A new publication by historian Simon Young dives deep into one of Orkney’s strangest and most intriguing folk mysteries: 

The Deerness Mermaid: The Best Attested Nineteenth-Century Cryptid (Pwca Books, 2025).

Between 1887 and 1899, a mysterious sea creature was repeatedly seen off the coast of Deerness. With a long neck, humanoid arms, and an uncanny ability to swim like a person, the so-called “mermaid” was reported by dozens of eyewitnesses—including crofters, fishermen, and curious tourists.

Sightings were so frequent that the creature became a summer fixture, even inspiring a local theatrical production. Was it a manatee lost in northern waters, an unusual seal, or something more mysterious?

Bringing together hundreds of Victorian newspaper reports, Young reconstructs the mermaid’s decade-long soap opera in the press—from failed hunts and baby sightings and shootings and national headlines. 

Rich in Orkney folklore and historical context, the book offers both a local curiosity and a wider study in how legends form and evolve.