The Borders
The Fairy and the Miller’s Wife
The Fairy and the Miller’s Wife One of the children reached out to touch her, trying to take a hold of the gold hanging loosely
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The Borders
Enter the realm of the fae…
The Borders were historically an area of great significance, with Roxburgh Castle acting as the seat of King David and a point of contention between Scotland and England for hundreds of years. The iconic border towers mark the rough militarised zone that the Borders once functioned as.
As well as being steeped in history, the Borders also have a rich folkloric tradition. The Borders is famously the homeland of the Brownie, legends of which you can find below. Its plethora of castles and historic buildings has led to more than a few fanciful tales making the myths and legends of the Borders particularly exciting. For example, the Fairy Queen enslaving knights, or the famous Thomas the Rhymer, a seer gifted powers of foresight by the fae.
Borders Tales
Enjoy our selection of folklore from the Borders featuring stunning retellings and tales from original Victorian texts.
The Borders
The Wee Bannock
The Wee Bannock It ran and ran, until it came across another large cottage that had just been newly thatched, and seeing the door open,
The Borders
The Fearsome Redcaps of The Scottish Borders
The Fearsome Redcaps of The Scottish Borders You see, Red Caps live in the ruined and abandoned castles and forts in the Borders, especially ones
The Borders
The Red Etin
The Red Etin His mother said she would make him a cake for his journey and sent him off with a bucket to fetch some
The Borders
Whuppity Stoorie
Whuppity Stoorie “Pitter patter, Haly Watter.” Then from her pocket she drew a small bottle with something oily inside it and daubed the liquid around
The Borders
Michael Scott & The White Snake
Michael Scott & The White Snake Before Michael Scott became the legendary Borders Wizard who cleaved the Eildon Hill into three, he was just an
The Borders
The Worm of Linton
The Worm of Linton Upon arriving at what Sommerville took to be the lair of the beast he….. By David White The Worm of Linton
The Borders
The Brownie’s Coat
The Brownie’s Coat He leapt off the horse outside the house of the mid-wife and banged upon her door. Upon answering the mid-wife…. Words by
The Borders
Thomas the Rhymer
Thomas the Rhymer He leapt off the horse outside the house of the mid-wife and banged upon her door. Upon answering the mid-wife…. By Charles
The Borders
The Brownie’s Coat
The Brownie’s Coat (early text) This an older and briefer text depicting the tale of the Border brownie. Good for those looking for less of
History & Future
The legends of the Borders were retold in the 18th Century by Sir Walter Scott in his romanticised Borders Ballads, which captured the hearts and minds of Victorians. This lead to the great revival of Scottish Folklore in the Victorian era. We hope that through Folklore Scotland’s efforts to promote and preserve Scottish legends, the Borders can once again play an important role in helping Scotland retain its storytelling traditions.
