‘Choosing the best stories to tell about a certain place can be a storyteller’s biggest challenge. However, if you want to create an event that is grounded in a location, or specific culture and you are willing to give some time to investigation and research, then you will find this type of storytelling venture one … Continued

‘On Knockfarrel hill above Strathpeffer are the remains of a vitrified Iron Age fort. Its stones were fused together by intense heat around 2000 years ago. The renowned Irish warrior Finn MacCoul once lived there, together with his warriors and their wives and children. One fine day, when Finn and his men were away hunting, … Continued

This is a short traditional Czech tale translated by Barbora Voráčová as part of her internship at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, who states: ‘I really like this fairy tale which my grandmother used to tell me. I have so many nice memories attached to it! ‘I chose this story because it contains examples of the … Continued

This is a traditional Indian teaching tale suitable for use with a wide age range, including special needs. With small children (nursery to lower primary), the simple structure of this tale fairly begs to be acted out. The story builds is founded on prediction and suspense: can we work out what will happen next? At upper primary level, … Continued

A short pirate tale from Anne Pitcher, suitable for primary school children (4-5 yrs): ‘This is a pirate tale I heard from Angie Townsend which I have adapted. Angie is an absolutely amazing storyteller who knows so much about Scottish Pirates, both real and imaginary. There were indeed many pirates who sailed the seas in … Continued

Bearskin is an original translation of the German Grimm Brothers tale Bärenhäuter by Helena Weinberg, carried out as part of her internship at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, and she states: ‘I chose this story because it is not very well known, but very representative of the style of the tales collected by the brothers Grimm. … Continued

This is a short and simple story from Japan, with suggested activities for children over the age of 8. Contributed by storyteller Senga Munro, who states: ‘I first came across this story in a collection of bedtime stories and this is my retelling. I like this story because it shows how knowledge in the past … Continued

The Rattle and The Nasty Beastie are stories that involve a great deal of active participation and interaction which can be used in a cross curricular way in an Early Years setting. Both stories fit into the Listening and Talking strands within Literacy and English and some aspects within Expressive Arts such as ‘expressing yourself … Continued

This resource is a really good starting point for your storytelling session. The activities are a fantastic way of getting a mixed group of older and younger people (or indeed any group) involved. If you prefer, you can tell the tales separately as part of your very own storytelling event. ‘I have organised and run … Continued

This resource includes an original retelling of the Greek tale of Atalanta and Melanion, with a live commentary of the race. The style is that of the spoken language, to help you learn and remember the tale. There are also ideas and resources for follow-up activities, especially suited to schools. The activities cover a wide area … Continued