Esoteric Scotland

07/08/2026

Apologies for the lack of posts and updates to the website and social media platforms.

In part this has been due to general work business and a significant bereavement.

Esoteric Scotland remains committed to the promotion of the history of magic and esotericism in Scotland and asks for your patience during this difficult time.

04/05/2026

A reflection on the opening of Boleskine House.

We cannot recommend a visit highly enough.

Esoteric Scotland were delighted to the invited to participate in the Grand Opening of Boleskine house on the 10th and 11th of April 2026.Built in the eighteenth century on the south shore of Loch Ness, Boleskine House is perhaps most famous for its ownership by the English occultist and ceremonial....

12/04/2026

Open Day at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre in Edinburgh.

Please come along to our joint Open Day with the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Centre on Saturday 9th May, 11am-4pm😊

11/04/2026

It has been a wonderful weekend celebrating the reopening of Boleskine House. Esoteric Scotland are delighted to have been involved in this important project.

There will be a more detailed post on the website as soon as possible.

For the time being all that can be said is THANK YOU and good luck now you are OPEN.

29/03/2026

Finally managed to get a new article up!

The start of the year has been incredibly busy for so many reasons. Hopefully it will not be so long until the next one.

Understanding the difficulties in tracing Scotland's esoteric past. One of the best ways we can engage with the ideas of history is through an assessment of manuscripts, books and the marginalia contained within them. However, tracing works with provenance to Medieval Scotland is not without its pro...

20/11/2025

Love this archive. They also have magic texts I hope to bring to you all in the future.

Hundreds of years of Scottish history at your fingertips, from the comfort of your own home - or visit us in person at 2 Princes Street, Edinburgh.

Accessible access is at the rear of the building, via West Register Street. 👉bit.ly/VisitUsSP

19/11/2025

This week we explore Scotland's oldest surviving reference written in Scots to necromancy and astrology in John Barbour's The Bruce (c.1372).

Scotland's earliest surviving discussion on Necromancy and Astrology. The Brus (c.1372) is the earliest surviving example of Scottish literature composed in middle Scots. It tells the tale of the rise and reign of King Robert I of Scotland (r.1306-1329). The poem is comprised of close to 14,000 line...

18/11/2025

On this day in 1899, Aleister Crowley purchased Boleskine House from artist and activist Mary Rose Hill Burton for twice its market value. He had identified the property as the ideal location for spiritual retreat, and it was here that he would practice the "magic of Abramelin" - a complex ritual that required specific conditions.

This evocative photograph by Jules Jacot-Guillarmod captures Crowley in the Scottish countryside during his 1905 visit to the house. During this stay, they worked on plans for the Kanchenjunga expedition which took place later that year - a historic mountaineering attempt that would end in tragedy.

Crowley's ownership of Boleskine is perhaps one of the the most famous chapters in the house's storied history, but it's just one of many fascinating tales connected to this remarkable property. As we restore the house, we're preserving all of its history - every owner, every era, every story.

12/11/2025

Wow!
Cannot wait to visit Boleskine House. This fire place is magnificent.

Finn McCallum Stone Carving Fireplace in all it's glory, complete now with wood burning stove to bring warmth and charm to the space.

One of the most stunning features inside Boleskine House, the craftsmanship and detail are absolutely extraordinary and we just can't get enough!