Welcome to Orkney ~ an ancient culture where mermaids sing and finmen take human brides. Giants dance here, and the terrible nucklavee haunts our lonely shores.
Come along with us and experience Orkney's legends and lore where the stories happened.
While the original Orkney Folklore Trails app was designed to function only on location by GPS, we and our friends at Robert Gordon University wish to open it to anyone, recognizing that it may be some time before people can travel to the islands.
We hope you enjoy your Orkney Folklore Trail virtual tour of the West Mainland. Please contact us with any technical difficulties and comments. Also, it would be very helpful if you could fill in the short feedback form included in the app.
Thanks, and enjoy!
Tom, Rhonda, Rachael, Stewart and Tim
July, 2019 brings the launch of a free Android app celebrating Orkney's stories and lore, hosted by Orcadian storyteller Tom Muir.
The Orkney Folklore Trail offers Orkney stories and music in the form of a driving trail around Orkney's West Mainland.
Download the Orkney Folklore Trail app and let Tom Muir guide you around the West Mainland.
He'll tell you a few of the stories that belong to the places you'll see.
You'll find helpful tips at each of the 10 sites to make your day out enjoyable. We've suggested nearby Orkney attractions to see and rural shops to visit.
We even point out where the toilets are! (An important consideration when you're out wandering about all day.)
So let yourself be enchanted by stories that have been told by Orcadians for centuries ... and far longer.
Tom and I had been contemplating how we could help people discover less-known places in Orkney, along with the rich folklore that saturates these locations. We had loads of Orkney stories, but no technical ability.
A fortuitous conversation with Robert Gordon University researchers Rachael Ironside and Stewart Massie began a dynamic partnership that would bring the vision into being.
Rachael was keen to explore ways to engage visitors with the islands’ supernatural stories. Stewart, a techy wizard of great ability, had the specialized skills we needed. Another tech wizard soon joined the adventure - Tim Melcherson of Sweden.
We all joined forces and started on our adventure to create the digital Orkney Folklore Trail.
Six months later, the team had created a driving trail of the Orkney Mainland’s west coast.
The trail begins in Stromness, with nine more stopping points to explore. GPS guides the traveler through the West Mainland. As the visitor arrives at each location, the stories from that place will ‘unlock.'
These traditional Orkney stories are narrated by Tom Muir and beautifully enhanced by fiddle tunes from Fionn McArthur and illustrations from Stromness historian and illustrator Bryce Wilson.
Thanks for being safe and courteous. Have a good time!
For a little more driving in Scotland help, here's a video guide to driving in Scotland from Visit Scotland.
See the Orkney Folklore Trail Terms of Use and Privacy Policy here.
Download the Orkney Folklore Trails app here!
Mermaid image (Rhonda's pages) and storyteller image (Tom's pages), and all other illustrations except where noted are here by the courtesy of our dear friend - Stromness author, artist and historian, Bryce Wilson MBE, who owns all copyrights. Thanks, Bryce!