Scottish mythology tells of many supernatural creatures that roamed the land. For millennia, tales of these beasts have been preserved via storytelling, passing the legacy by word onto successive generations over centuries. Nowadays, such myths have been cemented in writing, offering a more concrete view of the tales our ancestors shared.
“Celtic” may be thought of as describing a ‘spectrum’ of cultures that share similar languages, beliefs and traditions, so you may find variants of these myths from multiple sources.
Discover more about these Scottish mythical beasts with Carl’s Lingo Kingdom (as seen above), or continue reading for 17 mythical Scottish creatures that have evoked fear in Scotland since ancient times.
17. “Morag" The Loch Morar Monster (Gaelic: Mòrag)
Did you know that the world famous Loch Ness Monster has a so-called “cousin”? Described similarly in appearance to Nessie, the fellow cryptid is named Morag. Morag lives in Loch Morar (70 miles from Loch Ness) which is the deepest lake in the British Isles with a maximum depth of 310m. In 1969, two fishermen claimed they struck Morag on their speedboat, prompting her to retaliate. The pair described a “brown creature, 25 - 30ft long, with rough skin, and a head being held about 20 inches above the water.” The Loch Ness Investigation Bureau expanded their search to include Morag in the 1970s. Photo: biodivlibrary on Flickr