Folk Tales of Ayrshire

Tony Bonning

978 1 911043 12 6

£14.00 232pp Paperback

2021

This book contains a wonderful collection of Folk Tales from Ayrshire’s rolling countryside and coast. Storyteller extraordinaire, Tony Bonning has been collecting these for many years, and he is well-respected as a folk tale expert in South-West Scotland. Born in Ayrshire, he has been brought up in the story-telling tradition of his Carrick parents, something that has remained with him all of his life.
This collection of over sixty traditional tales is one that readers will love, with accounts of witches, wraiths, monsters, selkies, mermaids and fairies from all over the county. There are also tales of Ayrshire folk who have tried to outwit the Devil himself, or used his secret powers to try to make a better life for themselves.
Also included are stories and legends from the county’s past, explaining the origins of Ayr’s Auld Brig, how Ailsa Craig appeared, the tradition of Dundonald Castle, and the Murder Hole.
Here also are the stories of Old King Cole, the cannibal Sawney Bean, Johnny Faa, Maggie Osborne and many more traditional tales, all retold in Tony Bonning’s distinctive style.
Illustrated by Jo Jackson Bonning.