In this last book of my Lyon’s Den series, both the hero and the heroine are from Scotland. 27% of my DNA is directly from Central Scotland. My 9th Great-Grandfather on my father’s side was the 7th Chieftain of the Clan MacThomas. John Mccomie (Iain Mòr), my 9x great-grandfather, has passed into the folklore of Perthshire. 40% of my DNA claims Celtic/Gaelic roots. According to the tale of the Mccomies, my 9th great-grandfather objected to the taxes the Earl of Atholl had placed on them. One must remember that the Mormaer or Earl of Atholl was the title of the holder of a medieval comital lordship straddling the highland province of Atholl (Ath Fodhla), now in northern Perthshire. Atholl is a special Mormaerdom, because a King of Atholl is reported from the Pictish period. ANYWAY, the Earl of Atholl thought to be done away with my great-grandfather by employing a champion swordsman from Italy. One problem existed; Mccomie slew the swordsman instead.

Let us have a look at some of the superstitions. These come from Spooky Scotland.

Baobhan Sìth: A particularly evil and dangerous female vampire from the highlands of Scotland who preyed on unwary male travellers in the glens and mountains. [I used the Baobhan Sìth in my vampiric Pride and Prejudice tale.]

Bodachan Sabhail (Little Old Man of the Barn): A brownie who would come to the aid of aging farmers and thresh their grain for them.

Brown Man of the Muirs: A dwarf from the Scottish borders who serves as a guardian spirit over the wild animals. He wore brown clothes and had a shock of frizzy red hair and wild looking eyes.

Cailleach Bheur: A blue-faced hag found in the Scottish Highlands or is known as the Carlin in eastern Scotland.  She is also known as Beira, Queen of the Winter. She is ill-tempered and dangerous and is seen with a crow on her left shoulder. Associated with winter, she was reborn at Samhain or Halloween and ruled over winter when she brought the winter snows. She carried a magical staff which froze the ground with every tap. She also guarded animals in winter. A wooden log was burned at Yule in her honour.

Cailleachan: The Cailleachan are the eight hag sisters of the Cailleach. They are giantesses and are powerful thunder, storm or sea hags.

Dhu Guisch/ Beast of the Charred Forest/ The Dragon of Dornoch: The Beast of the Charred Forests, or Dhu Guisch, is a fearsome, fire-breathing dragon from Sutherland, Scotland, said to have incinerated vast ancient woodlands. This terrifying monster could only be slain by someone who saw it before it saw them, a feat achieved by Saint Gilbert of Dornoch.

Domhnull Mor Bad an t-Sithean (Big Donald, King of the Faeries): Big Donald, King of the Fairies, resides in Glen More’s Loch Morlich area. He’s known for playing invisible bagpipes and once drove away lowlanders by pelting them with sticks and stones.

Fachan (Peg-Leg-Jack/ Direach): A giant/ cruel, malevolent faerie with improbable deformities. One hand emerges from his chest; one leg is attached to his haunch; one eye rests in his head, one tooth juts from his mouth and one tuft of rigidly inflexible hair grows from that head.

Gentle Annie/ Gentle Annie: The nature spirit and Hag controlling the southwesterly gales and winds in the Cromarty Firth. The Firth is guarded against the wind on the north and east by tall hills, but a gap allows sporadic and violent wind bursts to rush through, earning the fay a reputation for treachery. It is thought that this might be another manifestation of the Cailleach or Carlin.

Muc-sheilch: A kin to the famed Nessie yet unmistakably its own beast, the Muc-sheilch haunts the waters of Loch Maree in Wester Ross. Described as a loch-dwelling monster with a distinctive form, it was said to slip between neighbouring lochs.

Sìthichean (Faeries): Often called “the wee folk,” faeries or the sìthichean as they are called in Gaelic, are central to Scottish folklore and appear in many forms under many names. They are commonly divided into two courts: the Seelie, dangerous yet less malevolent, whose members are mischievous but often harmless; and the Unseelie, malicious beings known to harm humans for sport. There have been many human encounters with faeries, including kidnappings, faery tithes and the infamous faery rade.

Trow: A malignant or mischievous fairy or spirit in the folkloric traditions of the Orkney and Shetland Islands. They are generally inclined to be short of stature, ugly, and shy. Trows are nocturnal creatures and are similar to Scandinavian trolls. They venture out of their ‘trowie knowes’ (earthen mound dwellings) solely in the evening, and often enter households as the inhabitants sleep. Trows traditionally have a fondness for music. Thus, folktales tell of their habit of kidnapping musicians or luring them to their dens.