The Best Books on Scottish Folklore

I'm continually drawn in by the allure of Scottish folktales, which are often dark, dangerous, and full of delicious coastal gothic imagery. My second novel, The Bone Diver, is a re-telling of a selkie myth, specifically the tale of the Seal Killer from the Scottish Highlands. My current WIP goes even further into Scottish folklore, weaving an entire world filled with people, creatures and stories from Scottish myth and legend.

a sampling of a my favourite folklore collections

That said, I have read A LOT of Scottish fairy tales. Like a lot, a lot. Here are just a few of the books I return to again and again. Don't be put off by the size of some of these books -- fairy tales are fairy tales after all, and they are meant to be accessible!

Orkney Folk Tales by Tom Muir

My favourite folk tales are from Orkney (Kate Crackernuts! Look that one up if you don't know it. It doesn't disappoint). Orcadian folk tales are brimming with creepy, pungent, wonderful sea monsters, so it's not a surprise that I love them so much

Shetland Folk Tales by Lawrence Tulloch

Shetland has some stellar ghost stories. Ghosts are just as firmly a part of Scottish folklore as uncanny creatures like selkies or kelpies.

The Anthology of Scottish Folk Tales

Start with this book if you're new to Scottish folk tales or want a really accessible collection of tales from around Scotland. There is a handy map at the beginning, so you can dive into specific regional tales as you like.

Silver Unicorns and Golden Birds by Duncan Williamson

Duncan Williamson of the Scottish Traveller community is my favourite storyteller. I'm reading this collection with my six-year-old son, who loves this book (but refuses to read anything set in a spooky forest - fair enough!)

A Thorn in the King's Foot by Duncan Williamson

Another collection by Duncan Williamson transcribed by his wife Linda Williamson. Traveller tales are especially unique, and this collection contains tales I haven't heard anywhere else.

The Gaelic Otherworld edited by Ronald Black

If you want to feel like a real-life Emily Wilde fairy tale scholar, get your hands on this book. It's an incredible reference for the historical 'superstitions… and witchcraft and second sight in the Highlands and islands.'

The Lore of Scotland

Sort of like a massively extended version of 'The Anthology of Scottish Folk Tales', this book collects folk tales from all around Scotland.

Angie Spoto is an American fiction writer living in Edinburgh. In 2020, she completed a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow. Her doctoral thesis was a fantasy novel, called The Grief Nurse, and a collection of essays on grief, madness and language.

Angie's debut gothic fantasy novel The Grief Nurse was published in April 2023, and her second novel, The Bone Diver, was published on 10 October 2024.