[Closed] myths and stories in the scottish hills, any good books?

Stuart McHardy - On the Trail of Scotland's Myths and Legends. (Luath Press)

Nice wee book which I delve into occasionally

Here's a start

[url= http://www.aboutaberdeen.com/benmacdhuigreyman.php ]http://www.aboutaberdeen.com/benmacdhuigreyman.php[/url]

thanks druidh, maybe a little more supernatural than i was looking for, but definitely putting it on my list.

RS, thats the sort of story I was talking about, although my friend on the train reckoned the grey man was a 'brocket's spectre' although i've never seen either so couldn't comment!

The Gideon Mack book is well worth a read, really interesting.

Brocken Spectre - and i'm surprised you've never seen one Iain.

This is a photo taken on my phone back in December - from the top of Tinto
[img] [/img]

Thanks Druidh, but reading so many books on the subject maybe disguises the fact I've not actually been to the top of many hills...

found a good wee link about the grey man here, really cool ten minute video

[url= http://www.biggreyman.co.uk/ ]grey man[/url]

Though it's a different spot, I'll lend you my copy of 'Gairloch' if you like Ian - covers local history from Torridon - Dundonnell from very early times with potentially a lot of interest for your trip (eg. old ironworks at Loch Maree) & 'dark' would definitely describe the bulk of the content.. stripping a visiting missionary naked & tying him to a tree overnight in midge season, still common practice. Much vendetta & blood letting too, of course. Give me a shout if you want a read (& I'll return yer cds too)

Have you read "Mountain Days and Bothy Nights" by Dave Brown and Iain Mitchell (published by Luath)?

From your previous posts I'd guess you have, but if you haven't then you must. More modern folklore than mythology but an excellent book. In fact, I might just re-read it again this week...

O-ho, sounds good rob! Will give you a shout for an evening ride soon.

I'd also recommend Gideon mack. I've read it twice now.

Fat Elvis,

great shout, have read and re-read and lent it to people and forced people to read it etc etc.

Its currently looking severely foxed, badgered and maybe even wolved* as well after spending a trip to knoydart in the bottom of a mate's bag 😀

*apologies to Terry pratchett

Have a look at the "The Black Cloud" by (I think) I.D.S. Thompson. Stories regarding Scottish mountaineering disasters.....educational.

More cheerfully, if you liked Mountain Days and Bothy Nights, try "Mountain Outlaw" also by Ian R Mitchell. "Always a Little Further" by Alistair Borthwick is in the same vein. There's a bit in that book about Scottish hitchhiking that is about the funniest thing I've ever read.

http://www.snp.org/

I second the Black Cloud. I bought it for my Father as I thought that his Father was the police surgeon called out to identify the bodies from the Glasgow boy's club disaster on Jock's Road. The boys went missing in January, I think, and they found the bodies one by one until Easter (according to the family story). It turned out I had got the story wrong and it was my Father who was called out.

A ghastly story but my dad was very pleased with the book, especially as he was able to write to the author and point out the errata.

Waderider,

thanks for that, Mountain Outlaw will go on the list also, although I already have "Always a little further". Had initially planned to go and find the arrochar caves on sunday, but it would have eaten into post-hill pub time, maybe next time.

Black Cloud sounds a good read, hadn't really wanted to read about people dying on the hills, but its all part and parcel i suppose...

Don't get the SNP reference?

Mountain Days is a cracking read and Black Cloud has a morbid fascination.

The Jocks Road incident was particularly tragic due to the time taken to recover the bodies. IIRC it was the determination of one individual who continually re visited and recovered them.

Like bearGrease I have a tenous link to the Corrour tragedy in the early 50's. My aunt, who was supposed to be with them, decided not to go as she was pregnant. Again, IIRC, all of the men ( 3 or 4) perished one by one along the trail leading from Corrour Lodge (Uisge Labhair)up to the Bealach Cumhann - one of the classic Ben Alder descents often discussed on here. The sole survivor, Anne Teunion, crawled back half alive to Corrour and is still alive today AFAIK

I believe the fictitious "Black Jaws" in The Testament of Gideon Mack is based on Black Rock Gorge, near Evanton:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Rock_Gorge
http://www.ambaile.org.uk/en/literary-landscapes/intermediate.jsp?LiteraryLandscapeID=43

I bookmarked this thread while away a few weeks ago because I was sure I had a book which perfectly fitted the bill. 'Magic Mountains by Rennie McOwan'. Googling back then, turned up nothing because I had incorrectly remembered the author's name. Now I've pulled the book off the shelf, I reckon it's just the thing you're looking for - but getting a copy might not be easy. Here's about the only link I could find:

http://www.amazon.com/Magic-Mountains-Rennie-McOwan/dp/1851587071

Thanks Kunstler, that's gone on the list too, which is now several books long!

Just recieved "Children of the Dead End" "The Testament of Gideon Mack" and "At the Lochan of the Green Corrie" in the post for my birthday.

I wasn't going to buy the Green Corrie book as the subject matter didn't look like it would grab me (written by a poet, about another poet and his mates) but its beautifully written without being overly, well, poetic.

The other two are coming with me when I go camping at the end of the month, doubt they'll last the two weeks!

Are all these books readable by a foreigner (not too much slang and all)

The prologue to Mountain Days Bothy Nights is written in some dialect, but after that its plain english.

Always a little further would be fine also, as is Lochan of the Green Corrie.

I was told this story when i was a kid:

[i]'the Shellycoat boggle is an odd solitary creature of Scotland, but is mischievous rather than malicious. His jolly japes however can be extremely annoying , but it has been claimed that if a human verbally reprimands a Shellycoat’s behaviour he will go away and sulk awhile (though will be subsequently soon be back up to his old tricks). A favourite Shellycoat prank preys on human compassion or conscience; upon a person’s approach the well hidden Shellycoat will shout “Lost . . . lost” and, thinking that someone is in distress, the human will more often than not follow the voice in a bid to help. Though the continuous cries of “Lost . . . lost” seem to be getting further and further away from the person’s original path, they will usually proceed to search and follow for to give in now could provoke the mental torture of realising that they willingly failed to save a life. At some distant point the weary human will grasp that the deploring voice is now calling from the original source of their search and the realisation that they have been way-led and tricked will dawn. Dejected and tired, the human’s efforts would oft be rewarded by gurgling laughter and a round of applause from the Shellycoat.'[/i]

the story i was told was a bit more gruesome than that...

Had this book on the Big Gray Man as a kid, great bedtime reading...

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Big-Grey-Man-Ben-MacDhui/dp/1874744203/r

Children of the Dead End is a cracking book too, you'll love it.

Spring Heeled Jack is another legend, I don't think it's strictly Scottish though.