In 1836, three boys were out in the green hills of the Arthur seat area of Edinburgh

when they noticed a strange collection of rocks props up against the hillside.

Curiosity getting the better of them, they pried the sheets of slate away,

uncovering a small hollowed out recess in the rock. Sitting on three rows, they found 17 small wooden coffins, each about four inches tall and

inside each one a small wooden figure.

182 years later, the coffins sit in the National Museum of Scotland, their presence in the cave,

purpose and creator a mystery. This is dark histories where the facts are worse than fiction.

Hello and welcome season 2 episode 5 this episode

we're taking a break from death and murder for a bit

and I'm gonna tuck into some Scottish folklore with some peculiar little finds.

This is the Arse of Seat Coffins.

Lying on the eastern side of Edinburgh, Scotland, the rocky hillside of Arthur's seat is covered in flora.

It sits 251 meters above sea level and was once an active volcano.

It has sat dormant for years casting its shadow across Hollyrood Park for centuries,

playing host to an Iron Age hill fort, and in 400 AD was home

to a Celtic tribe named the Votadini.

It sits just one mile from Edinburgh Castle and is rumoured to be a possible site for the

legendary Camelot of King Arthur fame.

In other mythology, King David I was said to have been out hunting in the 12th century, when upon spotting a stag, his horse bolted throwing him to the ground.

The stag made to gore him where he sat, however, as the animal bowed its head in preparation to strike,

King David saw the vision of a cross in its antlers. The animal raised its head and calmly

walked away, sparing him his life.

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