The Black Rain of Slains

A Strange Fall from the Sky

The coastline between Cruden Bay and Slains has always been a place where nature commands attention. Towering granite cliffs, violent winter storms and rolling sea fog have shaped both the landscape and the lives of those who lived there. Fishermen accepted the sea’s unpredictability as part of daily life, but few could have anticipated the remarkable phenomenon reported during the early 1860s.

One of the earliest detailed accounts comes from Tuesday, 14 January 1862, when the Rev. James Rust, minister of Slains, had already spent several weeks carefully recording wind direction and weather patterns. That morning, he witnessed something extraordinary. As later reported:

“At nine it became overcast, threatening rain, and at 9:30 a large dense black smoky fearful looking cloud—more resembling, excepting as to its immense size, the heavy dark smoke issuing from a steamer’s funnel than anything I have ever seen—came driving and tumbling along the sea in fearful majesty and instantaneously twilighted the whole atmosphere and sent forth a heavy shower of rain, a large proportion of the drops of which resembled dark ink or sooty water.”

Local records describe this and subsequent events in 1862–63, when rain falling over the Slains estate appeared dark—almost black. Unlike ordinary rain, these showers reportedly left a noticeable deposit, prompting widespread discussion throughout the district.

Nor was this a single isolated incident. Between six and nineteen similar showers were reported over the following years, with particularly notable occurrences on 20 May 1862 and 28 October 1863.

Adding further intrigue, pieces of pumice stone were discovered washed ashore along the nearby coastline during roughly the same period. Pumice, a volcanic rock so porous it can float for months or even years, was not something local people expected to find on the beaches of northeast Scotland. Contemporary observers noted that these stones appeared fresh, with sharp edges and a distinctive odour, suggesting they had not been long at sea.

Taken separately, the two occurrences might have been dismissed as curiosities. Together, they presented an irresistible mystery.

A Scientific Puzzle

The reports attracted the interest of one of Britain’s leading meteorological figures: Admiral Robert FitzRoy.

Today FitzRoy is remembered not only as the captain of HMS Beagle during Charles Darwin’s famous voyage, but also as the founder of Britain’s organised weather forecasting service. His lifelong fascination with atmospheric conditions led him to investigate numerous unusual weather events, including the strange reports from Slains.

Although FitzRoy examined accounts of the phenomenon, no firm conclusion emerged. Nineteenth-century science simply lacked many of the analytical tools available today. Without chemical analysis of collected rainwater or microscopic examination of the particles suspended within it, investigators could do little more than compare observations and propose theories.

Later researchers would uncover further intriguing details. In the 1980s, academics from the University of East Anglia revisited the 1862 events and recorded anecdotal evidence from Rust’s circle. One account described how a man who habitually shaved using collected rainwater found that, following one of the black showers, his soap lather curdled into a mottled black substance with a strong sulphurous smell.

There were also reports from early photographers in the area. One individual, unaware of the contamination, used rainwater collected during the event in the development of photographic plates—only to find that the images faded and were ruined. Another amateur photographer reported that sulphur appeared to be present in the water, and that even gold used in photographic toning processes was affected.

The Volcanic Theory

Among the explanations considered then—and still regarded as the most convincing today—is that the rain carried volcanic ash.

The North Atlantic is home to some of the world’s most active volcanoes, particularly those of Iceland. Modern experience has shown just how far volcanic ash can travel. During the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in 2010, ash clouds spread across much of northern Europe, grounding aircraft for days and demonstrating the enormous reach of atmospheric circulation.

Although nineteenth-century observers lacked satellites or modern weather models, they recognised that strong upper-air winds could transport fine particles over considerable distances.

The pumice discovered along the Slains coast provides an intriguing piece of supporting evidence. Because pumice floats, it can drift across oceans on prevailing currents before eventually washing ashore hundreds or even thousands of miles from the eruption that created it.

