Of all the lochs in Scotland, Loch Katrine has a peculiarity: it had never frozen. This was due to the strong current flowing through it. On the bank of this loch lived a young man by the name of Colin McArthur. In his little cabin, he often played bagpipes. Due to his cheerful nature, he was appreciated by all, but in the eyes of the pious villagers, he had a fault: he never went to church.
One day when he was playing bagpipes at the village party, Colin noticed a beautiful lady named Kate. Kate looked at Colin and they fell in love.
Kate was in love with Colin, but Kate’s family doubted the boy’s seriousness. Kate agreed to put Colin to the test. If he really loved her, he would accompany her to Christmas Mass.
When he heard it, Colin was very annoyed … but love was stronger.
On Christmas Eve, Colin was getting ready for the Mass when he saw a man come to the door of his hut. With his black beard and dark eyes, the stranger was quick to reveal his identity. “I’m the devil” he said. “If you stay with me tonight, I’ll make you the best bagpiper in the whole of Scotland and everyone will envy you.”
Colin hesitated, imagining himself as a glorious musician, but he soon recovered his wits. He made a promise to Kate, he would keep it. Seeing his newfound determination, the devil withdrew. But he didn’t know what the malicious one could be like.
When he went to get his boat to cross the loch, the young man did not find it. The devil had stolen it. Colin was already thinking about losing Kate’s love, when the lake became curiously reflective. It was no longer water but ice ! As he ran to cross the loch, Colin heard the footsteps of the devil, who was trying to catch up with him. As soon as he reached the shore, the ice began to crack, engulfing the devil as quickly as it had arrived. Colin found Kate again and it was the only time Loch Katrine was seen freezing that way. It seems that today, if you listen from the bank of the Loch, you can still hear the devil lamenting to have lost the soul of a damned.
