BBC Radio 4 for BBC Sounds

A bloodcurdling bothy in the back of beyond.

“Whatever was in this place was possessed of some horrendous evil.”

As jarring juxtapositions go, only the king of the petrifying podcast world can begin a Christmas podcast with the lovely sound of his children singing and make it feel spooky. Danny Robins, with Phil McNeil, this week’s witness, take us to 1973 Scotland for this seasonally spirited story. To Luibeilt, not far from Ben Nevis and Glencoe (one of the most haunted places in the UK), to a ‘bothy’ – an old cottage like shelter for climbers and hikers. It’s in the middle of nowhere and Phil and his mate Jimmy decide to go there a few weeks after Christmas in 6 inches of snow, as you do.

Ciaran O’Keeffe and Evelyn Hollow, our experts from The Battersea Poltergeist, are back this week and it feels like getting the band back together. I saw so many similar comments during the listen live event that took place on 21 December and saw the hashtag ‘Uncanny Listen Along’ trending at number 2 in the UK. It’s not just me who appreciates their respectful back-and-forth insight as the case is dissected. I think it’s what drives the camaraderie and respect between fans of the podcast in social media discourse, no matter our personal view – which is a rare and lovely thing in these times.

Evelyn describes Scotland’s history as being “full of trauma” and it’s easy to see how this might translate into troubled land in more ways than one. She brings a rational approach to understanding the paranormal that draws on history and culture and for me, this gives a wider path for investigating and understanding that which we cannot explain. It might be an animal outside making noise, or… it might not…

Ciaran cites some very interesting research on the effects of cold and how it could, very plausibly, have caused Phil to be unable to track the source of sound properly and therefore misinterpret the banging he heard as footsteps. Then there’s Ben Alder Cottage, another bothy, at which similar phenomena were allegedly witnessed: ghostly footsteps in adjacent room. These turned out to be a stag using its antlers to bang on the outside walls. But did the stags in Luibeilt levitate so they didn’t leave footprints? Did one of them have a shiny red nose?

For me, the sceptical explanations don’t quite add up though, as fascinating as they are. The extent of the fear that Phil describes, the long-term impact of his trip and the fact that he categorically believes that he and Jimmy were alone in that cottage just leave too many loose ends.

My take on case 10: There’s something in that bothy that “unmistakeably means them harm” as Evelyn says. Will we find out what it is in part 2? Bloody hell Phil, you’re a braver person than me.

Verdict: A perfect festive frightener for a cold winter’s night. I’m adding a point for the genuine enjoyment of participating in an Uncanny Listen Live event. 10/10

Claire Smith