The Peedie Folk O’ Hill & Mound – The Happening
The Orkney Storytelling Centre is delighted to partner with the St Magnus International Festival for “The Peedie Folk O’ Hill and Mound – The Happening,” a sold‑out, immersive performance, blending Orcadian folklore and storytelling.
As part of this collaboration, you can still listen to the companion podcast below and view images of the Trowie Mound in our online gallery, extending the midsummer magic beyond the event itself.
“Walkin’ through the grimlings, the eerie gloamin’ light,
Twa Orkney fiddlers set oot wan midsummer night.
By the auld bow… up lap the peedie Trowie king, the heir o’ ancient Pict,
An’ spearin’ wan wi’ his Trowie dart… an’ trapped him in time.”
This Trowie podcast and the wider Midsummer Magic project would not have been possible without the work, wisdom, and inspiration of a few very special Orcadian voices — past and present — whose storytelling traditions continue to shape and guide what we do.
Mary A. Scott
Born in North Ronaldsay, Mary was asked by her father many decades ago to write a history of their native island. Her book Island Saga – The Story of North Ronaldsay became the first Orkney book I ever owned, gifted to me by Stromness lighthouse keeper John Black, who handed it to me with stories of his own, in Peter Drever’s small shop in Stromness.
To Mary Scott and to John Black – thank you for helping me begin this journey.
Ernest W. Marwick
Orcadian writer, folklorist, and meticulous researcher, whose work The Folklore of Orkney and Shetland, along with his extensive unpublished notes housed in the Orkney Room of the Orkney Library Archives, have been an immeasurable source of knowledge and storytelling heritage.
His passion for recording the spoken traditions of island life continues to inspire this project.
George Mackay Brown
Poet, storyteller, and one of Orkney’s most enduring literary voices of the 20th century. His deep reverence for silence, land, sea, and the unseen rhythms of island life echo throughout these stories.
We gratefully acknowledge the permission given by the estate of GMB to include his work in both our live and digital storytelling events.