy to stand back and watch as they clamber up the grassy slopes of the main kiln to gaze down through the gaping hole at the apex.
“One trip or stumble is all it would take,” grimaces Jag. “That’s a very long way to fall!”
HISTORY
Waves crash ominously below and the views which open up through the kiln’s archway are stunning – across the golden sands of Lunan Bay to the ruins of 12th Century Red Castle.
The kilns at Boddin were built during the 18th Century by the laird Robert Scott, who was granted the rights to extract it in 1697. There was a huge market for lime with farmers using it to improve soil – and at one point Boddin was the largest limeworks in Scotland.
Once we’ve finished investigating, we stroll along a cliff path passing Elephant Rock, a coastal arch of volcanic rock nestled in a secluded bay that resembles an elephant’s head and truck.
We also pass an abandoned salmon fishing station and a series of dilapidated buildings which, says Bro, would’ve been a bustling community and “hive of activity” back in the day.
The grand finale of our expedition is visiting the little-known clifftop graveyard of Dunninald Cemetery.
Once the site of St Skae church, dating back to medieval times, today the tiny cemetery houses around a dozen graves.
The most intriguing headstone, perched right on the cliff edge, boasts the grave of a man who apparently died 19 years before he was born!
Beneath the declaration, “In Memory of George James Ramsay”, the inscription on the sea-facing stone reads: “Born November 24, 1859. Died December 17, 1840”.
“It’s strange but did someone make a mistake while engraving the headstone or is there a hidden message or a mystery code here? Is it some kind of anomaly?” questions Bro. It’s certainly an eyebrow-raising, spine-tingling thought.
“There are loads of theories about it online,” says Jag. “But whatever it is, it’s odd. Oh, and it’s bad luck to touch the stone, so don’t!”
Another bizarre grave is what the brothers describe as “the stinky stone”.
Apparently if you jump on it, a horrible odour emits. It remains hidden from us today, which is probably just as well.
Jag also tells a story of how the Stone of Destiny was hidden in a secret cave reached via a tunnel nearby.
“It could still be here! It’s all a bit Da Vinci code!” he laughs.
Boddin Point is something of a poignant spot for the brothers, too. They scattered their father’s ashes from cliffs near George Ramsay’s grave six years ago.
RESEARCH, LOCATE, EXPLORE
Jag and Bro spend time researching locations to explore in old maps and books they’ve bought online and in charity shops, and making notes and drawings.
They used to record all their findings in a special book, which Jag fondly refers to as The Book of SPiS.
“It was a fantastic handwritten tome and featured in our early videos, but sadly, we lost it!” he laments.
“If anyone finds it, please let us know!”
Their hobby is a far cry from their day jobs – Jag, aka John Andrew Gordon, is a bingo caller at Mecca Bingo in Dundee and Bro, whose real name is Stuart, manages Hays Travel in Arbroath.
There’s nothing high-tech about their production methods, which makes them all the more endearing.
“My microphone is made from the end of an old hoover and a bit of foam,” smiles Bro. “I call it the Hoover Mic!”
And Jag reckons it was SPiS who popularised the selfie stick.
“Folk used to cringe at the idea but we made selfie sticks cool, man!” he beams, thrusting one into the air.
The brothers have explored hundreds, if not thousands of strange places, but are there any that stand out as the strangest?
They agree on three sites that blew them away – the elusive Temple of Guynd near Arbroath, Dunino Den near St Andrews and Aldbar Chapel at Aberlemno.
“It was an effort to find the Temple of Guynd but we were the first to see it in about 20 years,” says Jag.
“We missed it on our first visit because it was hidden by ivy. I took an echovox (a piece of equipment used by ghost hunters) and thought I heard someone, or something, saying: ‘Get out! Something bad happened here!’. But there was so much noise and wind that I couldn’t be sure.
“Aldbar, a medieval chapel deep in the woods, was overgrown and had so much character.
“And Dunino Den is another cracker! There’s a sacrificial pool and weird things hanging from trees. I dropped my sunglasses there and found them – in perfect condition – four years later. Spooky!”
It’s no surprise that the brothers have stumbled on some rather unusual objects over the years.
“I came upon piles of LPs from the 1970s in Strathmartine Hospital,” reveals Jag. “And in the old abattoir at Dundee’s Market Mews, I found loads of files and diaries. There was a book with slides of animal experiments and a pig getting dissected! But no matter what we find we never take anything.”
QUIRKY FINDS
While SPiS started off with a strong focus on the historical, the brothers love to incorporate quirky finds in their videos, whether a phone box turned into a library, a bizarre bus stop, or a town’s shortest street (check out Jag’s video on Kirriemuir’s Cat Close, which at 40cm wide is Scotland’s thinnest lane).
They recently launched a “scone-o-meter” to rate scones sampled across the country.
“We’re still on the hunt for the perfect scone but we’ve had a few contenders,” reveals Bro.
