Traditional Scottish Mermaid Stories – Tales of Folklore
Scotland has a wide range of fascinating water-based folk creatures. Many of them are unique but one group of tales that people might be more familiar with are Scottish Mermaid stories. However, I’ll warn you that these legends are usually a little darker than your average children’s Disney film.
Found right around the Scottish coast, let’s dive in and explore some Scottish Mermaid stories!
What Is A Scottish Mermaid?
You might think that “What is a Scottish Mermaid” is a pointless question. Everybody knows the answer to that don’t they? Surely they’re beautiful women with scallop shells for a bra, a big fishy tale and they live in an underwater kingdom!
Well, that’s partly correct, these creatures do live in the sea and there are stories of young men becoming infatuated with them. However, in some areas, Scottish mermaid stories make them sound far more like Selkies.
They’re able to detach their tail to dance on the beach and if that tail is stolen, they can’t return to the sea. In other versions it’s a golden comb that whoever holds it, controls the mermaid. While they’re much rarer, there are also some stories of Mermen in Scotland!
The Mermaid Of Dunnet Head
A beautiful Scottish Mermaid was once frequently spotted splashing around near Scotland’s most northerly point at Dunnet Head. When she wasn’t swimming, she would sit on a rock, combing her long blonde hair. If anybody got too close then the mermaid would quickly slip into the water and disappear.
Then one day a young lad turned a corner on the beach and managed to strike up a conversation before she could escape. Against all her instincts, the mermaid stayed to talk to the man who turned out to be very charming indeed.
Tentatively, she agreed to meet at the same spot every day, soon bringing gifts along to impress her companion. There are countless shipwrecks along the Caithness coast and this Scottish Mermaid had a large stash of shiny artefacts.
Little did she know that her human lover was using the gifts of gold and jewellery to woo girls on shore. The boy started to forget to meet his mermaid friend. Even when he was there, he seemed more interested in what she had brought than spending any time with her.
Eventually, she learned the truth and if there’s one person you don’t want to anger, it’s a Scottish Mermaid. A betrayal like this deserved an extra special punishment. She waited until the next visit and as usual, the boy was impatiently asking what presents there were today.
Instead, she sang him to sleep before dragging him through the sea to a tiny cave, hidden near Dwarwick. There, she chained him up amongst her horde. He would forever be with the gold and jewels that he craved so much.
Legend says that he’s imprisoned there still. When the seas are calm and the tide is low, he can almost see his old home that he’ll never visit again.
The Mermaid of Ardvreck Castle
The ruins of Ardvreck Castle stand quietly over the icy water of Loch Assynt. Every so often, a strange splash or supernatural sob is heard while wandering around the shore. This dark loch has a tragic tale to tell.
It’s said that the chief of the Macleods of Assynt couldn’t afford to build Ardvreck Castle on his own. Instead, the Devil disguised as a tall, handsome man offered to help finance the operation. All he wanted in return, was the chief’s immortal soul.
It was a steep price and Macleod was reluctant to pay, so the Devil changed his offer to the chief’s beautiful daughter’s hand in marriage instead. To the man’s eternal shame, he agreed.
Ardvreck was built in a matter of days and now it was time to pay the Devil. The poor girl had no idea what she was getting into, until her father, overcome with guilt, came clean.
Distraught, but with no way of escaping the castle before the ceremony the next day, the girl decided there was only one thing to do. Rather than marry the Devil, she threw herself from the top tower and plunged into Loch Assynt below.
The groom was furious to discover he’d been cheated, however, the story isn’t over. People soon started hearing a gentle crying around Loch Assynt and caught glimpses of a large, flicking tail disappearing under the water.
Instead of drowning, the girl had transformed into a Scottish Mermaid, keeping herself hidden from the Devil in caves deep below the surface. The water level often rises and falls in Loch Assynt and that’s said to be the lonely mermaid, filling the loch with tears, shed for a life that she was never able to live.
The Scottish Mermaid of Galloway
The shoreline around Dumfries & Galloway is an incredible place, a haven for pilgrims and smugglers alike. The hidden coves and sheltered beaches are also well known for their Scottish Mermaid stories.
A young laird from Cowehill encountered one the day before he was due to marry. He was trying to prepare for the wedding but kept being distracted by an enchanting song. The laird searched for miles to find the source of the singing, every step getting closer to the sea.
Eventually, he stumbled upon the most beautiful woman he had ever seen sitting on the rocky shore. However, she wasn’t a woman at all. To his surprise, the laird realised she was one of the legendary Scottish Mermaids his mother had told him tales of.
He had been warned to keep well away from them and under no circumstances should they be touched. But with the sweet song in his ear, he just couldn’t resist. Under the mermaid’s spell, he had forgotten all about his bride-to-be now. She tied her magical hair around his head and softly sang him to sleep. Once he was deeply snoring, the mermaid picked him up and carried him beneath the waves.
That night, the laird’s intended wife had cried herself to sleep. The love of her life had disappeared the day before their wedding and still hadn’t returned. She was startled awake during the night to find him standing over her, but something wasn’t right.
He had a sad look on his face and his hair was dripping wet. She reached out to find his hand and face were freezing to the touch. With tears in his eyes, the young laird’s apparition told his love to forget about him and find another. He was lost forever to the Mermaid of Galloway.
If you’ve enjoyed these Scottish Mermaid Stories then you can find lots more like them in the Scotland’s Stories book – available here!
You also might enjoy these stories of another creature found in lochs and rivers – The terrifying Scottish Kelpie!
2 Comments
Gabi · January 19, 2024 at 6:57 pm
I adore these!! Thank you! Always wanted to be a mermaid but I hate cold water, so if I were a mermaid in Scotland I would have to live in a hotube at the beach instead 😅
You are a great story teller!!
Graeme · January 19, 2024 at 7:01 pm
Glad you enjoyed them! Plenty of places with hottubs to warm you and your tail up! 😂