Unfortunately, not usually seen on your average Scotland tours, giving thought to Scottish Mythology can up your trip to its max if only you have a thorough plan.
So let’s look through the best and most interesting mythical places to visit here and see which of them can go straight to the itinerary!
The Orkney Isles
The famous archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, Orkney, is shrouded in mystery, especially regarding selkies. Do not know what they are? Let’s find out.
Selkies are mythical creatures that can reverse from women to seals. These marine creatures are said to be extremely beautiful but suffer from a human’s hand. According to the legend, a man saw a Selkie in Orkney Isles, stole her magical skin, and kept her prisoner. Only years later did she manage to escape back to Scotland waters, and is said to be still living there to this day.
There are folk tales about how to call one up to the shore, and undoubtedly many people have tried, but apart from unreliable stories, there is no evidence of Selkies being on shore. If you do see one, make sure to apologize for the sinful man who once imprisoned her!
The Kelpies
Located between Falkirk and Grangemouth, The Kelpies are 30-meter horse-head sculptures depicting yet another Scottish mythological creature. Similar to Selkies, the Kelpies are creatures that are originally human but then turn into these mighty big sea horses, haunting Scotland’s rivers and streams. So when you hear thunder, it might just be the Kelpies entering the water.
These are some of the most famous Scottish mythological creatures, so if you are interested in these kinds of things, include these particular sites in your trip to Scotland!
Loch Ness
The most famous of mystical stories in Scotland, the legend of the Loch Ness monster chimed loudly through all the world and is now one of the most-told folk tales told to interest, terrify, and impress.
The tale speaks of a storybook animal, allegedly living the Loch Ness, a large freshwater Lake in Inverness, Scotland. By the way, if you are nowhere near Inverness, just take the train to Edinburgh and ride the bus to Loch Ness!
There have been a shocking number of people who claim to have seen the monster, which resembles Brontosaurus, the dinosaur with a long neck. There have been photoshopped and fabricated pictures of it; for some reason, people really want others to believe there is a life-threatening monster living beneath Scotland!
Fingal’s Cave
If you head to the west coast of Scotland, you will inevitably come across the volcanic basalt columns clearly standing out from Scottish waters. And if you manage to miss it, stories of the locals will guide you in the right direction.
According to folk tales, Fingal’s Cave was created approximately 60 million years ago by a lava flow and was inhabited by giants shortly after. Actually, the cave has connections with the Irish Giant’s Causeway, at least in a legendary sense. The locals say that the lava burst that formed Fingal’s Cave was the same one that caused the Giant’s Causeway.
And the giants? Well, apparently, they might have fought each other (according to locals, they most certainly did) and left behind the most stunning mythical sites of Scotland and Ireland.
Culzean Castle
Hearing the sound of pipes is not at all a weird occurrence in Scotland. However, hearing them when no one is around might be a bit sketchy.
There are multiple legends about ghost pipers of Scotland, which is quite self-explanatory as it is. A long time ago, there used to be tunnels near Stranraer that connected Cove of Grennan to Clanyard Bay, and they are said to have been heavily inhabited by ghost pipers. According to the legend, many went looking for them in the night, and a father with his young son even eventually went missing in the tunnels.
They are long gone by now, but there is a place you could visit to hear more chilling stories of these creatures. Culzean Castle is an incredible fortress also infected by ghost pipers. For years, people have been saying that they play when there is a celebration or a special occasion at the castle, and sometimes even late at night, without specific reasoning.
Blackness Castle
We had terrifying sea monsters, giants, and dead musicians. But what about good old ghosts? Scotland has them, too! Well, how could they not with all the castles they preserve?
Today we are traveling to the Blackness Castle near the Blackness village, on the south shore of the Firth of Forth. If nothing else, the name is quite suggestive already!
The fortress was used to house French prisoners during Napoleonic War, also inmates taken from the Seven Years War, so you can only imagine the gore and death this place has seen. Nowadays, people say that the castle is haunted, though it is not clear by who. Many believe ghosts to be prisoners and tortured, revengeful Frenchmen, which, admittedly, would make a lot of sense. Others believe the ghosts are knights who used to work the area and still carry some kind of grudges against their masters.
Overall, there have been many stories of something weird and paranormal happening inside the walls of the Blackness Castle. Odd noises, cold places, and an overall uncomfortable feeling.
Well, we can safely say that your Scotland trip is complete! Add these mythical places to your list of wealthy cities, gorgeous mansions, and tourist sites, and you will leave Scotland as an expert. So, pack your bags and off to explore the mystical side of one of the most stunning countries in Europe!
