Scottish folklore is filled with wonderful things: mermaids and seal killers, hoodie crows and fairy lovers, bones, and doves and sea monsters whose teeth become islands. Here's a small collection of books filled with Scottish fairy tales and folklore. All these collections are accessible, a joy to read, and some are even adorned with lovely illustrations. Enjoy!
The Anthology of Scottish Folk Tales published by The History Press
Containing a map that acts as a table of contents, this book is filled with fairy tales from throughout Scotland, from Edinburgh to Orkney and the Western Isles among others. The tales are told by contemporary Scottish storytellers.
An Illustrated Treasury of Scottish Folk and Fairy Tales by Theresa Breslin & Kate Leiper
A gorgeously-illustrated collection of Scottish folk and fairy tales that's not just for kids.
Shetland Folk Tales by Lawrence Tulloch
A collection of folk and fairy tales from the Shetland Islands. Read this if you like sea creatures and things that creep along the shore.
Fairies, Elves & Goblins: The Old Stories by Rosalind Kerven
With a beautifully illustrated cover and images throughout, this book is a showcase of Britain and Ireland's Good People. The stories are annotated with comprehensive notes, which isn't common for fairy tale collections but is very welcome for anyone doing research on Scotland's faries.
Scottish Myths and Legends by Daniel Allison
This collection,filled with Allison’s retellings of classic as well as little-known Scottish fairy tales, is written in an accessible and compelling prose that inspired me to start writing my own fairy stories.
Botanical Folk Tales of Britain and Ireland by Lisa Schneidau
This is a collection of folk tales featuring the plants of Britain and Ireland. The book is organised by the season and introduced me to some new and fascinating stories I'd not heard before.
Angie Spoto is an American fiction writer and poet 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. The Grief Nurse has been shortlisted for the First Novel Prize 2021 and The Bridge Awards Emerging Writer Award in 2020. Angie is represented by Robbie Guillory from Underline Literary Agency.
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