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THE Royal Botanic Garden is to be analysed for signs of pixies and elves after claims that supernatural spirits live in the grounds.

Paranormal experts will visit the site in Edinburgh over the next two weeks with sensitive equipment in an attempt to detect if there really are fairies at the bottom of the garden.

The move follows an account of elves, fauns and even a centaur being seen by scientist Robert Ogilvie Crombie.

He claimed to have had conversations with spirits in and around the Botanics and wrote about his experiences in the book The Gentleman and the Faun.

Now his theories will be tested by paranormal expert Ron Halliday and medium Gary Gray.

Their experiment marks the 40th anniversary of Crombie’s death. He had abandoned his career in science in the early 20th century due to ill health.

Ron, of Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, said: “I want to see if there is any foundation to these experiences. Is there something about the gardens themselves? Is there a strange energy there that could explain what Crombie says he saw?

“Crombie was well respected at the time, and he said he encountered a variety of nature spirits and had conversations with them. He even claimed he took one of them home.

“Why would he say such a thing? We aim to find out.”

Born in Edinburgh in 1899, Crombie – who became better known as ROC – studied maths and science.

It was in the early 1960s at the age of 63 when he claimed to have had a remarkable encounter with a faun called Kurmos, who introduced him to Pan, a magical spirit, at the Royal Botanic Garden.

Crombie says he was welcomed into a world of mystical creatures, including fairies, and he reported their conversations at length.

In one encounter with Pan, he said they talked about people being jealous of his abilities.

Pan is reported to have told him: “Communicating with my subjects is not a garden game for the odd half-hour when there is nothing better to do. It is of vital importance for the

survival of mankind.

“Unless humanity comes to realise the dangerous stupidity of outraging nature and stops the ever-increasing rate of pollution it will ultimately destroy itself.”

Crombie went on to establish the Findhorn Foundation, a spiritual eco-village, in Moray.

Ron said: “ROC was a remarkable guy and it will be fascinating to see if he picked up on some kind of energy within the Botanics, or had an ability to sense a spiritual force.

“I’ll be taking my dowsing rods, which are very sensitive to this kind of energy, and Gary will be using his own ability to see into other worlds.

“We’re both hoping something is going on there.”