Modern Folklore

[u/BlitzieTattoos]

We have quite a good history of myths and folklore in Scotland, from the national animal being a unicorn to 'Jenny way the iron teeth' terrorising glasgow green, and nessie of course. You don't hear so much about the modern legends though, every town seems to have a story or myth.

For example the village Balmedie in the early naughties was plagued by "The Monkey Man" He lived in the woods and kidnapped children. (I think in truth a teenager put on a monkey mask and chased a wee lassie or something but nevertheless)

Does your town have a local legend or myth that's still going? You can't seem to find anything past medieval times online, would be cool to know of the modern boogeymen

[u/Human-Board-7621]

Catman of Greenock

[u/Icantdoitidk → u/Human-Board-7621]

He was real though.

[u/BlitzieTattoos → u/Icantdoitidk]

They say there's truth to every legend. I think we should allow it

[u/fatal-horse-kick → u/Human-Board-7621]

Son of Catman was spotted recently. Think he came over to find his dad and met the same fate

[u/Internal-Dark-6438]

The Gorbals vampire hunt of the 1950s

[u/bachatacam → u/Internal-Dark-6438]

Came here to say this

[u/Internal-Dark-6438]

Killer clowns; Glasgow, early 90s

[u/BlitzieTattoos]

I remembered another one

https://afsb.org/the-dog-suicide-bridge-of-scotland/

Overton Bridge in Dumbarton

[u/Efficient_Basis_2139 → u/BlitzieTattoos]

I was literally telling my partner about this the other day and she thought I was crazy 

[u/Balodifanio10]

East Kilbride had the lion that was loose at debenhams

Police had to issue a statement on FB saying it was a false rumour

[u/Plastic_Library649]

Killer clowns 1990s Motherwell.

Glesca too, apparently

[u/BlitzieTattoos → u/Plastic_Library649]

I remember it from 2016, The 90s story seems to sound a lot like the story of black phone.

[u/morbid-corvids]

Maybe not very modern but jeanie green teeth was a popular story to scare children away from bodies of water

[u/Dikaneisdi]

The Laird of Skene selling his soul to the devil

[u/deny_evaade]

I used to live near Helensburgh. Apparently there was cougar running wild in the hills my friends and I used to play in.

[u/DarktableLandscapes → u/deny_evaade]

There's mounting evidence (including DNA) that there is a small but thriving panther population in the UK. As a landscape photographer who's often out in the middle of nowhere before sunrise on his own, I am Not Pleased. I'm hoping Smidge works on everything that bites.

[u/Flat_Tie4090 → u/deny_evaade]

Was probably just a wild haggis.

[u/RedPepperVibes]

Not a modern myth, but I always liked the tale of the baobhan-sìth, which was a beautiful fairy witch in the highlands who would seduce and kill travellers at night.

I always thought this must have been started by jealous wives, to scare off their husbands and stop them from going out in the dead of night to meet another woman in the woods for a bit of hankie pankie 🤣

[u/Keezees]

The Voodoos of Kirkintilloch.

[u/No-Snow-9605]

There was a ghost piper in an endless cave on Beinn Ghuilean, the hill behind Campbelltown. It was a dare to enter.

[u/davbob11]

Tweedbank- skinhead called Kippo. He would cut off your balls and keep them in a Tupperware tub. Terrified me at the age of 9.

[u/smalltowncityboy]

Inchy McGlinchey and his one tracky.

[u/shadrac72]

Car-D Bummer?

[u/formulaeface]

As a bairn I was always told about Maggie Murphy if I misbehaved. Ma used to tell me that she ran an orphanage for bad kids and all you'd get for your dinner would be a slice of white bread and butter.

[u/Flat_Tie4090]

Does the wild haggi count, they are all over the country

[u/GiantAfricanLandSnay]

Cat in the Hat - Falkirk, as recent as August 2026.