As October draws to a close and the air gets colder, I thought it would be fun to look at the myths and legends from each corner of the United Kingdom — as if the nations themselves turned up to a Halloween costume party. Each country holds its own stories of magic, mystery, and things that live in the shadows… or just beyond them.
Let’s meet the guests.
👻 England — The Ghosts of Old Halls and Castles
If England arrived at the Halloween party, it would come dressed as a ghost. From the Tower of London to ancient manor houses and village inns, England is full of stories of footsteps on empty staircases, cold drafts in warm rooms, and whispers in the dark when no one’s there.
Ghost stories here aren’t just scary — they’re historical. They’re layered with queens, soldiers, kitchen maids, smugglers, and everyday people whose stories linger. I love that in England, history is something you can feel — sometimes a little too closely!
🧜♀️ Scotland — The Selkie of the Sea
Scotland brings a selkie costume — the seal-folk of the northern coasts. In the Orkney and Shetland Isles, legend says that selkies shed their smooth seal skins to walk the shores as humans under the moonlight.
They are stories of love, longing, and the pull of the sea — haunting and beautiful. I can imagine standing on a quiet Scottish beach, watching seals on the rocks, wondering which of them might be something more.
🧙♂️ Wales — Merlin the Wizard (With a Little Witchcraft on the Side)
Wales arrives wrapped in mist, carrying a staff — because Merlin is Welsh in origin. His roots trace back to the Welsh prophet Myrddin Wyllt, wandering the wild forests and speaking in riddles.
But Wales doesn’t stop at wizards — oh no.
It also has the Witches of Llanddona on Anglesey, feared and respected as healers and sea-sorceresses.
And then there’s the Mari Lwyd — the ghostly winter horse spirit draped in white.
Wales doesn’t just do magic.
It does ancient magic — the kind that feels alive in the hills.
🧝♀️ Northern Ireland — The Faeries of the Giant’s Causeway
Northern Ireland comes shimmering into the party as the fae — old, clever, and not always kind. Legends say the Giant’s Causeway was built by a giant named Fionn MacCumhaill… but in other stories, it’s the faeries who shaped the land, moved stones, and hid their worlds just out of sight.
Faerie folklore here isn’t cute or glittery — it’s wild, powerful, and woven into the landscape itself.
It’s the kind of magic that feels like it could still be there, if you look carefully enough.
✨ Closing
So here they are at the Halloween party:
England the Ghost 👻
Scotland the Selkie 🧜♀️
Wales the Wizard (with a witch or two) 🧙♂️
Northern Ireland the Faerie 🧝♀️
Each costume tells a story.
Each story tells a place.
And these are the stories I can’t wait to walk into with Erika — rain, fog, folklore and all.
Couch Potato to World Getter 
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