UK's Best Outdoor Myths & Legends to Visit

Spooky season is nearly here, meaning it's time for you to take your seat at the campfire (come on, I’ve been waiting ages) and listen to some scary outdoor stories, myths & legends.

Don’t worry, it won’t be that scary; it is a Millets blog, after all. Think Horrible Histories without the singing; now that would be scary.

Without further ado, let's dive into the weird and wonderful folklore of the British outdoors.

Dragon Hill - The Story of St George and the Dragon

Photo by Nathan Field on Unsplash

The site where the famous battle between Saint George and the dragon supposedly took place. The summit sits in the shadow of White Horse Hill. Dragon Hill is around 10 metres high (George must have been wearing a pair of walking boots from Millets to get up), and is a natural outcrop formed from the Ice Age. 

There is a white mark on top of the hill, which some speculate is where the dragon died. Or, some fantasists have suggested a type of salt found on the summit is the culprit. Pfft, as if. 

Imagine him strolling back into the local tavern, ordering a tankard of ale, then boasting about 1v1ing a dragon.

Must have turned into a heavy night, a few more ales, some questionable dance moves to the local bard, then waking up with a sore head the next morning thinking: “Wait... did I really slay that dragon?”

Not to be a spoilsport, but Saint George wasn’t even English and never visited Uffington. Of course that’s the ridiculous part of this story. Not the fact that he slew a dragon. (1)

The site is managed by the National Trust on behalf of English Heritage and is free entry. 

Loch Morar, Scotland - Morag, the lesser-known Loch monster

Everyone knows about Nessie, the Loch Ness monster. We're here to give some love to her lesser-known cousin, Morag (she has a cooler name anyway).

Morag is a traditional Scottish name, deriving from Gaelic meaning 'great' or 'magnificence'. And she really is magnificent, because she's gone from being described as a mermaid-like creature to something more in line with good old Nessie. Perhaps that's what sent her over the edge.

Apparently, Morag is more aggressive than her more benevolent cousin. She reportedly attacked a boat (stay with me, I know) after it accidentally rammed into her. Maybe she was chilling or in the middle of a video game. I would be raging too, in fairness.

Morag then rose out of the water, reportedly 25 to 30 feet long, only to be met by a whack from an oar. (2) Poor Morag. 

Maybe Morag is having a huff somewhere deep down in the loch, waiting to reveal herself to those who believe her to be the superior Loch monster. So, why not pay a visit to Loch Morar and let her know how great she is?

Loch Morar is in the stunning Scottish Highlands and a must-visit for any outdoor lover. It's also extremely rainy; get your waterproof jacket ready. 

Cadair Idris, Wales - The giant Idris 

Wales and giants are synonymous, and this tale concerns the giant Idris, who was an astronomer. What a bloke.

The tale goes that he used to sit atop a mountain ridge in Meirionnydd, which became Cadair Idris. "Cadair Idris" means "Chair of Idris" (3) (I also have a chair with my name on it in the office, and it spins- beat that, Idris, pal).

He reportedly used to sit there and contemplate the trials and tribulations of man. I suppose it's the equivalent of watching a video on space on YouTube before bed and giving yourself an existential crisis, except he actually looked at the stars in a massive chair up in the mountains. 

Idris also apparently chucked some pesky stones out of his shoes, lodging massive stones in the grass and kindly creating monuments like Llech Idris for you to go and see. 

Bungay, Suffolk - Black Shuck, the ghostly black dog

An enormous, ghostly dog with eyes made of flame, sometimes described as being the size of a horse, missing its head, or floating on a carpet of mist. Either way, I think it's fair to say I wouldn't fancy delivering the post if this fella was at home.

Word is Black Shuck patrols East Anglian coastlines, graveyards, lakes and forests. Does he float? Does he have super speed? Or is he out there padding his Strava stats? Who knows.

The name 'Shuck' could derive from the Old English word 'succa', meaning devil. (4) Strong emphasis on could. Maybe historians could have got it wrong, and his name is actually Simon. 

Bungay is a lovely Suffolk market town and has plenty to see and do, including some beautiful walks around Bigod's Castle, the remains of a large Norman castle dating back to 1165.

Or you could go hunting for the Black Shuck. Be warned: if you do see a black dog in the area and you start running away, you might look ridiculous. It's probably just a poor Labrador wanting a dog treat. Or maybe it's not, and it's the demon dog of Bungay. Send me a picture for the blog, please.

River Conwy - Afanc, the shapeless monster of Conwy 

Photo by Bill Eccles on Unsplash

Back in the day, the people who lived in the Conwy valley were said to be plagued by countless floods. Some others may explain the floods through factors such as prolonged or heavy rainfall, impermeable geology, or even deforestation, but these people are clearly ridiculous. The Conwy villagers had it figured out. It was the Afanc. Obviously. 

What does it look like? No one really knows; it's often portrayed as beaver-like, which might explain its meddling with the water flows. Unlike a beaver, though, this monster was portrayed as strong enough to break the banks when angry, causing the floods. Often nowadays it's recalled as a creature closer to Nessie, or our good friend Morag. We'll stick with the beaver, though; it's more entertaining to imagine a massive beaver with a crocodile tail. 

Eventually, the villagers had enough, lured it out, tied it to the back of giant oxen and carried it away. Fella probably just wanted to play with logs; hope he got his happy ending. (5)

Conwy is a must-visit for any history buff; the beautiful market town has the famous castle and town walls to have a walk around. It is also the home of The Smallest House in Great Britain, which I went to as a kid. As you're on the coast, be sure to grab some fish and chips for dinner after you explore the quay and harbour. Perfect for a winter camp, there are plenty of campsites to choose from in the surrounding area. 

Northern Ireland - Fairy Thorn/Hawthorn Trees

Fairy trees are lone trees, usually hawthorns, regarded as sacred sites and associated with magic (Not the rabbit out of the hat kind, proper magic). There are conflicting stories about what a fairy tree means; some suggest fairies use them as a sort of base camp, while others suggest they can act as gates into another world. Some tales even describe fairies as tribal, with rival groups going to war with one another. (6)

Traditionally, people have been reluctant to disturb fairy trees, with farmers working around them, and stories of construction projects being halted because a fairy tree was there first.

As fairy trees are considered sacred in Irish folklore, please be respectful if you encounter any and leave them undisturbed. 

Time to wrap up

And there we have it: dragons, giants, demon dogs, enormous beavers and misunderstood loch monsters. We've run out of firewood for the fire (and marshmallows), so it might be time for us to call it a night.

Hopefully we've given you some wondrous new places to go looking for the legends of the past. 

But be careful, as you go back to your tent, make sure you don't run into the demon dog. Or a Labrador, as we've established; it can be confusing. 

References

1. https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/oxfordshire-buckinghamshire-berkshire/white-horse-hill/history-at-white-horse-hill

2. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-21574832

3. https://eryri.gov.wales/discover/history-and-heritage/mythology-and-folklore/idris-gawr/

4. https://www.thesuffolkcoast.co.uk/articles/the-legend-of-the-bungay-black-dog

5. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofWales/The-Legend-of-the-River-Conwy-Afanc/

6. https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/myth-stories-irelands-fairy-tree