Stories of Scottish Giants
Of all the creatures of folklore found in Scotland, none are as big or as impressive as the stories of Scottish Giants. These creatures aren’t unique to Scotland at all, but many of the legends that surround them are. In a country covered by rolling hills and soaring mountains, it’s no surprise that it was thought to once be roamed by enormous people.
So what do we know of Scottish Giants and the stories that surround them?
What is a Scottish Giant?
Of all the creatures of folklore, defining what a Scottish giant is has to be the easiest task! Dozens of feet tall, most were thought to have roamed Scotland in a time before humans took over. The landscape is littered with boulders thrown by these enormous characters or rocks shaped into their chairs. Many hills were thought to be home to Scottish Giants, or even formed by their gently slumbering bodies.
There are real historical characters who have been transformed into giant status by their natural height nearing 7 feet. However, most of our Scottish Giant stories surround more monstrous entities who could easily stride through lochs or from mountain to mountain.
Jock o Bennachie
The iconic Bennachie is Aberdeenshire’s favourite hill, once home to a Scottish giant called Jock O’ Bennachie, as ancient as he was enormous. Jock wasn’t alone though, there were more giants around these parts including his main rival. Living at the Tap O’ Noth, he was imaginatively named, Jock O’ Noth.
Scottish giants are renowned for enjoying conflict, but these two had an extra reason to fight. The Jocks were competing for the attention of a beautiful giantess called Lady Anne. Unfortunately for Bennachie, Anne had taken a shining to his nemesis and wasn’t very subtle about it. One day he spied them canoodling at the summit of Tap O’ Noth and poor Jock was heartbroken.
In rage, he picked up a boulder and launched it at them, but the other Jock saw it coming a mile away. He booted it right back, knocking a chunk off the top of Bennachie. Jock O’ Bennachie had already thrown another, while his opponent picked up a rock of his own. Lady Anne stepped in to stop the fighting, but all she achieved was being crushed by the incoming boulder.
Jock was devastated, fleeing down Bennachie and hiding out of shame. That night he suddenly awoke with Anne’s face looking down at him. He wept tears of joy that she had survived!
However, something wasn’t right. No wind was blowing and things seemed to be getting even darker. He turned to see Anne had transformed into an old, cackling fairy, pulling an enormous door closed as she left.
She cursed Jock to be trapped underneath Bennachie until a one-eyed, only-child boy found the keys to that doorway, hidden under a juniper tree. As far as I know, he’s still imprisoned there today, paying for his actions.
The Giant Ring Of Brodgar
One of Orkney’s most impressive sites, the Ring of Brodgar is an almost perfect stone circle. It’s also the largest circle in Scotland, once containing 60 stones but now down to just a couple dozen. However, these aren’t simply big stones, they’re actually Scottish Giants, frozen in place for the rest of time.
On a clear summer night long ago, Orkney’s giants made their way to Brodgar, crossing the land quickly with their huge strides. These giants may have been violent and fearsome, but they still liked to enjoy themselves. One sat down, pulled out a fiddle and began to play a reel. The rest all began to dance under the moonlight.
The ground shook under their feet as they spun and whirled in a circle, but the giants didn’t have a care in the world. As the music grew faster, they spun ever faster. The giants were enjoying themselves so much that they had forgotten how early the sun rises in an Orkney summer. These particular Scottish Giants couldn’t stand the light of the sun.
Suddenly, the music and the dancing stopped in unison. The first rays of morning light had hit them and the giants were all turned to stone, still in their circle, now known as the Ring of Brodgar. The fiddler himself sits alone, now known as the Comet Stone. If you pass by, make sure to give him a nod!
The Most Northerly Scottish Giants
Even further north than Orkney, it’s no surprise that Shetland was also once home to Scottish Giants. On Unst, two of them had made their homes far too close to each other. It was a recipe for disaster. Saxa lived on Saxa Vord and Herman on Hermaness, with only a small sea loch known as a voe between them.
True to form, the pair would launch boulders across the water, trying to knock their opponent into the sea. Many of those enormous rocks can still be seen scattered around the landscape today. In equally typical fashion, many of the giant’s arguments surrounded a lady. Although this lady was a little different.
Saxa and Herman were besotted with a beautiful mermaid. She wasn’t truly interested in either of them, but this mermaid liked to fan their flames of passion and discontent.
One day, the giants were roaring insults at each other across the water, shaking the whole island of Unst. The little mermaid popped out of the water and the mere sight of her was enough to silence them. She issued a challenge to settle their differences once and for all. Whoever swam out to meet her at the North Pole first could have her.
Both giants were terrified of the water, but would do anything for the mermaid. When one stepped foot into the sea, the other refused to give in and quickly followed. The people of Unst waited to see if it would be Herman or Saxa who would return victorious. In the end, the mermaid appeared alone, laughing that both giants had drowned in the sea.
Unst would be free from their noisy quarrels, but at least the pair still live on in the names of the landscape.
A Giant Scottish Dog!
Scotland doesn’t just have stories of giant people, we also have legends of giant Scottish dogs! The legendary hero Fingal had once rescued a huge puppy named Bran and the dog quickly became his best friend. Bran was a Scottish Deerhound as tall as big Fingal’s shoulder, multicoloured with a belly of white and fierce eyes.
Unfortunately, Bran couldn’t accompany Fingal on all of his adventures. When he had to leave him behind, Fingal would chain his companion to the base of this rock near Oban called the Dog Stone. Impatient for his master’s return, Bran paced round in circles and the chain slowly wore away the bottom.
This giant Scottish dog features in plenty of Fingal’s legends, often saving his neck. Any time Fingal’s warriors were hungry then the hound would head off into the forest and come back with something delicious. Bran even saved his master after Fingal was captured by the Irish King Cormac.
The ransom for Fingal’s return was delivery of several pairs of animals from a long list and so Bran set to work. Deer, rabbits and tiny mice were no problem for the enormous dog. Out of either fear or respect, they marched past the Irish King on Bran’s command.
Cormac must have been laughing to himself when all but the final animal had arrived. Surely even Bran couldn’t manage a feat this incredible! To Cormac’s surprise, he heard a loud bark before two large whales, painfully and unsteadily walked on past followed by the ever faithful Bran.
Fingal wouldn’t have succeeded in half of his adventures without Bran and I that’s something I can relate to.
Even More Stories Of Scottish Giants!
The list goes on, I could easily list off another dozen stories of Scottish Giants! This could be a whole book and maybe it will one day. For now, here are some other tales that I’ve already told in much greater detail. I hope you enjoy them!
- The Legend Of The Red Etin – Said to be related to Edin’s Hall in the Scottish Borders
- Fingal’s Cave & Benandonner – Located on the tiny island of Staffa near Mull.
- Finlay & The Giants – A brilliant tale but with no fixed location.
If you’re interested in more Scottish Folklore then how about these tales of deadly Kelpies?
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