A guide to Scottish legends

The Lore of Scotland

A magnificent exploration of Scotland's legendary past

'A lovely compilation. It's the real macabre.' Terry Pratchett 
 
'An impressive folkloric travel guide' Times Literary Supplement 
 
Scotland's rich past and varied landscape have inspired an extraordinary array of legends and beliefs. 
 
In The Lore of Scotland, Jennifer Westwood and Sophia Kingshill bring together many of the finest and most intriguing: stories of heroes and bloody feuds, tales of giants, fairies, and witches, and accounts of local customs and traditions. 
 
Their range extends right across the country, from the Borders with their haunting ballads, via Glasgow, site of St Mungo's miracles, to the fateful battlefield of Culloden, and finally to the Shetlands, home of the seal-people. More than simply retelling these stories, The Lore of Scotland explores their origins, showing how and when they arose and investigating what basis - if any - they have in historical fact. 
 
In the process, it uncovers the events that inspired Shakespeare's Macbeth, probes the claim that Mary King's Close is the most haunted street in Edinburgh, and examines the surprising truth behind the fame of the MacCrimmons, Skye's unsurpassed bagpipers. Moreover, it reveals how generations of Picts, Vikings, Celtic saints and Presbyterian reformers shaped the myriad tales that still circulate, and, from across the country, it gathers together legends of such renowned figures as Sir William Wallace, St Columba, and the great warrior Fingal. 
 
The result is a thrilling journey through Scotland's legendary past and an endlessly fascinating account of the traditions and beliefs that play such an important role in its heritage. 
 
'This is a well researched book exploring the rich folklore of Scotland ... The breadth and range of this book is wide ... Amusing and erudite, it's also an excellent guide to local variations in Scottish culture.' The Sunday Telegraph 
 
'A fascinating read which looks at mythical beings from kelpies and waterhorses to modern-day vampires' Scottish Sunday Mail

Within a few minutes of this  book arriving, I had put bookmarks in five places and was roaring through the index. A lovely compilation. It's the real macabre

An enthralling treasure chest of Scottish myths and legends ... With this incredible collection, Westwood and Kingshill have ensured that ... the stories of the past have now been preserved for future generations

This is a well researched book exploring the rich folklore of Scotland ... The breadth and range of this book is wide ... Amusing and erudite, it's also an excellent guide to local variations in Scottish culture

A fascinating read which looks at mythical beings from kelpies and waterhorses to modern-day vampires

A perfect book to read as the winter nights begin drawing in, and the mists settle, the pipes play and the creatures and myths we can only half imagine come to haunt and intrigue us. An impressively researched book which genuinely will exercise your beliefs

More than 500 Scottish legends, fairytales, folklore, myths and poems included in an impressive 554-page epic, The Lore of Scotland [includes] ... every part of Scotland ... with an A to Z that goes from Achinduin on Lismore to Vaul on Tiree

The extraordinary book delves deep into Scottish legend, myth and folklore

Westwood and Kingshill ably guide the reader through the yarns and legends that have greatly influenced our imaginations, out literature, and - on occasion - even our ways of life

This beautiful book must be one of the most comprehensive collections of Scottish folklore and legend ever compiled ...There is something for everyone with many entertaining tales from around the country. Highly recommended!

Having promised "a magnificent exploration of Scotland's legendary past", The Lore of Scotland proves true to its word ... this rich compendium of tall tales and traditions derived from the full expanse of the Alba is pitched intelligently so as to engage and educate a readership of varying ages ... an impressive folkloric travel guide ...The overarching clarity achieved here is remarkable

This book is a magical ride through the traditions and beliefs that are our precious heritage ... this is an essential reference book for all those who love Scotland and her past

This superbly organised and handsomely presented book bridge the gap between the trivialising and the utterly forbidding, offering clear, concise and up to date information on Scottish legends, on a place-by-place basis

Jennifer Westwood was born in 1940 and studied English Language at Oxford, followed by Medieval Icelandic at Cambridge. A long-time member of the Folklore Society, she served as editor of FLS Books and also the journal Folklore. Her books include Albion: A Guide to Legendary Britain (1985), Gothick Cornwall (1992), Lost Atlantis (1997), On Pilgrimage (2003) and The Lore of the Land (2005, with Jacqueline Simpson). Sadly, she died in 2008. 
 
Sophia Kingshill is a writer, editor and researcher. She has contributed to folklore publications and her plays have been performed in Scotland, England and Norway. She lives in London.

Scotland's rich past and varied landscape have inspired an extraordinary array of legends and beliefs, and in The Lore of Scotland Jennifer Westwood and Sophia Kingshill bring together many of the finest and most intriguing: stories of heroes and bloody feuds, tales of giants, fairies, and witches, and accounts of local customs and traditions. Their range extends right across the country, from the Borders with their haunting ballads, via Glasgow, site of St Mungo's miracles, to the fateful battlefield of Culloden, and finally to the Shetlands, home of the seal-people. 
 
More than simply retelling these stories, The Lore of Scotland explores their origins, showing how and when they arose and investigating what basis - if any - they have in historical fact. In the process, it uncovers the events that inspired Shakespeare's Macbeth, probes the claim that Mary King's Close is the most haunted street in Edinburgh, and examines the surprising truth behind the fame of the MacCrimmons, Skye's unsurpassed bagpipers. Moreover, it reveals how generations of Picts, Vikings, Celtic saints and Presbyterian reformers shaped the myriad tales that still circulate, and, from across the country, it gathers together legends of such renowned figures as Sir William Wallace, St Columba, and the great warrior Fingal. The result is a thrilling journey through Scotland's legendary past and an endlessly fascinating account of the traditions and beliefs that play such an important role in its heritage.

Sophia Kingshill

The Estate of Jennifer Westwood

This is a brilliant scholarly, yet readable work by two of the country's leading folklorists; it should appeal to anyone interested in the legends of the British Isles.

a work that entertains and intrigues from the first page to the last; not to be flicked through, but to be steadily digested and enjoyed.

Legends & traditions from around the shores of Britain & Ireland

Pirates and smugglers, ghost ships and sea-serpents, fishermen’s prayers and sailors’ rituals – the coastline of the British Isles plays host to an astonishingly rich variety of local legends, customs, and superstitions. 
 
In The Fabled Coast, renowned folklorists Sophia Kingshill and Jennifer Westwood gather together the most enthralling tales and traditions, tracing their origins and examining the facts behind the legends. Was there ever such a beast as the monstrous Kraken? Did a Welsh prince discover America, centuries before Columbus? What happened to the missing crew of the Mary Celeste? Along the way, they recount the stories that are an integral part of our coastal heritage, such as the tale of Drake’s Drum, said to be heard when England was in peril, and the mythical island of Hy Brazil, which for centuries appeared on sea charts and maps to the west of Ireland. The result is an endlessly fascinating, often surprising journey through our island history.

Sophia Kingshill

Praise for The Fabled Coast

This is a brilliant scholarly, yet readable work by two of the country's leading folklorists; it should appeal to anyone interested in the legends of the British Isles.

a work that entertains and intrigues from the first page to the last; not to be flicked through, but to be steadily digested and enjoyed.

Books by Sophia Kingshill

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