The Folk-Lore of the North-East of Scotland

The Folk-Lore of the North-East of Scotland is a book by Walter Gregor, first published in 1881. It collects the customs, beliefs, proverbs and popular tales of rural communities in the north-eastern counties of Scotland—fishing villages, crofting settlements and market towns where oral tradition shaped daily life. The book records charms, omens, witchcraft lore, seasonal customs, folk-beliefs about animals and the sea, children’s rhymes and local superstitions, presented in the clear, observational style of a Victorian parish-minister turned ethnographer. Gregor’s work is valuable both as a primary record of 19th-century Scottish popular culture and as an early contribution to comparative folklore studies. The material preserves voices and practices that were rapidly changing under industrial and social pressures of the era, and it remains useful to historians, folklorists, writers and anyone seeking authentic regional colour — from ballads and tales to beliefs about the evil eye, charms to protect livestock, and rituals surrounding birth, marriage and death.