Rev. Rust himself attempted to correlate the phenomenon with volcanic activity elsewhere in Europe, noting that eruptions of Vesuvius and Etna appeared to coincide with some of the black rain events.

If volcanic pumice reached Aberdeenshire’s beaches, could volcanic ash have reached its skies?

It remains an attractive hypothesis.

Life at Slains in the 1860s

To appreciate how remarkable the event seemed, it is worth imagining daily life in the parish during the 1860s.

The imposing New Slains Castle dominated the landscape from its clifftop position, while tenant farmers worked the surrounding fields and fishing families launched their boats from nearby harbours. Communication was improving thanks to expanding railways elsewhere in Scotland, but news still travelled largely by newspapers and word of mouth.

An unusual shower would quickly become the talk of every village.

People would naturally have examined roofs, walls and clothing for signs of staining. Farmers might have wondered whether crops had been damaged. Fishermen, whose livelihoods depended on reading the weather, would almost certainly have discussed the phenomenon in detail.

Although no reports suggest panic, the event clearly made enough impression to be recorded in local histories and later gazetteers.

The Mystery Endures

Unfortunately, many nineteenth-century observations survive only as brief summaries. References in local histories note the occurrence of “black rain” and the discovery of pumice but provide little scientific detail.

• No preserved samples of the rainfall are known to exist.
• No laboratory analysis survives.
• No definitive meteorological explanation has ever been accepted.

Consequently, historians are left piecing together fragments from contemporary reports, local tradition and scientific knowledge developed long after the event itself.

The phenomenon also captured the imagination of later writers. Charles Hoy Fort, the pioneering investigator of anomalous phenomena, included the Scottish black rains in his 1919 work The Book of the Damned. Drawing heavily on Rev. Rust’s accounts, Fort highlighted reports of black rain falling not only in Slains on 14 January 1862, but also in Carluke on 1 May 1862, and again at Slains on 20 May 1862.

Fort was sceptical of conventional explanations. He pointed to the sheer volume of pumice-like material—described as “slag”—that washed ashore, arguing that it was far too great to have originated from industrial sources. By combining these observations with the reports of darkened rain, he used the Slains events to challenge accepted scientific thinking and to argue for the study of unexplained phenomena based on observed evidence.

A Modern Perspective

If an identical event occurred today, scientists would begin investigating almost immediately. Environmental specialists would collect rainwater samples from across the affected area, examining them for microscopic fragments of volcanic glass, industrial pollutants, soot particles, pollen, marine aerosols and windborne mineral dust. Each of these leaves a distinctive chemical signature, allowing researchers to determine not only what had fallen from the sky, but often where it had originated.

At the same time, meteorologists would analyse satellite imagery, weather radar and atmospheric data to trace the movement of air masses over the North Atlantic. Sophisticated computer models could reconstruct wind patterns stretching back days or even weeks, revealing whether the particles had arrived from an Icelandic volcanic eruption, smoke from distant wildfires, industrial emissions or even desert dust carried thousands of miles on high-altitude winds. Modern atmospheric science has become remarkably skilled at tracking the global movement of tiny airborne particles.

The pumice discovered along the Slains coastline would also undergo detailed examination. Geologists could compare its mineral composition with known volcanic sources, while oceanographers would use computer models to estimate how long it had drifted at sea before washing ashore. Together, these investigations would build a comprehensive picture of the event, enabling scientists to determine whether the black rain and the floating pumice were connected or merely an extraordinary coincidence.

Within hours—or perhaps a few days—the mystery might well be solved.

In the 1860s, however, such certainty was beyond reach. Weather forecasting was still in its infancy, laboratory techniques were limited and investigators relied largely upon eyewitness accounts and careful observation. Although respected figures such as Admiral Robert FitzRoy took an interest in the reports, they lacked the scientific tools needed to reach a definitive conclusion.

Instead, the people of Slains were left with an unexplained phenomenon that challenged contemporary understanding. More than 160 years later, that unanswered question remains one of the most intriguing chapters in Aberdeenshire’s natural history, reminding us that even familiar landscapes can still hold remarkable mysteries.

