George Douglas printed the story in Scottish Fairy and Folk Tales (1901), and the Mysterious Britain gazetteer reproduces it. The gazetteer notes that the tale is usually attached to Knockdolian Castle, a 16th-century tower near Colmonell, and that the river past the castle is the Stinchar, not the Water of Girvan, so Douglas's placement is doubtful. The Grahames held Knockdolian first and the McCubbins by the mid 17th century, and no source ties either family to the tale.
Folklore & legend
The Mermaid of Knockdolian
Knockdolian Castle, Colmonell (traditional setting)
Folk tale, published 1901
This site is private property or has no public access. Coordinates shown are rounded and no directions are offered.
- Evidence
- Long-standing local tradition
- Access
- No public access
- Location
- 55.127, -4.946 (Parish-level only, treat as an area)
Sources: Mysterious Britain & Ireland, "The Mermaid Of Knockdolion" [other]
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