In this episode, Annie and Jenny go squelching out into the marvelous Flow Country. This area, in the northern Highlands of Scotland, is often overlooked in favour of the mountainous west coast, but there is so much great stuff to be discovered here! The deep peat has taken thousands of years to form and the ecology of this Blanket Bog is wonderfully diverse. From hundreds of species of moss to rare dragonflies and carnivorous plants, the bog is teeming with life. The landscape is not just blanketed in bog, but also folklore, we explore a loch with healing powers, how it got them, and the mysterious yet compelling Hill ‘o Many Stanes. If you’re on the North Coast 500, the Flow Country is a must-see, and this episode, a must-listen!You can support Stories of Scotland on Patreon! www.patreon.com/storiesofscotland

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Annie and Jenny tell one more tale from Greyfriars Kirkyard. It’s a story of a very good boy, Greyfriars Bobby. Perhaps one of the most famous dogs in the world, the story of Greyfriars Bobby took Victorian Scotland by storm. But despite his story carrying through the decades, inspiring many books, and even a Disney film, what do we really know about the little Skye Terrier? For there are many questions that swirl around this tale of the ages: Just what is the original story of Bobby? Who was his owner? How did he end up in Greyfriars kirkyard? Why did he stay? And perhaps most importantly, did he ever even exist? Let’s travel back to Victorian Scotland to find out. You can support Stories of Scotland on Patreon! www.patreon.com/storiesofscotlandReferences:Jan Bondeson, Greyfriars Bobby, the Most Famous Dog in the World, 2012 Thomas Wilson Reid, Gabrielle Stuart: A Scottish Romance, 1882Reporting from Glasgow Evening Citizen (1867), Dundee Courier (1867), Inverness Courier (1864, 1867), Aberdeen Press and Journal (1867), Scotsman (1872)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jenny and Annie visit Edinburgh for this Samhain special, in search of a haunted Halloween. We explore the life and legend of Bloody George MacKenzie, a notorious figure in Scottish history. What was the Covenanter’s Prison, and why do people say that spirits could still haunt it to this day? What draws so many people to this famous Scottish graveyard, and what scares so many away?We learn about how Greyfriars Kirkyard in Scotland’s capital city became a centre for paranormal tourism. We discuss plague, political turmoil, punishments, and the poltergeist lore that surrounds this major Edinburgh landmark.Does Jenny really believe she was haunted by the ghost of Bloody MacKenzie?You can support Stories of Scotland on Patreon! www.patreon.com/storiesofscotland

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Annie and Jenny investigate some of the unexplained phenomena seen in the skies above Scotland. Since the 1990s the town of Bonnybridge has been the centre of Scotland’s UFO activity, with thousands of reported sightings leading to it being crowned ‘The Roswell of Scotland’. It is a hotspot in the greater area known as The Falkirk Triangle, in which many strange and unexplained encounters have occurred. Perhaps the best-known of these is Bob Taylor, a forester who saw more than just trees in the forest. Listen to this world famous alien encounter explored in depth, through the portal of local newspapers. Bob’s encounter is not the only one reported in the Scottish press, from Edinburgh to Aberdeen, these sightings are always exciting and sometimes newsworthy. Some are mysterious and unsolved, others are mysterious and solved, but all… are out of this world. None more so than Annie’s very own tale of a mysterious encounter in the Highlands. Want to try out WeeBox? Go to www.weebox.co.uk and enter the code ‘Story10’ for an exclusive discount!You can support Stories of Scotland on Patreon! www.patreon.com/storiesofscotlandReportings from The West Lothian Courier (1979), Daily Record (1992), The Dundee Courier (1994), The Scotsman (1947), Aberdeen Press and Journal (1997). We mention the TV show Strange But True? - S01E02 (1994).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re delighted to bring you a sample episode from one of our friends who makes the tremendously splendid Scotland: A Scottish History Podcast. The episode featured is called Milngavie vs the Monorail - The George Bennie Railplane System. Listen here:http://link.chtbl.com/scotlandWhen we heard the Milngavie vs the Monorail episode, we were entranced by the big emotions around this intriguing entrepreneur. Annie and Jenny are currently putting together a new season for you and are aiming to make more regular Stories of Scotland Podcasts. Thank you for your support of our show, and our listening to our wonderful friends and their emotions towards the monorail.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Jenny and Annie explore the curious phenomenon in Scottish folklore of the spirits of women being captured by stone. From the glorious mountains of the Five Sisters of Kintail to the Maiden Stone of Drumdurno in Aberdeenshire, we investigate why there are so many stories of women turned to stone.Also, we revisit Smoo cave to hear a tremendous tale of a loch-protecting Cailleach.Want to try out WeeBox? Go to www.weebox.co.uk and enter the code ‘Story10’ for an exclusive discount!Interested in visiting the National Museum of Scotland? Get more information here: https://www.nms.ac.uk/scotland You can support Stories of Scotland on Patreon! www.patreon.com/storiesofscotlandThis is part of the Radical Mountain Women, funded by the Royal Society of Literature. Some of the music you heard in this episode was beautifully played by Nicky Murray and Chloe Rodgers.Sources:Canmore.org.uk and historicenvironment.scot on the Maiden Stone and Persephone.Kingshill, S., Westwood, J. B., The Lore of Scotland: A guide to Scottish legends, London, Random House, 2011.McConnochie, A. I., Bennachie, Aberdeen, D Wyllie & Son, 1890.Newspapers from the Aberdeen Evening Express and Highland News.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jenny and Annie explore some folklore around a couple of the most common plants of the Scottish landscape. We go out into the wilds of Scotland and have a think about the plants we’re treading on along the way. This episode is sponsored by WeeBox - go to www.weebox.co.uk and enter the code ‘Story10’ for an exclusive discount!You can support Stories of Scotland on Patreon! www.patreon.com/storiesofscotlandThis is part of the Radical Mountain Women, funded by the Royal Society of Literature. Some of the music you heard in this episode was beautifully played by Nicky Murray and Chloe Rodgers.Sources:Articles from the Scottish Mountaineering Club Journal (1903), Dundee Courier (1926), Greenock Telegraph and Clyde Shipping Gazette (1905).Oral history reference numbers 75696, 41976, 33367, 2750, 60651 from www.tobarandualchais.co.uk. Chambers, Robert., Popular Rhymes of Scotland, W & R Chambers, Edinburgh, 1870.Wrightham, Mark., & Kempe, Nick, Hostile Habitats: Scotland's Mountain Environment Scottish Mountaineering Trust, 2019.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Annie and Jenny look at the beautiful environment of Loch Fyne, and explore the folklore that has developed around it. We have some lighthearted fairy stories and a spooky ghost tale around the areas of Inveraray Castle and Stonefield Castle. This episode is sponsored by WeeBox - go to www.weebox.co.uk and enter the code ‘Story10’ for an exclusive discount!You can support Stories of Scotland on Patreon! www.patreon.com/storiesofscotlandThis is part of the Radical Mountain Women, funded by the Royal Society of Literature. Some of the music you heard in this episode was beautifully played by Nicky Murray and Chloe Rodgers.Sources:Stoddart, J., Remarks on Local Scenery and Manners in Scotland during the Years 1799 and 1800. William Milar, 1801. MacCormick, D.(contributor), Maclean C. I. (Fieldworker), SA1954.7.B1, The School of Scottish Studies Archives, University of Edinburgh (https://www.tobarandualchais.co.uk/track/42064)Articles from the Occult Review (1909), the Scottish Mountaineering Journal (1890), The Globe (1895), Morning Post (1909), Falkirk Herald (1870), Fife Herald (1852).

