Scots myths spelt fairy tales of woe – for babies and sailors
ONCE upon a time, if the old tales are to be believed, Scotland was stalked by giants and dragons, its waters alive with kelpies and mermaids and life was lived at the mischievous whim of fairies and imps.
But far from being dead history, a new book is breathing fresh life into the mystical age of folk heroes and legend.
Magical Britain is a guidebook to the most mysterious places of our fabled and storied past.
Some, such as the holy island of Iona and the Ring of Brodgar stone circle in Orkney, are famous already. But others, including Strathaven Fairy Mound in Lanarkshire and the remote shrine of Tigh nam Bodach in Inverness-shire, are less well known.
The compendium of 650 sites – 87 of them north of the Border – has been the work of a decade of diligent research by Rob Wildwood. He writes: ‘Today most people have largely forgotten their ancient connection to the land and its stories, seeming to prefer a sanitised version of fairy tales.
‘Myths and legends are more than stories; they are a way for us to remember our magical relationship with the land.’
Many central characters in Scottish folklore – some mythical, some real – have left their mark across the country. The giant Fingal – who gave his name to the cave on Staffa – and his dog Bran are venerated at spots across Argyll and Arran.
Far from being the innocent winged creatures of contemporary literature, fairies of Scottish folklore were small beings who would emerge from underground lairs to steal babies or property.
Caves were often regarded as portals to their ‘otherworld’, though sometimes they were supposedly hidden underwater, such as at the Fairy Lochs of Shieldaig, Wester Ross.
But the deeps also harboured other hazards, including kelpies – sea horses who would drag people beneath the waves – and mermaids whose alluring song would tempt sailors to their deaths. l Magical Britain, published by Wild Things, is on sale at £18.99.