Scottish Myths & Legends: Volume II

by Daniel Allison

The long-awaited follow-up to Scottish Myths & Legends, a USA Today bestseller by a renowned Scottish storyteller.

Selkies, trowies and fairy wolves. Witches, clan chiefs and the King of the Cats. Within these pages are the little-known stories of Scotland, collected and retold by an oral storyteller who performs them throughout the world. From folk tales and local legends to ancient epics, these stories will astonish and delight readers everywhere.

Discover a host of famous and lesser-known characters and creatures

selkies (silkies, seal-folk)the blue menfairies (sidhe, fae)trowieshedgehurststhe baobhan sidh
Contains classic tales and rare gems such

The King of the CatsThe Black DinnerThe Man with No StoryHerding HaresThe Smith & The Fairies
You’ll also

extensive notes to each story with links to source materials and further readinglinks to podcast episodes in which you can hear these stories told orally by Daniel Allison and leading Scottish storytellersan authentic work by a well-respected author who has sat at the firesides of Scottish eldersa gateway into Daniel Allison’s work which includes podcasts, mythic fiction, live & online storytelling events, storytelling coaching and mythic immersion retreats
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Praise for Scottish Myths & Legends Volume



'One of the best collections I have ever read'

★★★★★ Reader Review

'Beautifully written'

★★★★★ Reader Review

'A stunning journey into the Scottish landscape and collective imagination'

★★★★★ Reader Review

'Deserves to be a classic'

★★★★★ Reader Review

'There is no shortage of books on Scottish stories, but this one is a standout'

★★★★★ Reader Review

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Daniel Allison is a USA Today bestselling author, oral storyteller and storytelling coach from Scotland. He is the author of Scottish Myths & Legends I & II, Irish Mythology; The Children of Danu, Finn & The Fianna and The Orkney Cycle. He hosts the House of Legends; World Myths & Legends Podcast , teaches Celtic mythology and leads mythic immersion retreats in the Scottish Highlands.

324 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 13, 2024

About the author

Daniel Allison is a USA Today bestselling author, oral storyteller and podcaster from Scotland. He is the author of Irish Mythology: The Children of Danu, Scottish Myths & Legends, Finn & The Fianna and The Orkney Cycle: The Shattering Sea, as well as the forthcoming Scottish Myths & Legends Vol. II.

Daniel’s hosts the House of Legends podcast and trains storytellers online through his Myth Singers Celtic Storytelling Apprenticeship. He leads annual mythic immersion retreats in the Scottish Highlands which guide participants towards a living relationship with Celtic and Nordic myth.

Reviews

[Hannah Figgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fierce, tender, eerie, tragic, humorous, grim, wondrous---a fantastic second volume of traditional Scottish tales skillfully rewoven by this author. Allison's modern but unwatered style of writing makes these volumes both approachable for the casual reader and freshly appealing for the long-time lover of traditional stories. This second volume has all the variety of location, culture, and story-type of the first volume and more, for included are two story-types not represented in the first: historical/semi-historical legends, and poignant micro-stories of the sort usually found only as footnotes in older collections.
Part of the liveliness of this collection is the way in which the stories are arranged, with length and mood and atmosphere constantly shifting from story to story. Unlike many collections which are arranged by type of story---which is very useful but results in some degree of predictability---one can never be sure what to expect in the dance from one story to the next, which is great fun and helps to carry a breath of the experience of hearing the stories told orally as they have been for generations. Any predictability whatsoever is gaily flung to the winds, Fianna fashion, and the reader is swept along for the ride from witches' huts to giants' castles to fairies' halls and the cottages that become springboards for the unexpected in between.
If you enjoyed the first volume, you'll definitely want this one. It isn't necessary to have read the first volume to enjoy the second, but methinks you'll want both.

[Csenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think it says a lot about this book that I knew some of the tales already, and that did not subtract anything from the enjoyment of reading them in Daniel Allison's retelling. In fact, his version often became my favorite. He walks the fine line between folklore and fantasy, and he doesn't trip once. He enriches the old traditional stories by giving each character a name, a personality, and emotional depth that matches the narrative. He also weaves Scottish history, landscape, and traditional lifestyle into the tales, which makes them wonderfully detailed and immersive. Daniel Allison can turn a 10 sentence folktale into a deep emotional and cultural experience.
The collection ventures beyond the most well-known Scottish stories, and encompasses many different parts of Scotland with their own unique atmosphere. Darker stories alternate with shorter tales, and each comes with notes and sources, revealing the living oral tradition that passed them down from one teller to the next.
This book is a worthy sequel to the first volume, and a masterclass in retelling folktales for new audiences. I highly recommend it.

[Kenzie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic collection, and I really like the writing style--deceptively simple and soulful.

Some of my favorite stories were Auld Croovie, The Hedgehurst, Macleod's Tables, The Man with No Story, Herding Hares, Keeping Out the Sea Man, The Piper's Boots, Mallie and the Trow, and the Sweetest Music.

As in the first volume, there are notes at the end, so if you find a story you like you can dive deeper, either via book or podcast. The book makes a great first point of connection to the mythic web.

[Dakota Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful collection of stories that's a joy to read. They're written in such a way that you almost feel like you're hearing the words by a fire in the forest.