More Than Local Folklore

The Black Rain has never achieved the fame of Scotland’s great natural disasters or famous storms, yet it occupies an unusual place in Aberdeenshire’s history.

Unlike many local legends, this story rests upon documented reports rather than oral tradition alone. Contemporary writers considered it sufficiently remarkable to record, and respected scientific figures regarded it as worthy of investigation.

That combination gives the episode an unusual credibility, even if its precise cause remains elusive.

Overshadowed by Dracula

Ironically, the mystery of the Black Rain has largely been eclipsed by another story forever associated with Slains Castle.

When Bram Stoker spent time in nearby Cruden Bay during the 1890s, the dramatic silhouette of the castle, perched high above the North Sea on sheer cliffs, is widely believed to have helped inspire the fictional home of Count Dracula. Whether or not Slains was the sole inspiration, its imposing towers, ruined grandeur and isolated coastal setting undoubtedly possess the Gothic atmosphere that permeates Stoker’s famous novel. Today, visitors are far more likely to hear tales of vampires, secret passages and literary connections than of Victorian meteorology.

Yet the Black Rain possesses an eerie quality all its own. Unlike the legends surrounding Dracula, this was an event witnessed by ordinary people and recorded in contemporary accounts. Imagine standing on the windswept cliffs as dark clouds gathered overhead, only to see rain falling that left black deposits on the ground. Days later, pieces of floating volcanic stone washed ashore, adding another layer to an already baffling occurrence.

For those who experienced it, the combination of black rain and strange stones must have seemed almost supernatural. Even today, the mystery retains a haunting quality that sits comfortably alongside the Gothic reputation of Slains Castle itself.

The Story Lives On

Although the Black Rain of Slains remains a little-known episode in Aberdeenshire’s history, it has found a new audience in recent years through podcasts and online discussions that celebrate Britain’s more curious historical mysteries.

One notable example is an episode of the Loremen Podcast, in which hosts Alasdair Beckett-King and James Shakeshaft revisit the Black Rain from a thoroughly modern perspective. Rather than attempting to solve the mystery, they delight in exploring its more unusual aspects, examining the various theories that have surrounded the event—from volcanic ash and industrial pollution to some decidedly more imaginative explanations.

Their approach is intentionally light-hearted. Where nineteenth-century observers and later historians sought scientific answers, the hosts embrace the enduring mystery, mixing genuine historical research with humour, wit and the occasional absurd tangent. It is a reminder that stories like the Black Rain can be both historically significant and enormously entertaining.

The episode also highlights how enduring local mysteries continue to capture the public imagination. More than 160 years after residents around Slains looked skywards in astonishment, the event still prompts discussion, speculation and fresh interpretations. Modern audiences may smile at some of the more fanciful theories, but the central question remains exactly as it was in the 1860s: what really caused the rain to fall black over the Aberdeenshire coast?

In many ways, that unanswered question is what keeps the story alive. Whether viewed through the careful lens of historical research or the good-humoured curiosity of modern storytellers, the Black Rain of Slains continues to occupy its own distinctive place among Scotland’s most intriguing unsolved mysteries.

Image References

The illustrations accompanying this article are modern artistic interpretations created to evoke the atmosphere of the reported Black Rain of Slains. While based on historical descriptions of New Slains Castle, Victorian fishing communities and nineteenth-century scientific investigation, they should not be regarded as literal reconstructions of the events.

About Cruden Bay Life

Cruden Bay Life is a digital storytelling project celebrating the history, folklore and landscapes of northeast Scotland. Our articles combine historical research, local tradition, original photography, AI-assisted artwork, music and modern storytelling techniques to bring forgotten stories to life.

Where historical evidence is incomplete, we clearly distinguish documented fact from local tradition and informed interpretation. We welcome constructive feedback and are always happy to correct genuine factual errors as new information becomes available.

Learn more about how we research and create our stories. Click here →