Folklore Scotland

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]

It's the last episode of the season, and we trawled the folklore archive for evidence of dragons. We hope you all have a lovely festive season, and a merry Christmas if you celebrate (drink responsibly and don't end up like the Mester Stoor Worm.) We'll be back on Monday 22nd June 2026 for a brand new season of the podcast!

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/Stoor_worm

https://valhalla-vikings.co.uk/blogs/norse-mythology-gods/jormungandr?srsltid=AfmBOor8Gfjs3u6Bt1XoKgHLKSxzzQSPnZ9fCVmj5l1SA-RJ1UPDVvtY

https://www.greeklegendsandmyths.com/hesione.html

https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/42916/jabberwocky

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

https://folklorescotland.com/assipattle-and-the-mester-stoor-worm/

https://folklorescotland.com/martin-and-the-dragon/

https://folklorescotland.com/the-worm-of-linton/

https://www.mysteriousbritain.co.uk/legends/the-linton-worm/

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

https://www.scotclans.com/pages/the-linton-worm

https://monster.fandom.com/wiki/Linton_Worm

https://sommewyrm.wordpress.com/2016/04/23/the-linton-wyrm/

https://www.scottishfield.co.uk/culture/scotlands-rival-to-st-george-and-the-dragon/

How exactly does a good name give strength? Find out in this episode of Campfire Tales!

Story: The Gudeman of Ballengeich

Written and read by David White

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

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]

There are plenty of tragic stories in Scottish folklore, so we decided to do an entire podcast episode on them! Please enjoy three separate tragic tales brought to you in this week's episode of The Crannog...

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

Folklore Gleanings and Character Sketches by Rev George Sutherland

https://folklorescotland.com/the-swans-swim-sae-bonnie/

https://sacred-texts.com/neu/eng/child/ch010.htm

https://spookyscotland.net/haunted-glencoe

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00pxrr7

https://medium.com/mairis-musings/the-glen-of-weeping-scotland-on-this-day-1692-d5814d90bfcc

https://www.nts.org.uk/visit/places/glencoe/the-glencoe-massacre

https://www.britannica.com/event/Massacre-of-Glencoe

https://www.scottishtours.co.uk/blog/what-happened-at-the-glencoe-massacre/

https://www.glencoemuseum.com/massacre-of-glencoe

https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/the-massacre-of-glencoe-84359

https://www.discoverbritain.com/history/historic-events/the-glencoe-massacre/

https://www.scotclans.com/pages/1692-massacre-of-glencoe

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

Will the soldier be reunited with his love? Find out in this week's episode of Campfire Tales...

Story: The Kingdom of the Green Mountains

Written by Liana Paraschaki and read by Rebecca Brown

Find a text version of this story on our website: https://folklorescotland.com/the-kingdom-of-the-green-mountains/

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]

This week's story is a tale from Fife about a lad who takes his mother's advice a little too seriously...

Story: Jock and his Mother

Written and read by Rebecca Brown

Find a text version of this story on our website: https://folklorescotland.com/jock-and-his-mother/

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]

In this week's episode of The Crannog we're chatting about wishes, wells, and clooties. If you visit a holy well, please make your wish and leave no trace! 🌳

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://wellcomecollection.org/stories/the-wishing-tree-of-loch-maree

https://uhra.herts.ac.uk/id/eprint/13948/1/The_Wishing_Tree_of_Isle_Maree_Proof.pdf

https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/723218-oldest-coin-tree

https://highlandexperiences.com/the-secrets-of-isle-maree/

https://www.iflscience.com/spotted-coins-hammered-into-a-tree-trunk-its-a-centuries-old-tradition-75320

https://britishfairies.wordpress.com/

https://www.elfinspell.com/

https://www.themodernantiquarian.com/site/10134/sysa

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-60125288