Hello,
My name is Rachel and my country is Scotland.
A country rich in legends and folklore.
Long ago Scots folk told stories to entertain one another around the hearth and bring families and communities together.
Scotland has a rugged and mysterious landscape which acts as a wonderful backdrop to tales involving magical creatures such as dragons,
Fairies,
Water horses known as kelpies and selkie seal women.
In my stories I will draw in elements of these traditional yarns told for hundreds of years but also add my own twist.
So please get comfy and coorie in,
Close your eyes and come with me to Scotland.
Once upon a time in a small coastal village called Pittenweem on Scotland's east coast there lived a fisherman and his son called Fraser.
Fraser spent his days watching his father set out to sea on his fishing boat and then helping him to haul his boat back onto the beach and unload his catch.
Fraser would dream of the day he would join his father on the boat and become a skilled fisherman himself.
One day while Fraser was wandering along the rocky shore he came across a curious sight,
A beautiful girl about his age sitting on the beach weeping.
Fraser approached her cautiously as there was something which felt a little out of the ordinary about the girl.
As he got closer to her she lifted her head and looked at him with soulful shining eyes which felt strangely magical and alluring.
She had long silky dark hair which flowed down her back and she was only wearing a thin shift dress with no shoes or socks despite the chilly spring weather.
Fraser asked her if she was okay and then soon learnt her despair was due to the fact that while she'd been visiting the village she had accidentally left her seal skin coat on the beach and now it was gone.
At the mention of the seal skin coat Fraser's ears pricked as he had long been told tales of selkie people,
Mythological shapeshifters who could transform between human and seal form by shedding and putting on their seal skin.
He'd been told that they were usually friendly but to sometimes be cautious as they had it in their nature to be dangerous and revengeful.
Fraser felt sure that this selkie girl meant him no harm and he didn't want to see her so distressed.
He was a kind-hearted boy and he promised her that he would help her find her seal coat.
The two of them searched all the rocks and caves of the beach tirelessly but it was nowhere to be found.
However,
Just as the girl gave out a tiny sob of despair,
Fraser caught a glimpse of something floating in the water,
Maybe around 200 meters from the shore.
He pointed to it and the girl clasped her mouth in surprise.
Yes,
That was her coat.
The girl continued to look worried though as she explained to Fraser that she couldn't swim to retrieve it.
Without her coat,
She would drown.
This confirmed Fraser's suspicions that the girl was a selkie as no human would find it easier to swim in a thick fur coat.
It just wouldn't make sense.
Unfortunately,
There were no boats on the beach which Fraser could use to row out to the sealskin.
To help the girl,
He would have to swim.
It would be too risky to wait for his father to return in the boat as goodness knows where the tide could wash the sealskin in that time.
So taking off his woollen jumper,
Fraser waded into the frigid waters.
He was used to the bite of the cold water on his feet and ankles as he helped his father pull in the boat but he wasn't so used to going in this deep,
Having the waves hit his face and feeling the salty water rush up his nose.
He swam tirelessly until at last he reached the sealskin and he was so relieved that it bobbed weightlessly on the water's surface as he did not have the energy to drag back something sodden and heavy.
He thought about putting it on to swim back but a pang of the unknown and a bit of fear had held him back.
What if he were to become a seal?
He wasn't sure he would like that so instead he towed it behind him with one arm,
Pulling with the other and kicking for his life.
When at last he stumbled back onto the beach with the sealskin,
He was completely spent.
However,
It was worth it to see the joy on the girl's face at getting her coat back.
She thanked Fraser and told him that she would never forget his kindness before donning her coat and transforming into a beautiful,
Sleek seal,
Diving gracefully back into the sea.
As the years passed,
Fraser grew into the strong and skilled fisherman that he'd always wanted to be,
Venturing into the Scottish waters each day in a small fishing boat.
But one stormy evening,
Fraser was battling to get his boat back to shore as dark clouds loomed overhead and waves crashed violently against the boat.
His boat lurched violently to one side and Fraser found himself tossed into the dark cold waters.
He was disorientated by the shock of the cold and the waves which kept bounding on him.
Fear coursed through his body.
But suddenly,
A shimmering figure with dark soulful eyes emerged from the churning waters.
It was the Selkie girl in her seal form who he had once saved.
With a graceful flick of her tail,
She guided him back to his boat and held him afloat so he could climb back aboard.
She then guided the boat back to shore,
Making sure he was safe before heading silently back out to sea.
The Selkie had undoubtedly saved Fraser's life that night and repaid her debt.
But from that day forward,
Whenever the sea grew restless and the winds howled,
The Selkie would appear to protect and guide Fraser,
A guardian angel.
In Selkie form.
Now I hope you enjoyed this story and can imagine sitting on the soft sand of a Scottish beach on a sunny day with the clear blue sea stretching out before you.
You might even see some seals playing in the waves,
Their sleek bodies rising and falling gracefully as they swim.
Occasionally popping their heads up to take a curious look around.
Good night and sweet dreams from Scotland.
