Book excerpt: Scotland is often seen as a land of mystery, a place where reality collides with the world of spirits and phantoms. But what effect does that have on the individuals who call it their home? And, in particular, on those people who have in one way or another earned a place in history? Famous Scots and the Supernatural examines the achievements of famous Scots through the ages and shows how their lives and decisions have been affected by unusual and unlikely influences. For example, William Wallace was seen at one time as much as a mystic as a soldier. Hugh Dowding, who masterminded Britain's Battle of Britain victory, was fascinated by the spirit world and became a leading exponent of the New Age movement. And John Logie Baird, the father of television, had a number of supernatural experiences and attended séances where he received messages from dead inventors. Famous Scots and the Supernatural reveals how, from the earliest times to the present, politicians, scientists, writers and artists have been influenced not only by the world around them but by less obvious and more mystical beliefs and experiences which have changed their lives and altered the course of history.