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Annie and Jenny on a trip around the world. The year is 1852, the Potato Famine and Highland Clearances are causing devastation, and hundreds of Scots board The Hercules, a ship destined for Adelaide, but struck by horrific disaster. As they leave their home in Scotland to start a new life halfway around the world, storms, disease, and sharks all plague the voyage. This episode looks at why these people left their homes, the journey they undertook, and their lives in Australia, if they survived to live them. This episode is sponsored by WeeBox - go to www.weebox.co.uk and enter the code ‘Story10’ for an exclusive discount!Interested in visiting the National Museum of Scotland? Get more information here: https://www.nms.ac.uk/scotland You can support Stories of Scotland on patreon, visit www.patreon.com/storiesofscotland to join up!References: Devine, T. M, “The Scottish Clearances: A History of the Dispossessed, 1600-1900”, 2019, PenguinDevine, T.M, “Scotland’s Empire: The Origins of the Global Diaspora”, Penguin, 2004Hunter, James, “Scottish Exodus: Travels Among a Worldwide Clan”, Mainstream, 2005Richards, Eric, “Highland emigrants to South Australia in the 1850s”, Northern Scotland, Vol 5, Feb 2015Reportings from the Inverness Couier, Cork Examiner, Edinburgh Evening Courant. You can read the ship registers here: www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/guides/highland-and-island-emigration-society-records

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re sharing the first episode of a new podcast series we’ve just released called Weight of Sand. This is an audio drama exploring the life and lore of Isobel Gowdie. Isobel was accused of witchcraft in 1662. She lived in Auldearn in the Highlands of Scotland and her witchcraft confessions were detailed and vivid. 30 years after her trial, a nearby village of the Culbin was destroyed in a storm and covered in sand dunes. The sand was so extensive the land was called ‘The Sahara of Scotland’. Folklore blamed Isobel for cursing this land as revenge. Weight of Sand explores Isobel, her life, and the environment she is said to have destroyed. Listen to more Weight of Sand episodes at: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/weight-of-sand/id1632916019 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6RD2r2aQJTXngkFPcvFgcqPocket Casts: https://pca.st/podcast/815949a0-df45-013a-d9e1-0acc26574db2Podcast Addict: https://podcastaddict.com/podcast/4024035CastBox: https://castbox.fm/channel/Weight-of-Sand-id4994068 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/weight-of-sand Amazon: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/7761809b-fe11-4ea2-9491-8c3c6659fd26/weight-of-sand Website: https://www.carryingstream.com/weightofsand/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.