Scottish Folk Tales of Coast and Sea

Tom Muir gathers 35 Scottish folk tales shaped by the sea, drawing on stories from coastal communities, lochs and islands. The collection includes selkies, mermaids, pirates and the Devil, alongside tales of shipwrecks, whirlpools and the hazards faced by people living beside the water. Stories from Orkney, Caithness, Fife and Cromarty show how local landscapes inform traditional storytelling.

Among the creatures and places appearing here are the Stoor Worm, the grotesque Nuckelavee, the Blue Men of the Minch and Tir-nan-Og, an island associated with eternal youth. Familiar motifs sit beside lesser-known accounts, including a mermaid’s revenge, a land beneath the waves and the tale of how a fisherman’s kindness brings him into conflict with the Devil.