The Lore of Scotland: A guide to Scottish legends Book

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.

Jennifer Westwood, Sophia Kingshill