Tradition: Scottish Mythology
Alternative Names: Beast of the Charred Forests, Beast’s Stone Dragon
Category: Dragon
The Myth
The Beast of the Charred Forests was a terrifying and powerful dragon born from a fire that burned for seven years. It lived within fire and wandered across northern Scotland, breathing flames and burning the forests wherever it went.
Whenever people heard that the Beast was approaching, they abandoned their villages to escape its wrath. It could only be killed by a person who saw the Beast before the Beast saw them.
The Beast eventually came upon St. Gilbert’s Church in Dornoch. Before its arrival, Saint Gilbert had dug a hole and hidden himself so that he could see the monster before it noticed him. When the Beast approached, it roared, “Pity on you, Dornoch!”
Saint Gilbert emerged from his hiding place armed with a bow and arrows and repeated the Beast’s own words to it: “Pity on you, Dornoch!” The Beast prepared to breathe fire upon Dornoch, but before it could do so, Saint Gilbert fired his first arrow. The arrow pierced the Beast and killed it immediately.
The Beast was buried on the moor between Dornoch and Skibo, and a stone known as the Beast’s Stone was placed over its grave. The charred pine stumps found beneath the peat moss of Ross, Sutherland, and Reay were said to be evidence of the devastation caused by the Beast.
Sources
“Beast of the Charred Forests.” A Book of Creatures. January 22, 2021.
https://abookofcreatures.com/2021/01/22/beast-of-the-charred-forests/