AN AYRSHIRE author has shared legendary tales in a new book that has become a top 10 bestseller on Amazon.

Troon-based Dr Aaron Mullins’ book about Scottish legends soared into Amazon’s top 100 bestsellers charts on its day of release.

The book was a top 10 bestseller in multiple folklore and mystery categories, sitting alongside books by Neil Gaiman and Stephen King.

Aaron has drawn on his experience as a psychologist to add an edge to his re-telling of famous Scottish monster tales and bring these mythical monsters to life.

Scottish Legends: 55 Mythical Monsters features stories from Ayrshire’s rich folklore history.

From Bauchans and Bodachs that terrorised local farms and castles, to the shape-shifting Boobrie, a mythical water bird that lurked in Ayrshire’s lochs.

Dr Mullins said: “Ancient Scots were curious about the world around them and their fantastical explanations of natural phenomena often involved the creation of mythical creatures with amazing powers.

“These Scottish monster myths can give insights into the local customs and folklore of their time. I have told the tales of giants, monsters and other astonishing creatures, particularly of the sea as I’m influenced by my walks along the Ayrshire coast.

“Swimming at Barassie Beach amongst jellyfish, which have roamed the seas for at least 600 million years, or walking through the Fairy Trail at Fullarton Woods, it’s easy to be inspired to write about mythical creatures that are still revered throughout Ayrshire.

“Like the tales told in my previous book Scottish Urban Legends: 50 Myths and True Stories, the real power of these Scottish stories lies in their ability to not only entertain us as monster tales in the present, but also to forge a living link to our past. New generations can enjoy these legends and feel connected to the land and its people.”

His latest bestseller caps a successful couple of years for the Ayrshire author, who was one of the featured writers at the opening showcase of this year’s Tidelines Book Festival, based at the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine.

Aaron said: “Scotland, like its national animal, the mythical unicorn, has a proud, untameable and magical element to its landscape, stories and its people.

“I think we need a bit of escapism from the upheaval of lockdowns these past couple years, so I want these tales to remind us of simpler times when the tides were the breath of a great sea dragon and thunder was the angry roar of a living god. Mythical beasts that still live on in our hearts and minds, with every re-telling of their legendary deeds. The recent legendary creatures willow sculpture trail at Culzean Castle, created by Girvan-based sculptor David Powell, shows there’s also a great appetite in Ayrshire for the stories and imagery of mythical monsters.”