Next EdFortSoc : Wednesday the 14th of February, 7.30 pm

The Beehive Pub, Grassmarket, Edinburgh, £1 entry

Explaining Witchcraft and Magic through spells, charms, and other curios.

Ash William Mills is a magical practitioner, ethnologist , author, and the curator/director of the Museum of Magic, Fortune-telling & Witchcraft in Edinburgh.
He will be discussing the Scottish Witch Trials and the history of magic and fortune-telling by showing some objects that are displayed in the museum.

Next EdFortSoc : Wednesday 10th January, 7.30pm

The Beehive Pub, Grassmarket, Edinburgh, £1 entry

Jan Bondeson will be talking on Greyfriars Bobby

No visitor to Edinburgh will miss the monument to Scotland’s most famous dog, the little terrier Greyfriars Bobby. This amazing dog, the most faithful in the world, kept vigil at his master’s grave for fourteen long years. Many children’s books, and three successful films, have been inspired by the affecting story of this little dog, said to be the most inspiring tale of love and loyalty ever heard. Every summer, Bobby’s statue is surrounded by tourists from all over the world, some of whom weep profusely when they hear dog’s pathetic story. In this book, the true story of Greyfriars Bobby will finally be told for the first time, using original sources. Was Bobby really the canine paragon of virtue he has been presumed to be, or was he an unconscious impostor, taking advantage of the notions about extreme canine fidelity that were current at the time? And was he, as the available portraits of him suggest, a dog enough for two?

Next EdFortSoc : Wednesday the 8th of November at 7.30pm

The next meeting of the Edinburgh Fortean Society is Wednesday the 8th of November at 7.30pm, upstairs in the Beehive, Grassmarket. £1 entry.

Gordon Rutter will be speaking on Fortean Flora

Tales of plants, but not the nice medicinal or pretty ones. No, it’s the turn of the nasty ones to get their chance in the spotlight. Examples will be taken from folklore and fiction with some frightful factual flowers for good luck!

Have an ex you hate? Come along and find a suitable bouquet for them! N.b. the same bouquet will probably do for people you like if their interests lie more in the macabre.

Next EdFortSoc : Wednesday 13th September, 7.30pm

Next meeting of the Edinburgh Fortean Society

Wednesday the 13th of September. 7.30pm

The Comedy Attic
The Beehive,
Grassmarket
Edinburgh
£1 entry

Fortean TV
We’ve had a look at Fortean books and Fortean films so logic dictates we should have a look at Fortean TV shows. So that is what we’re doing.
Factual or fictional. Documentary or drama. Single episodes or whole series.
The net is being cast far and wide. Come and hear recommendations, and if you want there’s still time for you to get in touch to have your own say!

Next EdFortSoc : Wednesday the 12th of July at 7.30pm

Ian Robertson will talking on Mysterious Guatemala

Having visited Guatemala back in February with his wife Vivienne, Ian will share some of their experiences and talk about the places and the people of this fascinating country in central America.
It is a deeply religious country, and also a very superstitious one, which is still influenced by the great Mayan culture of the past.
So during the talk Ian will explore, beautiful landscapes with active volcanoes, beautiful lakes, folk saints and jungles littered with Mayan Temples, some of which appeared in Star Wars!
£1 entry.  Upstairs in the Beehive Pub, Grassmarket

Next EdFortSoc : Wednesday the 14th of June at 7.30pm

£1 entry.  Upstairs in the Beehive Pub, Grassmarket
‘Tales from an Edinburgh Ghost Tour Guide’
Join author Graeme Milne for an exploration of Edinburgh’s love of the paranormal. Using material gathered from over twenty years Graeme will share stories gathered from the numerous investigations he has conducted and from personal experiences. Taken from his two most recent books, Tales from an Edinburgh Tour Guide and Aberdeen’s Haunted Heritage, the stories are in part genuinely creepy, sometimes funny and add weight to the argument of continuing life.
Copies of Graeme’s books will be available on the night.

Next EdFortSoc : Wednesday 10th May

An evening wasted with Richard Wiseman
I haven’t spoken to the Edinburgh Fortean Society for years. Come along and find out why. In this meandering talk, I will present a veritable feast of funny stories and fascinating material about magic, psychology and the paranormal.  We will explore the surprising science of pop-up illusions, discover how parapsychology changed the world, find out what went wrong when I attempted to launch a book into space, travel back in time to meet an obscure Edinburgh magician who revolutionised magic, learn how to transform a tea towel into a chicken and much more. Sixty two slides, three laughs – and a packet of peanuts for the best question.

Richard `Wiseman is a professor of psychology, magician, and author. He has written several best-selling books (including The Luck Factor and 59 Seconds), created illusion-based YouTube videos that have attracted over 500 million views, has worked with the likes of Derren Brown and David Copperfield, and has been described by Elizabeth Loftus (Past President, Association for Psychological Science) as ‘one of the world’s most creative psychologists.’

Next EdFortSoc : Wednesday 12th April

Upstairs in the Beehive, Grassmarket
7.30pm
£1 entrance
Richard Freeman will be talking on
Carry On Up The Jungle: The Continuing Search For Orang-Pendek.
In September of 2022 Richard Freeman visited the jungles of Sumatra for the 6th time. Searching for the orang-pendek or ‘short-man’, an unknown species of ape he, Karl Marshall and Gordie Jackson ventured into jungle areas they had not visited before and turned up new information on not only the orang-pendek but other mysteries and caught something amazing on camera.

Next EdFortSoc : Wednesday the 8th of March

7.30pm
The Comedy Attic
The Beehive,
Grassmarket
Edinburgh

An EdFort Social

This will be our birthday event this year (actual birthday of the group is April). It will be a social with a chance to chat to people. But there will also be an auction of books etc to raise group funds, donations gratefully accepted.

This will also be an opportunity to hear about some of the planned events for next year which will mark 25 years since the group was founded. And also a chance to throw suggestions into the mix as well.

And as it’s our birthday celebration there may be cake…

Next EdFortSoc : Wednesday 11th January

Scott Lyall will be speaking on:
Do The Hills Really Have Eyes: The Emergent Folklore Of Cannibals In US National Parks
Tales of strange disappearances and sightings of wild, primitive looking people within national parks in the US have become more common on social media in the last couple of years. In this talk, I’ll look at the content of these reports and look at what the origins of these beliefs are, and whether there’s anything to them. This will take in native folklore, horror movies, the Missing 411 mythos, bigfoot, and take us from the Galloway coast to the Smokey Mountains.
Is this purely a cultural phenomenon, or do the hills really have eyes?
Beehive Inn
Grassmarket
Edinburgh
7.30pm, £1