About this episode

This episode explores the lore surrounding the midge, a notorious insect in Scotland, and tells the tale of the giant Thrim.

The blasted, buzzing, biting midge is the most vicious predator in all of Scotland. One alone is not much to worry about, but they rarely come alone! In this episode Jenny looks at some of the lore around the minuscule midge, including some truly awful punishments, so listeners beware! She also tells the tale of the bloodthirsty giant Thrim, and how the midge came to Scotland, which takes us all the way from Norway to Shetland, Orkney, Caithness, Sutherland, and finally to the little peninsula of Applecross.  Follow The Scottish Folklore Podcast on Instagram Visit the website and view this episode’s interactive map Explore all the folklore covered in the podcast so far on the Folklore Map Support Jenny as she makes the show by joining the Patreon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Jenny

Topics covered

• Scottish folklore
• mythology
• insects
• history
• culture

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Scotland, Norway, Shetland, Orkney, Caithness, Sutherland, Applecross

More episodes of The Scottish Folklore Podcast

• 58. The Blue Men of The Minch · July 19, 2026 · 24 min
• 56. The Loch Ness Monster and St Columba · June 14, 2026 · 31 min

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