The Curious Case of Rose and Laurie

A Victorian Murder-Mystery in the Mountains of Arran

This blog concerns a true story - a real-life crime drama - which brought infamy to the otherwise sedate Isle of Arran during Victorian times. I remember hearing rumours of this incident during my own early visits to Arran over a century later, vague whispers which I quietly filed away as folklore or local legend. I was interested, yes, but was far too busy holiday-making to pay it much heed.

All of this changed during 2022’s annual trip to the island, when I picked up a copy of Calum Smith’s 2020 book, The Goatfell Murder, in an Arran bookstore. I devoured the contents eagerly, and found that the tale which emerged - sordid as it was - held a certain allure. This was perhaps fuelled by my love of the island’s wee hills, which formed an unlikely cradle for the crime. For me, this pocket wilderness had always been a happy place… yet it’s funny how the mystique of mountains, especially if swayed by brooding skies or a sombre frame of mind, is often tempered by menace.