An apprenticeship in folk tale and living tradition
Scotland has always had people whose job it was to carry the old stories.
Seanachies, travellers, wise women.
This is for those who want to join that lineage.
“There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.”
— Ursula Le Guin
Steep yourself in old stories.
Learn to carry them.
Tell them well.
There's a living tradition of storytelling in Scotland — and beyond it, a vast inheritance of folk tales, traditional tales, and myths that have been told, shaped, and passed on for centuries.
This nine-month programme is for people who want to become part of that tradition. Not to study it from the outside, but to steep themselves in it — and to develop the craft and confidence to stand up and tell these stories in rooms that need them.
WHO THIS IS FOR
This programme is for anyone drawn to the old stories — and ready to make them their own.
Whether you're coming to traditional tale for the first time, or you're an experienced facilitator, teacher, or public speaker who wants to bring myth and folk tale more fully into your work — this is a space to go deeper.
You might be an aspiring storytelling in need of guidance.
A teacher who senses that storytelling skill will transform your classroom.
A facilitator who wants narrative to do more than illustrate a point.
A public speaker ready to move beyond information and into something that genuinely stays with people.
Or someone who has always felt the pull of these tales — and is finally ready to learn how to tell them.
THIS MAY BE FOR YOU IF:
You feel drawn toward folk tales but don’t know where to begin
You want to tell stories live — personally or professionally
You are exploring your ancestral roots and cultural inheritance
You are a teacher, facilitator, celebrant, or creative seeking deeper foundations
You sense that story can deeply enrich your life
No prior experience is required.
Only commitment and curiosity.
THE JOURNEY
1. Finding Stories (Learning Phase)
Memory, imagination, sources
Learning where the old stories live — how to find them, choose the versions that speak to you, and begin to make them yours. Exploring Scottish tradition alongside the wider world of folk tale and myth.
2. Crafting Stories (Learning & Practice)
Structure, language, eloquence emotion
The architecture of traditional tale — how these stories are built, why they hold, and how to shape a version that carries the bones of the original while becoming something alive in your hands.
3. Telling Stories (Practice, Feedback, Learning)
Voice, rhythm, presence
Developing your voice, finding your rhythm, and building the kind of presence that makes people lean in. The live act of telling — where the story stops being text and becomes something in the room.
4. Stepping Out (Practicalities and Vision)
Audience, opportunities, identity
How to read different audiences, find the opportunities that suit you, and own your identity as a teller — rooted in tradition, but with a voice that's distinctly your own.
5. Walking the Talk (Live Telling & Support)
Real world storytelling experience+ feedback
You'll be telling — at sessions, at gigs, in the world — and bringing that experience back to the group for honest feedback, support, and celebration.
WHAT YOU'LL WALK AWAY WITH
By the end of the programme, you won't just know more about storytelling — you'll have changed your relationship with story, and with yourself as a teller.
A repertoire of crafted traditional tales — shaped, rehearsed, audience ready and yours to keep telling.
A clear process for working with story— To continue your storytelling practice beyond this program
A deep understanding of how traditional tales work — What are the rules, where there is space to play.
Real experience telling to audiences — the heart of the craft, and where the deep learning happens.
Your own distinct storytelling voice — rooted in tradition, but uniquely yours.
A supportive community of fellow tellers a cohort to share the journey and build relationships that outlive the program
PROGRAMME DETAILS
Duration
9 months
Sessions
Fortnightly
Cohort size
8–12 people
Small enough to build genuine trust. Big enough to bring real variety to the room.
INVESTMENT
Early bird: Book before 6 August and Receive an extra 1-to-1 session
Book your place before 6 August and you'll receive a second dedicated 1-to-1 with me — in addition to the one included for all participants. An extra hour to go deeper into your own telling, at whatever point in the programme you need it most.
Sliding scale: £950 — £1,250
£950
For those on lower incomes, unwaged.
£1,100
A middle ground — if you're in part-time work or a transitional moment financially.
£1,250
For those in stable employment or with organisational support behind them.
ALL PLACES INCLUDE
18 group sessions, fortnightly over 9 months
Curated study materials throughout the programme (PDF, Video & Audio)
Dedicated 1-to-1 session with Dougie
Story Surgery send stories and get direct feedback
Support finding and organising storytelling opportunities in Phase 5
Need further support?
If even £950 feels out of reach right now, please get in touch before applying. Further concession places and instalment arrangements are available — access shouldn't be the thing that stops you.
Pricing Context
To put it another way: four paid storytelling gigs at industry standard rates covers the full cost. This programme will help you get there.
The Story Guide/Mentor
Dougie Mackay has been a professional storyteller since 2015, performing across four continents and telling at some of the world's most respected storytelling festivals — including the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, Marrakech, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, where he has sold out consecutive runs to four and five-star reviews. In 2025 he received both a Guinness World Record award in Marrakech and storytelling Award at the Edinburgh Fringe.
The mentoring work has roots in an earlier life in community education — working with young people, marginalised communities, and groups where story works a magic that other crafts struggle to replicate. He knows what story does when it's needed.
He was raised in the Scottish Highlands, where the oral tradition isn't a revival — it's just how things were done. This programme carries everything he's learned about the craft, about audiences, and about what it means to carry a story and give it away well.
FAQs
Do I need experience to join?
No prior storytelling experience is needed. The programme welcomes complete beginners alongside more experienced practitioners — the cohort format means everyone learns from the range of voices in the room.
How much time will I need between sessions?
There's no fixed homework load, but an hour or two a week — reading tales, drafting, practising — will make a real difference to what you get out of it.
What happens in a typical session?
Sessions combine short craft input with live telling and group feedback. The balance shifts as the programme progresses — earlier sessions are more workshop-style, later ones give more space to telling and reflection.
Is this suitable if I'm not planning to perform publicly?
Yes. While Phase 5 includes support around gigs and opportunities, there's no obligation to pursue public performance. Many participants find the programme transforms how they use traditional tale in their work without ever stepping onto a stage.
How does the concession pricing work?
Concession places are available for those on low incomes, unwaged, or in the early stages of a portfolio career. If the full fee isn't accessible right now, get in touch before applying.
Can I pay in instalments?
Yes — get in touch and we can discuss what works for you.
What if I miss a session?
Life happens. We ask that you aim to attend as many sessions as possible, as continuity matters in a cohort programme. If you need to miss one, we'll make sure you're not left behind.
When does the next cohort start?
Details of the next cohort dates will be listed here. Places are limited — if you'd like to be notified when applications open, get in touch.
Apply for a Place
Places are limited · Concessions available · Instalments welcome
This isn't a workshop. It's a commitment to a craft as old as people gathered around fires — and a community that'll hold you to it, cheer you on, and help you get good.