Shotguns and Scandal at Ardlamont

“There were infinite possibilities as to how he might be shot. There was room for conjecture and for difference of opinion in this matter...”

On the morning of 10 August 1893, a party of three gentlemen leave for a morning of shooting on the sprawling Scottish estate of Ardlamont. One loses his life in the woods, at the wrong end of the barrel of a shotgun. The survivors – the only witnesses – were the two men with the most to lose and the most to gain from his demise. Were they responsible for plotting his death and covering it up as a tragic accident?

Jen and David take their expertise to this case, which inspired the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. They look at the characters involved, all with something to hide, and examine what brought them together on this fateful day. They follow the major twists of the trial, including revelations around money, love affairs, and criminal pasts. And they look at the fall-out of the case, where the those involved revealed their true characters…

Discover the details for yourself in the episode's Case Files - a collection of all the key newspaper reports - available to browse for free on Findmypast: www.findmypast.co.uk/wasjusticeserved

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Producer - Madeleine Gilbert

Assistant Producer - Daisy Goddard

AV Editor - Callum Main

Videographer - Angus Webster

Video Lead - Andrew Farrell

Graphics/Design - Kate Benzie, David Bradley and Graham Jacobs

Researcher - Jen Baldwin

Voiceover - Elliot Hardman

AV Lead - Mark Asquith