The Bone Cave: A Journey through Myth and Memory

The Bone Cave is a vivid account of a month-long journey in the Scottish Highlands. Walking and occasionally hitching, Dougie Strang follows a series of folktales to the locations in which they’re set, encountering along the way a depth of meaning to them that allows him to engage with the landscape from a different perspective – one where the distinction between history and legend is supple, and where his own narrative becomes entangled with figures both real and mythic.

Central to the book is the tale of “The Cailleach and the Brown-eyed Hunter”, which illustrates most fully the ways that myths continue to dwell in the landscape, offering a different perspective on contemporary issues such as land ownership and ecological stewardship. Dougie sets out on his walk at the beginning of October, which also marks the start of the red deer rut. The bellowing of stags becomes the soundtrack to his journey and a vigorous reminder that, as well as mapping invisible landscapes of story, he is also exploring a real, living landscape.