The clans were united by claims of common descent from a distant ancestor and these could be Picts, Scots or even Norsemen, the peoples who roamed first millennium Scotland. The warriors of the clan, fiercely loyal to each other and to the chief, the centre of all clan life, were known for their remarkable courage and endurance, selfless loyalty and highly developed military skills. Not for nothing we they considered the best fighting men in the world. These skills in time formed the backbone of the British Armies that conquered the world, the Highland regiments. The tales collected here illustrate the drama and the dynamism of a society that lived close to nature, had little in the way of material wealth but was possessed of a tan intellectual treasure house of story and song. That tradition gives us instances of outstanding bravery and cold-hearted deceit, loyalty to the death and the eeriness of the magic and the supernatural.

Stuart McHardy is a writer, storyteller and lecturer. He was Director of the Scots Language Resource Centre from 1993 to 1998 and is a founder member and past president of the Pictish Arts Society. Stuart McHardy is an experienced broadcaster and professional musician. He lives in Edinburgh.