J. F. Campbell Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

THE BROLLACHAN. I9I
are always attributed to the stars. They are common on moors,
and I do not know what they are. — J. F. C.)
The same creature, or one of her kind,
2. In Beann na Caltuinn, one day called to Donald MacRobb,
" Will you eat any charcoal, Donald?" "No,'' he said ; "my
wife will give me supper when I go home."
3. And it said, that a family of Munroes had, many gener-
ations ago, married with the Vougha of Beann na Caltuinn. Their
descendants had manes and tails till within the last four genera-
tions.
4. Four or five miles from Skibo Castle is Loch Nigdal, with
a great granite rock of the same name to the north of it ; at one
end is a burn which passes the mill where the Brollachan entered.
It is haunted with a Banshee (that is, female fairy), which the
miller's wife saw about three years ago. She was sitting on
a stone, quiet, and beautifully dressed in a green silk dress, the
sleeves of which were curiously puffed from the wrists to the
shoulder. Her long hair was yellow, like ripe corn ; but on
nearer view she had no nose.
5. A very old, coarse, and dirty Banshee belongs to a small
sheep-farm of Mr. Dempster's. A shepherd found her apparently
crippled at the edge of the moss, and offered her a lift on his
back. In going, he espied her feet, which were dangling down,
and seeing that she was web-footed, he threw her ofl', flung away
the plaid on which she had lain, and ran for his life.
From all these it appears that the Fuath in Sutherland is a
water spirit ; that there are males and females ; that they have
web-feet, yellow hair, green dresses, tails, manes, and no noses ;
that they marry men, and are killed by light, and hurt with
steel weapons ; that in crossing a stream they become restless.
From the following stories it appears that they are hairy, have
bare skin on their faces, and have two large round eyes.
The Rev. Mr. Thomas Pattieson has sent me a story from
Islay, which he has written in English, but which he picked up
amongst the people. It is as follows ; but I have ventured to
shorten it a little : —
6. The Vi'ater Rorse. — There is a small island off the Ehinns