Hello and welcome to queer as folk tales by Stories of Scotland.

This mini-series is funded by the Edwin-Morgan Trust Second Life Award.

If you're a regular listener to this podcast, then this is something a little different,

very magical and wonderfully thrilling.

I'm Jenny.

And I'm Annie.

And last week for LGBT History Month, we began to retell some of our favourite Scottish folklore

with a rainbow twist.

Now this episode is the second of three, so if you haven't listened to the first one,

you need to go back in time and listen now to the Such of the Sea.

Otherwise, this one will make very little sense to you.

But, if you've already been through the Sukhe of the sea,

then let's jump back to the Pentland Firth,

where our young hero, Mary, is crossing the sea to hunt for the stolen supernatural seal skin of her sulky love.

Try saying that after we dram, eh?

We join our fisher, Mary, on the deck of the old, reliable ferry to Caithness.

The lower decks are an odd yet predictable mix of fresh workmen itching to get to the mainland,

and tired yet contented families of tourists, looking back at Orkney with wistful eyes.

As soon as the cafe opened,

Mari left her seat and headed up to the deck.

The sound of trays laden with chips sliding back and forth in the tables

made her restless.

...