About This Book
The work surveys Scottish traditions surrounding lochs, springs, and wells, tracing their roots in archaic water-worship and the persistence of pagan customs within Christian contexts. It catalogs legends linking saints to springs, healing and miraculous wells, water-spirits and merfolk, and practices such as offerings, pilgrimages, charms, and weather lore. Chapters examine physical features (stone blocks, charm-stones), therapeutic uses and water-cures, sun-related rites, and the meanings ascribed to marvels and wishing-wells, combining regional examples and comparative folklore to illuminate beliefs about water in Scottish popular culture.