Assipattle and the Mester Stoor worm One day, a terrible evil reached the shores of the kingdom: The Mester Stoor Worm, king of all sea monsters. Words by Rosie Young Illustration by Linley Barba Long ago in an ancient kingdom lived a farm boy named Assipattle. His six brothers spent…
Martin and the Dragon “Tempted at Pitempton,Draigled at Baldragon,Stricken at Strathmartin,And kill’d at Martin’s Stane.” By Rebecca Brown The City of Dundee is full of Dragons. In the Murraygate, you'll find a green statue prowling among shoppers with children clambering over its folded wings. Atop the spire of St. Andrews…
Bride, Angus and the Cailleach And so winter gave way to spring, and then summer and autumn as Angus and Bride continued to rule, only for Beira to rise again to reign over winter. And so the seasons came to pass upon Scotland. Words by Taylor Petrie and Joanne FongIllustration…
Michael Scott & The White Snake Before Michael Scott became the legendary Borders Wizard who cleaved the Eildon Hill into three, he was just an ordinary young man who enjoyed walking the old tracks through forests and over hills. By Graeme Johncock Before Michael Scott became the legendary Borders Wizard…
The Baobhan Sith Before long, the women were singing an enchanting song and the hunters needed no more invitation to dance. They all seemed completely enchanted by the mysterious visitors. By Graeme Johncock In the Scottish Highlands lurks the most sinister of all the fairy folk, the blood thirsty Baobhan…
Samhain While the supermarket shelves are stocked with plastic scythes and witches hats, this time of year meant something much different to our ancestors. By Rebecca Brown For one night every year, witches and spooks of all kinds are allowed to wander the streets. This night is 31st October -…
The Headless Drummer Boy ...round and round and round, rat-tat-tatting on his drum. On closer inspection, frightened castle servants would observe that the unknown young boy had no head. By Rebecca Brown and Illustration by Allison McKay Edinburgh is a city of ghosts. You wouldn't be hard-pressed to find haunting…
The Gorbals Vampire After school, hundreds of children of all ages armed themselves with blades and crosses, stakes and dogs and descended upon the city's Southern Necropolis to hunt the Gorbals Vampire. By Rebecca Brown In September 1954 in Gorbals, Glasgow, rumours had spread among the school children of a…
The White Lady of Balgay Bridge Never cross Balgay Bridge at night, lest you meet the same fate as the White Lady... By Rebecca Brown The story of the White Lady that haunts Balgay Bridge on the picturesque Balgay Hill in Dundee is one that is often told to children…
The Son of the King of Eirin On the morrow the son of the King of Eirin saw the King of the World, who said to him, “I have five swans, and you shall go to keep them; if you let them away you shall be hanged, but if you…