Folk Tales of Scottish Saints

Folk Tales of Scottish Saints gathers stories about Scotland’s medieval saints, figures whose legends survived in folklore after the Protestant Reformation. Fran Flett Hollinrake considers how these men and women became part of Scotland’s cultural beliefs, while holy wells and shrines bring renewed attention to their traditions.

The tales place saints in a world shared with selkies, ghosts and fairy folk. St Columba encounters a talking squirrel, while St Magnus of Orkney helps someone win a dice game. Such episodes present the saints not simply as religious figures, but as characters in stories where miracles, local custom and contact between the earthly and otherworldly realms sit closely together.