A Scottish folklore short.
🎬 Harbour’s Selkie – A Scottish Maritime Folklore Short Film. Sort-of...
A ghost story wrapped in salt, sorrow, and sea mist.
“Harbour’s Selkie” is a dark and atmospheric short film inspired by Scottish folklore, set on the haunting shores of Newhaven Harbour on the Firth of Forth. Told through an eerie, dreamlike lens, the film follows the final moments of a soul who believes they have returned home—only to discover they never truly escaped the sea.
Drawing on the legend of the selkie—a mythical seal-like creature said to shed its skin and walk among us in human form—the story blurs the line between myth and memory, between land and sea, between life and the lingering echo of loss.
🌊 Story Summary:
A figure emerges from the sea, shrouded in mist. They walk the familiar shoreline, touch the harbour stones, and breathe in the salty air. But the world is strange—sunlight flickers, memories distort, and reality feels fragile.
As the film cuts between fog-drenched ruins, churning water, and moments of uncanny stillness, it becomes clear: the return home was only an illusion. This is not salvation. This is not land.
This is a selkie’s fate—to live between worlds and belong to neither.
Shot on location in Edinburgh, Scotland
Filmed entirely on the Scottish coast at Newhaven Harbour, "Harbour’s Selkie" captures the raw, poetic tension of the sea. This historic fishing village becomes a ghost in itself—abandoned boats, empty nets, and echoes of a past that will never fully return.
The Firth of Forth, often wrapped in haar (sea fog), becomes a character—shifting, watching, and reclaiming what was never meant to leave.
🎥 Themes & Influences:
Scottish maritime folklore
Selkie myths & Celtic sea legends
Atmospheric horror with minimal dialogue
Visual storytelling through water, weather, and memory
The psychological space between life and death
Inspired by ghost stories, sea superstitions, and the feeling of being almost home, but never reaching it
⚓ Keywords & Tags (for SEO/search):
📽️ Credits
Written & Directed by: [Your Name]
Filmed in: Newhaven Harbour, Edinburgh
Camera & Edit: [Your gear if you want to include it—adds authenticity]
Special Thanks: The sea. And what it keeps.
#edinburgh #newhaven #scottishfolklore #filmmaking
