This week on The Crannog, we're going over the sea to Skye to discuss bank robbing witches, a giant's thumb, and a warrior school run by a fearsome queen!

Please note, this episode includes discussion of phallic imagery.

Tobar an Dualchais interactive storytelling map: https://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/map

Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland

Check out our socials to keep in the loop!


facebook.com/FolkloreScotland


twitter.com/FolkloreScot


instagram.com/folklorescotland

Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

SOURCES

https://katethulumysterycave.com/2019/07/29/mythology-monday-the-wooing-of-emer/

http://www.paddybrown.co.uk/pdfs/The_Wooing_of_Emer.pdf

https://bardmythologies.com/cu-chulainns-training-with-scathach/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sc%C3%A1thach

https://spookyscotland.net/scathach/

https://folklorethursday.com/regional-folklore/sgeulachdan-tales-scottish-highlands-hebridean-islands/

https://folklorescotland.com/sgathachs-warrior-school/

https://katethulumysterycave.com/2019/11/04/mythology-monday-cu-chulainns-rocky-montage/

https://discoverhighlandsandislands.scot/en/tapestry/the-old-man-of-storr

https://theskyeguide.co.uk/moderate-walks/37-the-storr/

https://hiddenscotland.com/journal/legends-from-the-old-man-of-storr

https://www.rabbies.com/en-gb/blog/stories-storr

https://timelesstravelsteps.com/old-man-of-storr-isle-of-skye-legends-hike/

https://hauntedpalaceblog.com/2013/03/21/folklore-and-legends-of-skye-the-old-man-of-storr/

https://www.andthenimetyoko.com/travel-blog/old-man-of-storr-walk

https://risingoutoftheocean.wordpress.com/2017/10/28/old-man-of-storr/

https://www.amusingplanet.com/2014/02/the-old-man-of-storr.html

A tragic tale of two sisters...

Find a text version of this story on our website: https://folklorescotland.com/the-swans-swim-sae-bonnie/

Support our work on Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland

Thank you to Linley for providing the fabulous artwork for this series!

www.linleybarba.com/

Check out our socials to keep in the loop!

instagram.com/folklorescotland/

Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

This week we have the honour of being joined by Dr Frances Wilkins, a senior lecturer in Ethnomusicology at the Elphinstone Institute, Aberdeen University. Frances joined us to chat all things music and folklore, and even treated us to some tunes! Thank you so much for coming onto the show, Frances 🌿

Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland

Check out our socials to keep in the loop!


facebook.com/FolkloreScotland


twitter.com/FolkloreScot


instagram.com/folklorescotland

Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

SOURCES

https://clan.com/blog/folklore-friday-culzean-castle-and-the-ghostly-piper?srsltid=AfmBOorDNdUcUDmRDKjxX3KinkdqXtFX9Vb_pySvXD3j_aLU2mGYUAie

https://localfolklore.weebly.com/ghost-piper.html

https://aclanaday.substack.com/p/the-many-ghost-pipers-of-scotland

https://www.firesidehorror.co.uk/blog-2/ghostly-folklore-the-ghostly-piper-of-duntrune-castle

https://scottishtales.substack.com/p/why-does-scotland-have-so-many-ghost

https://theroseandthethistle.com/2019/09/29/the-ghost-piper-of-duntrune-castle2/

https://www.nts.org.uk/stories/the-ghosts-of-culzean-castle

https://sorchiadubois.com/spectral-pipers-musical-ghosts-of-scotland/

https://islabankhouse.com/adventures/local-myths-legends/the-ghost-piper-of-fraserburgh

Never gamble on the Sabbath, or with the devil...

Find a text version of this story on our website: folklorescotland.com/earl-beardie-and-auld-nick/

Support our work on Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland

Thank you to Linley for providing the fabulous artwork for this series!

www.linleybarba.com/

Check out our socials to keep in the loop!

instagram.com/folklorescotland/

Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

Such a fun part of folklore is observing how it was used to understand the world and give meaning to things around us, so we dedicated a whole episode to it! This week on the Crannog we're looking at how the island of Islay came to be, the origin of the new year celebration of Hogmanay, and how Scotland gained its flag, its thistle, and its stag.

Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland

Check out our socials to keep in the loop!


facebook.com/FolkloreScotland


twitter.com/FolkloreScot


instagram.com/folklorescotland

Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

SOURCES

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiology

https://www.icysedgwick.com/islay-folklore/

https://sirbowmore.nl/bowmoresite/legends.htm

https://maltandoak.com/yula-princess-or-goddess-of-islay-island-malts/

https://peatzeria.com/blog/scottish-folklore-islay-myths-legends/

https://www.themodernantiquarian.com/post/159393/folklore/clachan-ceann-ile?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://pantheon.org/articles/i/ile.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com#google_vignette

https://blog.historicenvironment.scot/2025/12/cailleach-scotland-ice-queen/

https://www.reddit.com/r/IrishFolklore/s/jVWNx9CPmi

https://folklorescotland.com/a-coal-for-the-hearth-at-hogmanay/

https://scottishtales.substack.com/p/the-origins-of-first-footing-in-scotland

https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/The-History-of-Hogmanay/

https://www.scotland.org/events/hogmanay

https://www.edinburghfestivalcity.com/inspiration/523-facts-about-hogmanay

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/38477036

https://www.visitscotland.com/things-to-do/events/christmas-winter-festivals/hogmanay

https://spookyscotland.net/hogmanay/

A tragic tale of a brother who was left out...

Find a text version of this story on our website: https://folklorescotland.com/the-cruel-brother/

Support our work on Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland

Thank you to Linley for providing the fabulous artwork for this series!

www.linleybarba.com/

Check out our socials to keep in the loop!

instagram.com/folklorescotland/

Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

The first episode in an exciting new series that celebrates the Scots language! Coorie in a telling of The Seamaiden in Scots!

Adapted from a tale of the same name in Popular Tales of the West Highlands,

by Donald MacPhie from South Uist. English adaption by Roisin McCrimmon, Scots translation and narration by Rosie Young.

Read the Scots version and its English translation here: https://folklorescotland.com/the-seamaiden/

Some lesser-known Scots words featured in this story. These definitions are from The Online Scots Dictionary, found at ww.scots-online.org.

stoonin - aching

gowpin - throbbing pain

snirkle - to tangle

burble - a tangle

currack - specific type of seaweed, laminaria digitata

drou - specific type of seaweed, thin stringy seaweed

buckie - whelk

leam - to gleam and glitter

deek - to see, to descry

cowp - bargain, or to topple over

in a fair fimmis - in a state of excitement

boorach - a group, a cluster

kempy - fearless, brave

kythe - to emerge

agrouf - in a prone position, flat

Check out our socials to keep in the loop!
facebook.com/FolkloreScotland

instagram.com/folklorescotland/

Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

Black Douglas is an infamous character in Scottish history, so of course there are a fair few stories about his exploits! In this episode of the the Folklore Scotland Podcast, hear all about how he helps to avenge an old woman for the death of her three sons 🏹

Story: The Weird of the Three Arrows

Adapted from Folklore and Legends of Scotland by W.W. Gibbings by Rebecca Brown

Find a text version of this story on our website: https://folklorescotland.com/the-weird-of-the-three-arrows/

Support our work on Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland

Thank you to Linley for providing the fabulous artwork for this series!

www.linleybarba.com/

Check out our socials to keep in the loop!
facebook.com/FolkloreScotland

instagram.com/folklorescotland/

Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

The Crannog is back! For our first episode this season, we wanted to pay tribute to Graeme's lovely doggy, and sorely missed friend of the podcast, Molly. Join us as we talk all about animal companions in Scottish folklore!

Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland

Check out our socials to keep in the loop!


facebook.com/FolkloreScotland


twitter.com/FolkloreScot


instagram.com/folklorescotland

Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]

SOURCES

https://www.highlandenvironmentforum.info/biodiversity/action-plan/marine-biodiversity/gaelic-tales/

https://www.stbridesglasgow.org/the-oystercatcher

https://www.waderquest.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Newsletter-Oct2018-Brides-bird.pdf

https://thecaitsithfoundation.com/blog/the-1553-text-that-started-the-nine-lives-myth/

https://folklorescotland.com/cat-sith/

https://www.visitingscotland.com/discover/culture/cat-sith

https://scotlands-stories.com/cat-sith-scotland-fairy-cat/

https://www.timberbush-tours.co.uk/news-offers/scottish-folklore-cat-sith-cu-sith

https://spookyscotland.net/cat-sith/

https://www.popmatters.com/beware-cat-william-baldwin-feature

https://electricscotland.com/books/wh4-1.htm

GUESS WHO'S BACK!

Story: Spears and Jacks

Originally by Walter Scott, read by David White

Support our work on Kofi: ko-fi.com/folklorescotland

Thank you to Linley for providing the fabulous artwork for this series!

www.linleybarba.com/

Check out our socials to keep in the loop!
facebook.com/FolkloreScotland

instagram.com/folklorescotland/

Folklore Scotland is a Scottish registered charity whose aim is to connect the tales of the past with the technology of today. You can visit our website and explore your local folklore at www.folklorescotland.com. If you would like to become one of our voluntary contributors or would like to get in touch, email us at [email protected]