Scottish Myths and Legends

Scotland draws her myths and legends from a rich and diverse legacy of powerful cultural influences. Kept alive over centuries in their ancient vernacular by an exceptionally strong oral tradition, they retain their spell-binding qualities when translated into written word. Spine-chilling tales of evil wrought by malignant supernatural beings, heart-warming stories of good deeds done by more well-meaning other-worldly creatures, gripping accounts of epic struggles and bitter conflicts from the truly heroic to the downright grisly, dark and disturbing glimpses of low cunning and treachery relieved by whimsical anecdotes full of wry humour. Brought together in this volume is a wide-ranging gallery of creatures outlandish and bizarre - from weirds and witches, monsters and mermaids, brownies and bogles to hags and hunters, kings and kelpies - whose stories will haunt and horrify, ensnare and enchant modern readers of all ages, and perhaps leave them with an uneasy sense of invisible forces at work.