Bestiary
Nuckelavee
Nuckelavee Tammie saw blood, black as tar, running through yellow veins, and great white sinews, thick as horse tethers… By Mr W. Traill Dennison in
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Highlands & Islands
When you think of rolling green hills, stags in the valleys, mist creeping over high vistas you think of the Scottish Highlands. When you think of where any magical beasts may reside it probably comes to mind then too.
The Scottish Highlands & Islands although sparsely populated is a hot bed of Scottish folklore. Perhaps due to the entrancing scenery and its sparse population many tales have appeared over the centuries of magical beasts and celtic goddesses. When people visit the Highlands & Islands they often remark on the feeling of peace of homliness and at the same time other worldliness that runs over them. Going by the amount of tales it wouldn’t surprise us if the land itself was enchanted.
From frog princes to warrior queens, fairies and kelpies we have it all- even the odd magical cow.
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Highlands
The Two Sisters and the Curse
The Two Sisters and the Curse “Who does she fancy Limpet? Do I have a shot Limpet? Can you put in a word Limpet? Limpet?
Highlands & Islands
The Kingdom of the Green Mountains
The Kingdom of the Green Mountains At last, the man came across an old man, fixing the tiles of his roof. The soldier asked if
Argyll & Bute
Maggy Moulach
Maggy Moulach Maggy, standing at barely two feet tall, and sporting a great head of hair – or hairy hands – is most often associated
Highlands
The Mermaid Wife
The Mermaid Wife She begged and begged and begged the Shetlander to give her back her skin. But the man, stunned by her beauty and
Highlands & Islands
The Nuckelavee
The Nuckelavee The terrifying Nuckelavee wasn’t just hairless, but completely skinless as well. Tammas watched as the red-raw flesh writhed….. By Graeme Johncock There are
Highlands
Gold-tree and Silver-tree
Gold-tree and Silver-tree Silver-tree went home and begged the king to ready his long ship, saying it had been too long since she had seen
Highlands
The Dream Makers
The Dream Makers The girl carried on with her work, learning more all the time. Every day it was the same and every night the
Argyll & Bute
The Kelpie and the Water Bull
The Kelpie and the Water Bull Long ago, on the island of Islay there lived a crofter with a huge stock of cattle… Words by
Highlands
The Thunder Hag
Conall and The Thunder Hag One day during the height of summer, the Thunder Hag came to Scotland in a black chariot drawn by ferocious
Highlands & Islands
Assipattle and the Mester Stoor Worm
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
Highlands & Islands
Angus and Bride
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
Highlands
The Baobhan Sith
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
Highlands
The Son of the King of Eirin
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
Dumfries & Galloway
Bruce and the Spider
Bruce and the Spider If at first, you don’t succeed: try, try, try again. By Rebecca Brown The tale of Bruce and the Spider is
Highlands
The Kelpie of Loch Ness
The Kelpie of Loch Ness Macgrigor drew his hefty claymore and struck the Kelpie’s nose. The Kelpie yelped in fright and rushed backwards… Words by
Highlands
Gold-Tree and Silver-Tree
Gold-Tree & Silver-Tree Silver-tree went home, blind with rage. She lay down on the bed, and vowed… By Joseph Jacobs Once upon a time there
Highlands
The Fairies of Merlin’s Craig
The Fairies of Merlin’s Craig Fergus stepped back in shock, this tiny creature just spoke and what more as it drew nearer, he could
Highlands
Sgathach’s Warrior School
Sgathach’s Warrior School When dawn was about to break the clash of swords could be heard and the loud exclamation of one man could also
Highlands
The Frog Prince
The Frog Prince “Deep in the woods, there is a well. They say that the water from the well is sourced from a prince’s blood,
Highlands
The Swan of Loch Sunart
The Swan of Loch Sunart Young love, as it always has, believed in only the dreams planted by the sprites and had little interest in
Highlands
The White Cow of Lewis
The White Cow of Lewis Aine growing short of food, like much of the island had been forced to sacrifice her cow for which she
Highlands
The Kelpie’s Chimney
The Kelpie’s Chimney A legend, still told around Scottish fires to this day although the origin is lost in time, speaks of a Kelpie which
General Tales
Angus & Bride: The Battle of Seasons
Angus & Bride The Battle of Seasons The story of the struggle between Angus and Beira is the story of the struggle between spring and
Highlands
The Smith and the Fairies
The Smith and The Faeries Years ago there lived in Crossbrig a smith of the name of MacEachern. This man had an only child, a
Highlands
The Battle of the Birds
The Battle of the Birds I will tell you a story about the wren. There was once a farmer who was seeking a servant, and