Each-Uisge

The Each-Uisge — the water horse — inhabits the deep lochs of the Scottish Highlands and Islands, and is distinguished from the Kelpie of rivers by its superior malevolence and the particular horror of its attack. Where the Kelpie haunts fords and shallows and is somewhat predictable, the Each-Uisge comes from water without bottom, takes forms that are harder to detect, and leaves its victims no chance of survival once they are mounted.

In its horse form it is supernaturally beautiful: a fine grey or black stallion, perfectly formed, appearing near the water's edge as if waiting to be ridden. Anyone who mounts it finds themselves unable to dismount — their legs fuse to its sides. The horse plunges into the water and drowns its rider, devouring everything but the liver, which washes ashore. In its human form it appears as a handsome stranger, always with slightly damp hair, and may be detected by the weeds in its hair or the sand at its collar.

The only reliable protection is iron — a clasp knife, a horseshoe, any piece of iron carried on the person. The smell of burning horsehair can also repel it. Loch Etive in Argyll, Loch Ness, and the sea-lochs of the Hebrides are among the most commonly cited haunting grounds. J. F. Campbell collected numerous accounts in the 1860s from Argyll farmers and fishermen who treated the Each-Uisge as a genuine occupational hazard.