Prologue
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GannetHouse
Not far fromthe bustling streets of Aberdeen, stands a most unusual house best known for its ties to Arbuckle Priddy, the eccentric artist who lived and worked there in the early 17thcentury. The house delighted him for it was tall, narrow, and offered a fine view of the harbor, access to the foreshore and a footpath along Tullie Burn, a swift-running stream. Equally pleasing, the property boasted a sheltered garden in theback.
Ever shunning crowds, the artist was excited to take up residence in the house, appreciating its out-of-the-way location in the ancient fishing community known asTullie.
Impressive by any standards, Gannet House had four floors and a spacious attic, the latter designed with many slanting windows cut into the steep roof, this feature creating the artist’s workplace. The name came from the large seabirds that so often soared past the windows or plunge-dived into the sea for their dinner. White with black-tipped wings and golden heads, gannets provided entertainment and, it was said, often graced Priddy’spaintings.
Nearly every room of Gannet House had a fireplace, so assuring coziness and warmth against the harshest lashings from the cold North Seawinds.
Thick stone walls staved off the worst Scottish winters, this feature contributing to another benefit for the reclusive artist: shielding him from outside noise such as when the fishing fleet left and returned. Or hawkers roamed Tullie with rattling-wheeled carts, calling out their fresh-caughtwares.
These advantages haven’t changed over thecenturies.
Unfortunately, other thingshave…
Gannet House fell on hardtimes.
That happened because although Arbuckle Priddy was granted tenancy at the Gannet House by its builder, a wealthy Aberdeen doctor, the artist’s luck spiraled downward with each successive year he spent – and painted – in his belovedhome.
As so often, the ill fortune was seeded bygreed…
Arbuckle’s great talent was noticed by more than his benefactor. Another deep-pocketed Aberdonian, a merchant trader, contracted him to paint the beamed ceilings in his own mansion, and, as well, the ceilings of his sprawling country estate. Buoyed by his good fortune, the eager-to-please artist did the work, but the trader found fault in the beautiful and flawlessly painted ceilings, so refusing to pay Arbuckle for hiscraft.
Not leaving it at that, the devious man spread rumors about the artist, ruining his chances to secure otheremployment.
The trader even claimed that his own son painted the beamed ceilings in his two mansions, and that he’d not even engaged Arbuckle, who he derided as afraud.
Arbuckle’s days as a celebrated painter of ceilingsended.
And so it came that his landscape paintings also stopped selling. His knack for creating stunning portraits served naught, as well. Commissions for his work dwindled, emptying his pockets and crushing hissoul.
Arbuckle’s benefactor, the builder and owner of Gannet House, took pity on the artist. This good man gave his tenant free life-rent at the house, but there was little else he coulddo.
The Aberdonian merchant trader was mightier, his false words toodamaging.
Arbuckle Priddy wasruined.
Heartbroken, he built a bonfire in the little garden behind Gannet House and burned his paintings, preferring to see them go up in flames than molder and turn todust.
He did remain in his cherished home, though he rarely set foot off theproperty.
For sure, he didn’t allowvisitors.
Over time, he grew even morereclusive.
Some whispered he wentmad.
Either way, he eventually left this world as all men do, supposedly slipping away while standing at a window, gazing out at the sea. Of course, no one can say for sure. What is known is that not too long after his passing strange lights and noises were seen inside Gannet House. Naturally, these oddities happened in the dead of night, at times when the house wasempty.
And that left one conclusion. Gannet House was not only an unlucky place tolive…
It was alsohaunted.
Indeed, the house’s reputation became so fierce that folk feared to stroll past after sundown. Some wouldn’t near the place byday.
