A spooky centuries-old Scottish sailor's myth is true according to one mum, who claims to have photographic evidence.
Stephanie Cranston, 38, was visiting a beach on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides with her two sons and their father when she claims to have had a premonition.
While nothing came of it at the time, when she later looked back at the photographs she took on the day, she noticed something very odd in one picture. According to Stephanie, there is a face hidden in one of the waves, and she says it could be evidence of the Blue men of the Minch.
Also known as storm kelpies, the Blue men of the Minch are mythological creatures said to inhabit the stretch of water between the northern Outer Hebrides and mainland Scotland. It is thought that they seek sailors to drown and stricken boats to sink.
The mum-of-three captured the strange image on Wednesday evening at Eoropie Beach, on the northern tip of Lewis.
She commented: "I was at the beach with my family and they were jumping in and out of the water — I've never felt uneasy and am in the water a lot, but I kept telling them to get out.
"I felt uneasy about them being in there. I was taking loads of pictures but it wasn’t until I got home and looked through them that one picture stood out.
"The way the sea is in that picture, you can see what looks like a figure coming out of the water. My hair stood on end, it was pretty creepy – I've never seen anything like it before.
"I don’t really believe in any stuff like that but I caught that in the picture and thought this is absolutely crazy. The Hebrides has got myths about the blue men of the Minch – looking back at the picture it’s quite creepy.
"I think if it is what I think it is, it’s the only one that’s ever been caught on camera."
The origins of the mythological creatures is uncertain, but some say that the legend dates back to the Vikings in the 9th century. Others, meanwhile, speculate that it is derived from the Tuareg people of Saharan Africa, who were known as the blue men of the desert.
The Minch men have also been linked to the Picts, which means "painted people" in Latin.
Legends say that, when the weather is clear on the strait, the men are sleeping. But, when they're awake, stormy seas happen - wreaking havoc on sailors.
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