Boleskine House
Aleister Crowley is one of the most infamous figures in British history. During his early twentieth century heyday the occultist and seeker after esoteric truths was dubbed “the most evil man in Britain” by the popular press, denounced as a Satanist and black magician.
Throughout his adult life, Crowley was fascinated by magic. At one point he came into possession of a book called “Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage,” written in the Middle Ages by someone calling himself Abraham the Jew. According to the book, each person had a Holy Guardian Angel assigned to them at birth and the text provided instructions on how this spirit could be contacted. Once the sequence of ceremonies, known as the Abramelin operation, had been performed successfully, the Angel would impart magical wisdom to its invoker, so it was said.
Boleskine House
The method described in the book involved a long process of ritual and meditation which was to continue for many months. Location was crucial, said the author. Crowley was determined to complete the ritual and scoured the face of Britain looking for the ideal place. At last, he thought he had found it in Boleskine House, located near Inverness in Scotland, on the shores of Loch Ness. He bought the building, an eighteenth century mansion, in 1899. Crowley later said he had picked Boleskine “for its loneliness” and that it was “already the centre of a thousand legends.” Rumours ran that it had been built on the site of a church where the congregation had once burned to death while attending Mass. No doubt this thought appealed to Crowley who had rebelled against a strict Christian upbringing.Stories of strange goings-on during Crowley’s residence at Boleskine House are legion. There are tales of people dying or mysteriously disappearing, even of a butcher who chopped his own hand off after receiving a meat order from Crowley which had been inadvertently scrawled on the back of a piece of paper containing a spell. Part of the Abramelin ritual involves summoning a number of demons and subduing them. Crowley believed some of these demons had run amok locally, “terrifying the natives.” The local people learned to steer clear of Boleskine, taking lengthy detours in order to avoid it.
Crowley founded a religion, or system of magic, depending on your perspective, known as Thelema. The central tenet of Thelema is embodied in Crowley’s dictum “Do What Thou Wilt Shall Be the Whole of the Law.” Though it is not well known, there are still practitioners of Thelema in the world today. They regard Crowley as the Father of their faith and Boleskine House as the kiblah, or focal point, of the faith’s magical energies. The building has something of the same significance to Thelemites that Mecca has to Muslims.
Boleskine House Today
Crowley eventually sold Boleskine House, though it has retained its spiritual significance to practitioners of the Thelemic faith. After his departure, the building fell into decay, though in the 1970s it was bought and restored by the legendary Led Zeppelin guitarist and reputed Crowley obsessive, Jimmy Page. Boleskine House even featured in the Led Zeppelin video The Song Remains the Same. In the 1990s, the building was sold again. It is now a private residence and its owner continually complains of having to fend of the legions of Crowley devotees who regularly turn up on his doorstep.
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Mr Crowley what went on in your head? Youfooled all your friends with magic........
Ylimeretep - 5-Dec-17 @ 9:21 PM
I've read Crowley's works and all about the rite he performed there in Boleskine house. My experience of the place was peaceful no demons or spooks or shadow's but I never expected to experience such a thing. I guess if you go there expecting to experience weird things then weird things will happen because as everyone knows demons are projected from our own minds we carry them with us, they don't creak about old houses.
B B - 15-Aug-17 @ 12:34 AM
I was there yesterday evening and I thought it was pretty creepy. Within five minutes of being around the house me and my friend both got goosebumps at the same time which was just the start of a few strange things. The climate seemed to change around the house, we were there during a drizzly, breezy day and when within 6ft of the house there was a strange stillness that was almost warm in the absence of the breeze/rain. Was very strange. My friends phone, which he had been taking pictures/videos on all day suddenly started lagging and the photos were coming out blurry. It completely turned off 3 times in the space of 15mins. I actually have video evidence of this! There was also a sound on the video of walking in the house. Not to say any of this is irrefutable proof but it was fun, enjoyable and creepy!
Razqup91 - 30-May-17 @ 2:12 PM
I was there tonight with friends, so so dark and very very creepy. No suspicious happenings. Hut in graveyard had witchy signs on walls but probably from kids messing about
LucyC - 12-Apr-17 @ 1:55 AM
Myself and my partner visited both the grave yard and the house. My partner told me not to go in the house but me being me went in, i loved the fact i was in a house of history which alistar crowley lived in but have had a long list of bad things happen to me ever since.
We took lots of pictures and was amazed by the one of me sitting on the swing but i was freaked out to say the least as there was demon like creatures and faces at the back of me.
I was warned but i never learn.
Kim - 26-Feb-17 @ 4:29 PM
Myself, having had past experiences with the BLACK ARTS,and having been in my past, tormented by demons, and having felt their presence,I have NO DOUBT in my mind, that it is possible,if not VERY likely,that demons were Indeed unleashed, and could still be on this property, as well as in the Loch ness lake itself, thus explaining the reason for the loch ness monster sightings, It is my STRONG belief that the monster that lurks in the loch is a supernatural creature, accidentally summoned by Mr. Crowley,in the early 1900's,Demons DO exsist!, and they are on this earth, they have been for thousands of years, and when summoned, they WILL appear, they even have names.
Man in Black - 26-Nov-16 @ 1:32 AM
You are all off your nut, it's only an old house with a history, that's it.No demons, ghouls, wizards, monsters..........you've all got a vivid imagination, passed the house the other day, it's wrecked by the fire and it's unlikely it'll be rebuilt.
