A series of improbable kings
We've looked at the legend of King Galdus, and how it relates to the fragmentary older legends of Cairbre Riata and other supposed...
King Galdus
The fourth book of Hector Boece's History of the Scottish People tells the epic story of the hero-king Galdus. (A still more stirring...
Beregonium, Scotland's lost capital
There is a legend of a fallen city, once the glorious capital of the ancient Scots, before it was destroyed in fire. But where did the...
The Legend of Canonbie Dick
The Canonbie Dick story is one of Scotland's best known folk tales. In its usual form, it goes like this: a horse-trader, from Canonbie...
The Giant and the Dwarf
I investigate a story from Angus that may not be all it seems. Content note: kidnapping; slavery; objectification of disabled people....
Pirate Corner: Modern Myths and Counter-Myths
I examine some of the curious misapprehensions surrounding Golden Age piracy. Content note: murder by drowning. The popular image of the...
Pirate Corner: The kilted buccaneer
The swashbuckling story of "Red Legs" Greaves fascinated me as a child. Here, I look into the evidence to see if it actually happened....
