Myths and Legends from the Scottish Highlands

The Fairy Flag is made of tattered silk and belongs to the MacLeods of Dunvegan. It is kept in their ancestral home, Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye. Nobody knows how it came to Scotland. Perhaps a MacLeod who fought in the Crusades brought it back from the Holy Land.

It is said that the Fairy Flag has magical powers in warfare. When the MacLeods are in desperate danger during a battle, they can unfurl it and become invincible. Legend has it that they used it in 1450 and 1520 against the MacDonalds. But the Fairly Flag only works three times.

The MacLeods employed the MacCrimmons as their hereditary pipers. They composed and played music for the Highland bagpipes and one of their masterpieces was a tune called ‘The Fairy Flag’. Its theme and variations tell of its magical qualities.

Fairies are said to be very fond of the Highland pipes. According to legend, the Fairy Queen offered a MacCrimmon piper a choice: he could either have skill without fame or fame without skill.  When MacCrimmon chose the first option...

The first documented sighting of the Loch Ness monster was in 565 when Irish monk St Columba came across Picts burying a man next to the River Ness.  He was told that the dead man had been attacked by an aquatic creature and dragged him underneath the water.  

St Columba then sent one of his followers into the river for a swim but when he was approached by the monster, St Columba reportedly made the sign of the cross and exclaimed "Go no further. Do not touch the man. Go back at once."   

The monster then retreated back into the depths of the river. In the centuries that followed sightings of the monster increased, especially in the 1930's. This is believed to have been due to the upgrades to the road which encouraged many more visitors. 

In English, the name means 'Fairy Woman'. The Baobhan Sith appears as a beautiful seductress who preys on young hunters in the Highlands, inviting them to dance with her. When they are off guard she makes holes in the victim's neck and sucks their blood.

The Baobhan Sith are also shapeshifters who can take the form of a wolf, a raven or hooded crow. It is rare to see a lone Baobhan Sith as they prefer to hunt in packs and only come out at nightfall. During the day, they rest in their coffins.

The only way to kill or harm a Baobhan Sith is with iron. They dislike horses because of their iron shoes, a warning to hunters with wives at home that it’s best to stay on their horse. They are also said to be clever, able to speak in any language their victim knows.

Like other Highland legends, the message of the Baobhan Sith appears to warn  men not to stray from the path, don’t speak to strangers – especially beautiful female ones. That it is best to stay indoors and most of all to stay faithful.