The Boky Hound is a spectral dog who lives in a hole under the stairs of Noltland Castle in Orkney.
Legend
Legend holds that the dog was a family pet of one 13th century owner, Sir David Balfour. Returning from a hunt, Sir David was displeased when his dog jumped up to him, knocking his drink to the ground. Balfour killed the dog in a rage, only to discover later that the drink had been poisoned by his wife. Balfour subsequently took himself off to the Crusades, and when he died in Turin in 1270 it is said that the blood-curdling howls were heard around the castle. At the same time his wife was found strangled in her bedroom.
Behavior
The Boky Hound is said to howl whenever there is a death in the family.