“Mary’s Kitchen on Dundee’s Perth Road pretty much got a 10 out of 10, and the biggest scone was at Tullybannocher Cafe near Crieff, but the search goes on.”
Often, the brothers set challenges online, leaving SPiS mugs and badges for fans to find.
It’s a bit like a mini treasure hunt, and they’re sometimes surprised by how quickly these are discovered.
URBEXING
Before SPiS was born, the brothers were into “urbexing” – exploring abandoned and forgotten properties, whether factories, hospitals or ruined mansions.
Geocaching, an outdoor treasure hunt where people look for hidden caches using GPS-enabled devices, was another of their hobbies.
“That took us to loads of cool places,” recalls Jag. “We started thinking we should document our explorations and that’s really what kickstarted SPiS 10 years ago.
“We’re normally both off work on Sundays and we’re best buddies so it seemed a brilliant idea to go exploring together. We pack flasks and sandwiches and head out.”
As to how the title SPiS came about, the brothers say the name “just stuck”.
“We toyed with Strange Places in Tayside, but the acronym was SPiT, which didn’t have quite the same appeal!” says Bro.
“We explore further afield these days – we were recently in Aberdeenshire, Moray and the Hebrides.
“There’s always somewhere new to explore and our aim is to document these unique places on film before they fall victim to vandalism, neglect or demolition.”
We started thinking we should document our explorations and that’s really what kickstarted SPiS 10 years ago.”
Jag Betty
Facebook messages flood in from people asking the brothers how they find places, as if there’s some magic formula. But they say it’s just a case of looking at maps and getting out there to explore.
“How to get there, and how to find things is half the fun, so we’d rather people do that for themselves than we supply them with maps,” says Jag. “We don’t want to give everything away too easily!
“We head off the beaten track and look beyond the obvious which takes a bit more effort.”
Many fans told Jag and Bro their SPiS videos helped get them through lockdown, inspiring them to explore places on their doorstep. That gave them a huge buzz.
“People genuinely seem interested in the unusual and quirky, whether a secret castle, strange symbol or sacred door,” says Jag.
“To be able to share hidden gems that people don’t know about it is really exciting.
“And when we get comments like ‘I never knew that was there’, ‘thanks for sharing’ or ‘we can’t wait to explore this’, it really gives us a kick.”
EXPEDITION
I’ve long been a SPiS fan and was lucky enough to head out on an expedition with the brothers in 2016.
We visited Crawford Priory near Cupar, a ruined mansion built in 1758 by the Earl of Crawford and remodelled in the early 19th century by Lady Mary Lindsay Crawford.
It was the place that first piqued their interest in finding weird places.
Once renowned for its opulent interior, we found weeds sprouting from turrets and chimneys, ferns shooting through old flooring, and trees rooted within its walls.
We stumbled on original tiles, panelled wallpaper, old light fittings and fuse boxes, the ornate spiral staircase and the gravestone of Lady Mary’s deer.
In the midst of exploring, we were spotted by four teenage lads who turned out to be massive SPiS fans.
Declaring they’d found a “secret elevator”, they were visibly starstruck to meet the guys in the flesh. It was wonderful to see the smiles on their faces when they were given SPiS badges for their efforts.
Six years on, Jag and Bro’s fame hasn’t diminished. “We’re often spotted out and about!” grins Jag.
“People stop us in the street to chat, or to ask for badges and mugs. We’re a bit like local celebrities! It’s great when they tell us they’ve enjoyed our videos.”
When Storm, Scotland’s largest puppet, visited Dundee last month, a group of girls spotted Jag and Bro filming and begged for selfies alongside their heroes.
And when they were getting on the big wheel at Slessor Gardens, a man ran up to the brothers to announce he’d been “on the hunt” for them for years.
“People genuinely seem interested in the unusual and quirky, whether a secret castle, strange symbol or sacred door.”
Jag Betty
The American following for SPiS is strong, with some fans sending Jag and Bro gifts from across the water.
“There’s a lovely couple from North America who’ve been following us and they’ve sent us loads of outdoor stuff like jumpers, hats, scarves, trackie bottoms and SPiS-branded merch!” reveals Bro, pointing to his fleece, which has the SPiS logo printed on it.
“They’ve come over to stay a few times, and we’ve taken them out exploring.”
The last time we met, the brothers gifted me a SPiS mug and a badge as I left. This time, they give me a fright.
As I’m changing my muddy shoes and getting ready to head off, I hear a blood-curdling screech and turn round to see the guys sporting horrific clown masks. Scary but hilarious!
There’s something quite Peter Pan-like about the brothers – they’re full of fun and clearly never want to grow up.
“Some people might think we’re too old to be doing this kind of thing but I doubt we’ll ever stop,” says Jag, pulling a banjo out of his car and playing me a special SPiS jingle he’s composed as a farewell serenade.
I for one cannot wait for the next decade of SPiS high jinks and endeavours!
- Check out the SPiS video the guys made at Boddin Point here.