There was once a talented piper by the name of Tam Tyrie. Renowned throughout Angus for his skills and ability to whip up a party to a frenzy, he was a familiar face at events in the local area; a sought-after entertainer for any party worth having.

It was after one such party that Tam’s fortunes changed, a wedding in Arbroath. He had played all night for the happy couple and their family. The dance floor was never empty. The guests left gasping for air and rubbing their sore feet. At the end of the night, Tam, his wife, and his little dog who had joined him for company, started to make the trek back home. It was a bleak night. The rain lashed against their skin, and the wind whipped at their clothes.

‘Come on, I know a shortcut down the side of the Arbroath cliffs!’ Tam cried over the wind as he shepherded his family along. He had hoped that the shortcut would get them to safety before the storm could grow stronger, but only halfway through, they were faced with a choice: stop for shelter in a nearby cave, or face being blown to the sea crags.

The three of them huddled in the cave. The wind howled through the entrance in a horrid cacophony. So, Tam took out his pipes and did what he did best: he played a tune, and the sound drowned out the storm and calmed his wife and dog enough that they could get some rest.

The story should end there. The next morning, Tam and his family should emerge into the sun and make the rest of their way home. Except, they didn’t.

For three days, Tam, his wife, and his dog were missing. It was only when he didn’t show up to play the pipes at another party that a concerned fisherman thought to investigate. Finding out the route that Tam and his family took in the storm, he feared the worst and set out in his little fishing boat to the cliffs. It was there that he saw a most peculiar creature: four-legged, no bigger than a small dog, and completely hairless. It yelped in terror at something unseen and rushed by the fisherman, who quickly realised, jings, that’s Tam Tyrie’s dug!

But Tam Tyrie and his wife were never found, and the mystery of his hairless dog never solved. But to this day, if you visit the Arbroath cliffs on a stormy night, you might just hear Tam Tyrie’s pipes.

Adapted from Angus Folk Tales, Erin Farley