Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland

John Gregorson Campbell records Highland and island traditions gathered from oral sources, preserving beliefs about fairies, omens, animals, prophecy and everyday supernatural danger. The collection includes tales of fairy women and other encounters with the Gaelic otherworld, alongside shorter accounts of customary belief and practice.

Its scope extends from stories associated with fairy superstition to lore concerning creatures such as the sea serpent, whale, herring, eel, lobster, cormorant and magpie. Campbell also records miscellaneous superstitions and prophetic traditions, offering a close view of how communities across the Highlands and Islands interpreted landscape, animals, illness, fortune and misfortune. The emphasis remains on remembered stories and reported beliefs, presented as folklore rather than verified supernatural events.