The Kelpie next to a deep lake in the woodlands
© VisitScotland / Tessa Minshull
It’s no wonder that Scotland’s breathtaking landscapes have inspired many of our supernatural myths and legends. Mysterious mountains, deep lochs, wild coastlines and castle ruins help create the perfect setting for dramatic tales. Ever wondered what mythical creatures are out there? Here we shine a spotlight on five famous Scottish myths and legends.
1. The Kelpie
Kelpies are Scottish water spirits that are among the most dangerous mystical creatures in the country. According to legend, these menacing water horses stay near deep lakes and rushing rivers. Although they can also appear in human form, they usually wait as horses for unsuspecting hikers who want to cross a body of water. As soon as the unsuspecting victim climbs onto the back of the supposed horse, it sticks to the magical fur of the kelpie and is lost. The water spirit then gallops deep into the lake or river with his unwilling rider to drown and finally eat them.
The Selkies
© VisitScotland / Tessa Minshull
2. The Selkies
Selkie is the Orcadian word for a ‘seal’. Although these mythical creatures are believed to be found in many places across Scotland, legend has it that they are deeply rooted in the Orkney Islands. Selkies are mystical creatures that can change from a seal to a human and back again. The most famous legend is about a man who discovered a selkie woman in her human form while sunbathing on the beach. He was so fascinated that he stole her sealskin and held her captive as a human for years. It was said that she was often seen gazing longingly out to sea. After many years, she found the hiding place of her sealskin, so she took it back and escaped into the sea, never to be seen again.
Morag, the monster of Loch Morar
© VisitScotland / Tessa Minshull
3. Morag, the monster of Loch Morar
We all know Nessie, the legendary Loch Ness monster, but have you heard of Morag? She is a mystical sea monster that is said to live on the west coast of Scotland in Loch Morar, not far from Loch Ness. As with Nessie, there have long been reports of sightings of the monster. Morag was first mentioned back in 1887. In 1948, nine people reported seeing a 6m long creature in the lake from their boat. The biggest excitement was in 1969, when two men claimed to have accidentally hit Morag with their boat. The poor creature was said to have disappeared after one of the men hit it with an oar and his companion started shooting with a rifle!
The Ghost Piper playing his bagpipes on a clifftop at night
© VisitScotland / Tessa Minshull
4. The ghosts of Scottish bagpipers
The stirring sounds of the bagpipes are not uncommon in Scotland, and neither are legends about the ghosts of bagpipers that surround numerous locations across the country. One place is the impressive Culzean Castle, a fortress perched on the dramatic cliffs of the Ayrshire coast. The ghost of a bagpiper is said to play his instrument on the estate, especially when a member of the Kennedy family is about to get married. He has also been heard on stormy nights, when the mournful sound of his bagpipes mingles with the wind and the crashing waves of the sea.
Another tale has it that in times long past, near Stranraer in Dumfries & Galloway, a dark network of tunnels led from Grennan Bay to the cliffs of Clanyard Bay. The inhabitants of the region believed that fairies inhabited the tunnels, but no one dared to look for themselves. One day, a bagpiper and his faithful dog entered the tunnels. They were never to be seen or heard from again. The tunnels have long since disappeared, but it is said that sometimes bagpipes can be heard very quietly deep in the earth where the tunnels once were.
The Witch of Fife disguised as a bird
© VisitScotland / Tessa Minshull
5. The Witch of Fife
There once lived an old man and his wife in Fife. The old man was a quiet fellow, but his wife had a habit of disappearing at night, which led to rumours among the neighbours that she was a witch. One day he asked her outright and she told him that she was indeed a witch and that she met other witches and mystical beings at night to secretly drink wine with them in the Bishop of Carlisle's cellar. The suspicious man asked if she would teach him one of her spells, but she refused.
When his wife disappeared again that night, the man went in search of her and eventually found her and her friends in a cottage. He listened as they recited their spells, which magically transported them to the bishop's wine cellar. The man recited the spell and appeared in the bishop's wine cellar. There he drank so much wine that he eventually fell asleep. To teach him a lesson, his wife and her friends left him in the cellar as they recited their spells to return to Fife.
The next morning, the man was found in the locked cellar. The angry bishop accused him of witchcraft and the man was sentenced to death at the stake. He thought his last hour had come when suddenly a bird landed on his shoulder with a little red nightcap and his wife's voice whispered a magic word in his ear. He called it out loudly, his chains fell off him, he rose into the air and flew away. When he arrived safely back in Fife, he swore never to interfere in his wife's affairs again.
