Halloween on a budget? Look no further than your local library

Scary stories and Halloween go hand-in-hand. And the Highlands and Islands have provided a perfect backdrop for many bone-chilling tales over the years.

For the more timid among us, there are also plenty of seasonal family-friendly tales more concerned with Scottish treats than tricks.

But whether it’s a scary movie or a spine-tingling book, many families are seeing entertainment as a luxury this year. As we head into the winter, energy costs and economic uncertainty have many of us rethinking our priorities – and our budgets.

If only there was a free source of entertainment, with no monthly subscription fees and no charge for services rendered.

Of course, that’s what the library is here for. To mark the holiday season, High Life Highland and Live Life Aberdeenshire library staff compiled a list of Halloween stories with connections to the Highlands and the north-east of Scotland.

Whether it’s an eerie thriller about folk magic and small village life, a sinister crime, or a family friendly romp through fallen leaves, the list spans the whole range of tastes.

And, yes: there’s plenty of Draculas and haunted castles.

All of the titles are available at various High Life Highland and Live Life Aberdeenshire library branches, so be sure to check locally for what’s in stock.

What’s on for Halloween at the library?

Highland-inspired Halloween tales for kids:

• “Tumshie: The Forgotten Halloween Turnip Lantern” by Mark Mechan – In this illustrated story, set in Scotland, Halloween traditions are celebrated when a father and his son make old fashioned Halloween turnip lanterns (tumshies) and a costume together like Elliot’s father used to do when he was growing up.

• “Hag Storm” by Victoria Williamson – This children’s book follows the adventures of a young Rabbie Burns. After coming across a hag stone in the family field, it’s up to him to save his family before a climactic Halloween ceremony in the old kirk.
• “Every Witch Way” by Kirsty Ferry – “A Halloween journey through Scotland in a yellow camper van, with just a touch of magic.” That’s a tagline to inspire any young Highland reader.

For a more adult take on the Highland Halloween tale, try these:

• “Pine” by Francine Toon – Lauren and her father Niall live alone in the Highlands, in a small village surrounded by pine forest. When a woman stumbles out onto the road one Halloween night, Niall drives her back to their house in his pickup. In the morning, she’s gone. But that’s just the first of many local mysteries that Lauren has to unravel before the end of her tale.

• “Shadow Man” by Margaret Kirk – The first in a trilogy of “Highland Noir” thrillers, Ms Kirk’s debut novel follows ex-Met Detective Inspector Lukas Mahler hunting down clues are two brutal killings in Inverness. The following books in the trilogy, “What Lies Buried” and “In the Blood”, take readers from Inverness up to the Orkney Islands.
• “Broken Ground” by Val McDermid – This fifth instalment in the legendary crime writer’s Karen Pirie series takes the titular cold case detective to the Scottish Highlands to unravel another historical mystery. Although part of a series, readers say that newcomers shouldn’t have any problem enjoying this book as a standalone.
• “Highland Superstitions” by Alexander Macgregor – Previously published as a series of articles in the Celtic Magazine, this collection plumbs the depths of Highland folklore to discuss druids, fairies, witchcraft, second-sight, Hallowe’en, sacred wells and lochs.

Don’t forget about eerie Aberdeenshire

The friendly library staff at Live Life Aberdeenshire branches have put together their own list of Halloween-themed novels with a local spin. With more than 40 titles in all, there’s plenty of browsing to do before you decide on the right choice for this Halloween.

Here’s just a taste of what’s on offer:

• “Dracul” By Dacre Stoker and J.D. Parker – It is 1868, and a 22-year-old Bram Stoker has locked himself inside an abbey’s tower to face off against a vile and ungodly beast. ‘Dracul’ reveals not only the true origins of Dracula himself, but also of his creator.

• “When Brave Men Shudder: the Scottish origins of Dracula” by Mike Shepherd – This book researches Bram Stoker’s time in Cruden Bay and the origins of the Dracula story.
• The Alexander Seaton Series by Shona MacLean – Beginning with “The Redemption of Alexander Seaton”, this historical mystery series is set in and around Aberdeen in the 17th century. Schoolteacher Alexander Seaton is drawn into investigating a series of murders from Banff to the streets of Aberdeen.
• “News of the Dead” by James Robertson – Set in a fictional north-east region of Glen Conach, this Walter Scott Historical Fiction Prize-winning novel draws on stories of Scotland from the Dark Ages through to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For the full list of seasonal stories compiled by Aberdeenshire librarians, head to the Live Life Aberdeenshire website.

Highland Halloween treats from local authors

And if you’re going to spend money on a little seasonal entertainment this year, why not support some local authors?

Inverness-based publisher Pauline Mackay is well-known for her whimsical “Wee MacNessie” stories, which she translates into many languages. But she also worked with local illustrator Marjory Tait on a picture book that’s perfect for Halloween:

• “Happy Broomstick Day” – The witches on Scairay Island are celebrating ‘Broomstick Day’ yet Greta remains at home alone with her cat. Wouldn’t she like to take part in the cat ‘n’ wand race or the three-handled race? And why did she have to be rescued from a frogsmelly cauldron? Being different can be dangerous, especially when you’re a witch!

Another Highland author whose work is available at the Ablekids Press bookshop on Market Brae in Inverness, Ceitidh Hutton delves into the Gaelic roots of Halloween. Here’s a taste of this Gaelic tale from the author:

• ‘Oidhche Shamhna’ by Ceitidh Hutton – Oidhche Shamhna -Thàinig an ceò agus Ruairidh is Rob a’ cluich a-muigh’… Ruairidh and his dog Rob run outside to play when the fog comes down on Halloween. Things look different in the dark. Will they find their way home and get back in time to dook for apples? Explore some old traditions through this lovely story. Written in Scottish Gaelic.

  

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