Case file · Cryptid
The mermaid buried on Benbecula
In 1830 seaweed cutters on Benbecula in the Outer Hebrides were said to have seen a small woman-like creature in the sea; a boy threw a stone at it and days later its body washed ashore.
1830 CE · 57.43, -7.39 · status: legend
The account
According to the account, the local sheriff ordered a coffin and shroud and the 'mermaid' was buried near the shore at Culla Bay. The grave has never been found.
The sceptical view
The story was collected long after the event; a dead seal or porpoise is a common suggestion.