Here’s a video (on YouTube) which is a clip from a documentary called The Fairy Faith. Steve Oldale(?) recounts his encounter with two of the Good People near Schiehallion. He was just sat down enjoying the scenery; he saw a rainbow and a strange cloud; he started hearing the noise of the stream as music – then lo and behold there are two wizened creatures trying to roll up his shadow. He sounds as surprised about it as you’d be.
"Cheeky wee bastards."
I remember seeing this guy telling this story in the documentary about 20 years ago. He seemed completely convincing back then and nothing in the intervening years has diminished his story. He is very good at telling his story and he relates his tale with no apparent exaggeration or extended elaboration.
Utterly bonkers tale. It is like a detail from some lost Grimms tale. Stealing his shadow with shears and rolling it up...
I, like many people, can see no reason why a middle aged Glasgow Builder out for a hike on Schiehallion in the late 20th Century would go out of his way to create such an strange tale which sounds impossible - yet he is so convincing. Why throw yourself open to such ridicule? He appears to have glimpsed something... beyond. He seems convinced of what he saw.
It is utterly mad isn't it, and he's a very good narrator. I'm happy to believe him :)
I'm guessing we've all been in such remote serene spots, with a relaxed receptive mind. I can't help thinking the white noise of the stream kind of helped. If you're going to see something so odd it wouldn't surprise you if it happened in such a situation. I both want to and don't want to!
Interesting that the creatures were using shears though. Maybe the Good People have got over their thing about iron.