Scottish Folk Tales of Coast and Sea

by Tom Muir

Scotland has over 11,600 miles of coastline, so it's no surprise that the sea and shore have been inspiring folk tales for millennia.

In Scottish Folk Tales of Coast and Sea, Orkney storyteller Tom Muir weaves tales from this lore-steeped shoreline, finding selkie folk, pirates and even the devil in the liminal space between land and sea. Learn how death was captured in a nut, how a mermaid wreaked her revenge and how whirlpools were created. Discover a land beneath the waves, the mysterious island of Tir-nan-Og and a chorus of demon cats – but beware the most grotesque monster of them all, the hideous Nuckelavee.

Genres: Mythology, Scotland, Folklore, Fiction

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 18, 2024

Reviews

[Selena F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

3'75🌟

Really enjoyed most of the folk tales presented here, but I have to admit that they were not exactly what I was expecting in terms of... "water tales". Some of the tales just take place near the coast, but don't have much to do with the sea.

[John Gilbert · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entertaining collection of folk tales is just an absolute delight from start to finish.

[Csenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one goes on my shelf for instant classics. It was an amazing read. It is a collection of folktales and legends, well selected and well researched, but written with a storyteller's flair for telling a good story. Tom Muir is amazing to hear in person, and he is a very good writer as well. I loved all the details about the sea, and traditional life by the sea, woven into the stories. There were many tales and legends in the book that I have not encountered before, and many of them became new favorites. They are filled with magic and adventure, but also empathy and kindness. I especially loved seeing several different Selkie legends, many of which went beyond the classic "stolen seal skin" tale type. It is a lovely collection, I highly recommend it.

[Davidg · Rating 4 out of 5]

The best test of a book of folktales is how many of them I want to learn and tell myself. Here the count is very high. There are quite a few that fit this description. I think that I will be telling quite a few in the months to come.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's never a good sign feeling relieved that you're done reading a book... To be fair, I really like the book cover and also enjoyed a few tales. As for the others, they seemed more or less the same to me, unmemorable.

[Zosi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[Jbondandrews · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think I prefered the Iceland folk tales. Not that these weren't good but some of them almost felt as though they were too short or that there was more to the story.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely collection of Scottish folk tales. Well retold.