the fairies have “apparel and speech like that of the people and country under which they live, so are they seen to wear plaids and various garments in the Highlands of Scotland. They speak little, and that by way of whistling, clear, not rough… their bodies are so pliable by the subtlety of the spirits that agitate them, that they can make them appear and disappear at pleasure.”

After posting the John Buchan excerpt yesterday I was reminded of the Reverend Robert Kirk and the fairies of Doon Hill, which may well have been an influence on Buchan's tale. Aberfoyle is fairly close to where I grew up - in fact it nestles at the foot of this mountain - but although I've often visited, and even climbed Doon Hill, I have never seen one of the fabled fairies. Apart, that is, from the charming man who works in the local sporran shop.

More mysterious stuff here.