We are pleased to be able to offer The Man with the Horse – In Search of Skye Kelpie Tales, a remarkable account of a journey made on foot and horseback around the Isle of Skye in the spring of 2023. Poet and storyteller Tony Bonning, accompanied by his Grey Cob horse, Chief, set out to collect local folktales of Kelpies and other traditional stories rooted in Skye’s landscape and communities.
The journey proved both challenging and deeply rewarding. Battling weather and rough terrain, Tony and Chief travelled to places associated with Each-uisge (the water horse) in Gaelic tradition, encountering moments of beauty, reflection, and extraordinary generosity along the way. People from all backgrounds welcomed them with food, shelter, friendship, and a willingness to share stories passed down through generations.
Told in Tony Bonning’s own words and illustrated with many striking photographs, the book combines the narrative of this epic journey with a compendium of over one hundred Skye folktales. It is both a travelogue and a rich record of living folklore, rooted in place, language, and human connection.
Tony Bonning brings decades of experience as a folklorist, poet, and storyteller to the work. Raised in a farming family in south-west Scotland, he has spent fifty years collecting folktales and sharing music and stories through festivals, schools, and community settings. His earlier journey with Chief in 2022 saw them walk the length of Scotland, and together they have now travelled well over a thousand miles.
This book will appeal to anyone interested in Skye, folklore, Gaelic tradition, storytelling, and the enduring power of shared journeys.