As part of the Insular Celts, I know that Scotland shares some Pantheon of Gods with Ireland, Wales and England.
However, does Scotland have any discrete mythology unique to the Scottish people/land?
2 Answers
Yes. Below are some I believe hit the mark.
In Scottish folklore, the Loch Ness Monster or Nessie, is an aquatic being which reputedly inhabits Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loch_Ness_Monster
Wulvers are ofter called werewolves, but legend shows they are quite different. Said to inhabit the Shetland Islands to the north of the Scottish mainland.
http://www.scotclans.com/the-scottish-wulver-the-kindly-werewolf/
The Irish banshee and the Scottish bean nighe tread the darkest of nights as omens from another world, that of the unknown beyond. Though similar at first glance, they were regarded as quite different beings.
In Scottish folklore the Ghillie Dhu or Gille Dubh was a solitary male faerie. He was kindly and reticent yet sometimes wild in character but had a gentle devotion to children
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghillie_Dhu
A shape-shifting mythical water bird, Boobrie, is a huge, black creature flying through the water and haunting lakes and salt-water wells. In Scottish Highlands, there are many legends of this strange, gigantic bird with webbed feet, at the end of short legs, black wings, claws that resemble human hands and black eyes with a very unnerving and piercing stare, capable to drive a person looking at these eyes – insane
Interestingly, the Blue Men of Minch, also known as Storm Kelpies are unheard of in other parts of Scotland and there are without counterparts in the rest of the world. They should not be confused with the Fin Folk, mythical amphibious sea people on Orkney and Shetland.
http://www.ancientpages.com/2016/05/13/legend-blue-men-minch-mythological-creatures-real-men/
Potentially more here... http://godfinder.org/index.html?q=Scotland
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1The question asks for mythology that is unique to Scottish people. Is that the case with the creatures you list?– yannis ♦May 7, 2018 at 8:10
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@yannis Kelpies and Selkies are also Irish for sure. Can't say for the remainder.– DukeZhouMay 7, 2018 at 21:18
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1@DukeZhou First sources led me to think they were, but you are right those two weren’t unique. May 8, 2018 at 4:06
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Wild Haggis
Wild haggis is a fictional creature of Scottish folklore, and according to a study documented in the Guardian newspaper one third of US visitors to Scotland believe the haggis to be a real animal. In fact, according to the Sydney Morning Herald, US tour operators were even selling haggis hunting tours to US tourists that thought they could hunt and catch a haggis.
The enduring myth of the haggis still contributes to the Scottish travel trade, according to a poll yesterday that suggested a third of US visitors believe the delicacy to be an animal.
Almost one in four (23 per cent) of those questioned said they had come to Scotland under the belief they could hunt and catch Scotland's most famous dish.
US tour operators are even punting haggis hunting tours, which have proved a big hit with Americans eager for the "authentic" Scottish experience.
Haggis
For anyone that does not know, a haggis is really a pudding containing sheep's heart, liver and lungs.
Haggis (Scottish Gaelic: taigeis) is a savoury pudding containing sheep's pluck (heart, liver, and lungs),