Jimbo - 21-Nov-16 @ 7:47 PM
I went to Boleskine House recently and all I can say is the stories are total bull, we went into the burnt down building, along the corridors, down into the cellar (there was no tunnel). We went over to the graveyard to have a look round and see if we could feel any 'spirits', of course it was just some grass and a few headstones.
The building and history is fascinating, I really did wish the stories were true, but I just can't see it.We did briefly think there was something weird going on, we heard a tapping on the wall, but upon further inspection it was just water dropping onto the bathroom floor.
YerMan - 31-Aug-16 @ 12:22 PM
just been in the house and down to the celler which has a tunnel bricked off which was supposed to lead to the grave yard there was the odd empty bottles of french wine lying around and still water leaking from a pipe just found out it burnt down on 23 december my wifes birthday
chappy - 4-Aug-16 @ 2:54 PM
I know this is old but I just want anyone looking here to know ST is full of it. I just watched an interview with Malcom Dent and he was talking about the strange things that happened there, including one night when a large growling "thing" was scratching and shaking his bedroom door. It's on a Crowley documentary on youtube
keith - 13-Aug-15 @ 7:50 AM
I live near Inverness, I have on occasion visited the cemetery for a day out. It is pleasant, picturesque, & interesting from a historical point of view. I cant speak for the house, but the cemetery is a really lovely place to stroll around. As for that comment by 'kev' He must have the wrong place as there are no gates & defiantly NO crypt! No demons, bad spirits or witch's have I ever seen or felt, just lots of nosey tourists who lap up spooky tales. And I cannot find any actual good specific stories about the place, as I do love a well told tale.
Juliet - 29-Jul-15 @ 2:19 AM
I went to boleskine house many years past and it does have a dangerous presence maybee its a gateway to a spiritual dimention or hell its self I'm sure there are human spirits aswell as demons that inhabit the surroundings all I can say is for stupid goth kids that want to mess about up there is do it at your own pearl somethings should be shown respect and not messed around with so tread careful up there
deava - 17-Jul-15 @ 5:48 PM
Jimmy Page never spent any time at the house in the 22 years he owned it. His friend Malcolm Dent lived in the house for many years as a caretaker and even raised his family there. He said he never saw anything unusual and thought the whole thing was rubbish. A rational mind conquers all.
ST - 10-Mar-15 @ 12:50 AM
I'm going there tonight, not looking forward to it in the slightest! The comments I've just read has freaked me the hell out! Ill write another comment when I'm back... If I'm back that is;)
Ryanboii - 23-Nov-13 @ 1:17 PM
I visited Boleskine house and graveyard in october 2012 with an open mind and now i have no dout in my mind whatsoever that there is definatly something there still haunting the house, the two tins of tennents lager you left in the shed Frank are still there on the table in the midle of the shed, I definatly felt something when i looked into the shed like sonmething was telling me to stay away so i never went in, I walked round the grounds of the house and noticed two trees directly north of the north facing door and as I stood between the trees looking at the house I had an overwelming rush or shiver through my whole body so I took a picture with my iphone of the house, When I later looked at the photo I can clearly see a bald headed figure wearing a long coat or tunic looking toward the graveyard, I walked toward the east of the house and noticed an upstair window that suprised me as i thought the house was all one level as I stood under the window looking up I felt the feeling again so I took another photo and when I later looked at the photo you can clearly see three figure heads looking straight at me with one of them pointing towards the graveyard, In the graveyard there is an evergreen tree in open ground with a dead strip all the way up to the the top of the branches only on the side that faces Boleskine house so I took a photo of the tree and when I returned home I showed the pictures to a local pasture of a local church and he was astonished to what he saw, he thinks the tree is full of deamons being sucked into hell and he made me promise never to return to the house or graveyard.
Jack Johnes - 3-Feb-13 @ 4:38 AM
my self and a friend and went inti the graveyard and bolted the gate shut then went into the cript then heard the gate open and no one was there but the bolt still open since been studing the occult
kev - 25-Jan-13 @ 1:00 PM
Me and my girl stayed for 2 days just at the side of the graveyard in our car, we checked out the graveyard and had a look inside the old morgue late at night, it was amazing. you could feel the place.
The next day we went up to the house and looked through all of the widows, the place was stunning, The atmosphere was electric, although the carpets were full of dead bugs it only added to the creepiness.Its doubtfull though that any one stays within the building overnight, Behind the house rests a broken down shed with old tools and stuff inside, its floor was rotted and broken and the inside roof was hanging in disaray, while we stood inside we heard very clearly a hand tapping its fingers against theside of the structure. We assumed it was the care taker, maybe owner and froze, It was then quiet apart from the rain hitting the roof, just as we relaxed we heard it again, it was louder, I ventured outside to appologise for being there but there was no one there. It was wierd. We left leaving behind 2 beers for the owner and went back to the car. Later that night we went back up to the house.In the dark it felt more scary my girl Charlene got very upset and wanted to get back out of there so we did so. A few hours later as we were preparing to sleep we both felt the presence of something in front of the car, we put on the headlights, there was nothing there. We tried to sleep again, but again we could both feel it, it felt threatning, we put the headlights back on, but still there was nothing, we both freaked a little and drove away and slept a few miles along the road just outside Dores village. I think as does she that it was the coolest 2 days we ever spent. I will go back in a few months and hopefully she will come to as I miss the place, its a wierd and wonderfull place thats strangly stayed within our minds
Frank - 5-Apr-11 @ 7:01 PM
