touted as a scholarly exploration of Scottish folklore, this well-intentioned and generally well written book falls into the same category as most Neo-Pagan writing - inspired but full of historical inaccuracies. Most of Scottish folklore does NOT reflect Norse influence, and the attempt to blend together Celtic, Norse, Anglo-Saxon and Border folklore results in a confusing exploration. Much of the folklore is taken from reasonably decent general (but certainly not scholarly) sources like the Bords, Livingstone, Evans-Wentz and the like - there is some good material in those books but not all of it is reliable - a person writing so many books about Celtic cultures should know about these caveats. There are numerous other problems as well - The Scots were not a 'cosmopolitan' society, the Gaels arrived from Ireland in 500 CE (AD) not BC, the Druids did not have 'orders,' the Gaulish goddess Sequana was not worshipped in Scotland, the carrot and wild carrot are not the same plant, the Druids did not worship the sun at Beltaine.... the list could go on. Likewise in the herbal section, stated as being Highland Herbal Lore - but taken from English herbals and many other sources. Not much information was given about how the herbs were actually used in Scotland - more of a general overview herbal approach with some folklore bits mixed in. Where the author simply quotes directly from other readily available folklore sources, she does well. But her understanding of ancient and medieval history - including what is reliably known about the Druids, the Gods and the Holidays - sounds more like a novice than the long-term practitioner and writer that she is. One cannot simply transplant Irish material and say it is 'Scottish' simply because the Scotti emigrated from Ireland to Scotland. If the author could avail herself of some professional training in how to understand and discern between good, bad and unreliable sources, her work would be stronger and could be of more service. As it stands it is a blend of good folklore, outdated Victorian perceptions of Celtic practices, mixed together with Neo-Pagan ideas and other unidentifiable lore (definitely NOT Scottish). Tread lightly when speaking of other cultures - we might not respond so politely in the future. This review is not meant as a harsh criticism, or to be hurtful - but to encourage the author to upgrade her skills and move up to the next level. In many places it was an enjoyable read, where the information was solid.