Watch the video: A pyramid on a mountain in Scotland – is this viral video real or a blatant fake?
How does this pyramid get on a mountain in Scotland? This video spreads on social media in August 2023. On the “X” platform alone, formerly Twitter, an upload of the clip is viewed more than 200,000 times. Users suspect that the recordings are fake or do not originally come from Scotland. But what does it mean? Is the recording real or fake? The video of the pyramid in Scotland is real footage. Queen Victoria had the impressive building built in memory of her husband Prince Albert after his death in 1861. The pyramid is part of a series of similar monuments, the so-called “Balmoral cairns”, which can be found on the estate of Balmoral Castle in Scotland. The memorials, designed to commemorate members of the British royal family and events in their lives, were built in the 19th century. The case makes it clear that even videos from social media that seem unbelievable at first glance can be real. Nevertheless, it is important to always critically question content that seems unreal or unrealistic. This way you avoid falling victim to a possible fake.
How do we in the editorial department examine videos for manipulation? It is important to look at the details. The individual frames of a video often reveal whether a video has been edited. We look closely at each image and enlarge individual sections. Signs of a fake include: lack of motion blur, unnatural shadows or editing errors. At stern the general rule is: seriousness over speed. We always check facts and material thoroughly before publishing them. To achieve this, we work with the cross-editorial “Team Verification” together with RTL, NTV, RTL2, Radio NRW.