Tom Muir
Storyteller
Tom has a love for the lore of his native Orkney Islands, and for the Nordic lands of his Viking ancestors.
Join Tom Muir on the following trips:
- Scotland Slowly 2025 June 3 to June 13, 2025
- Scotland Slowly 2025 June 13 to June 23, 2025
Tom was born on a small farm by the sea, where old Orkney customs and dialect were still very much alive. He has published and contributed to many books of Orkney history, Nordic tales and the Icelandic Sagas.
Tom’s first book was a retelling of traditional Orkney stories: The Mermaid Bride and Other Orkney Folk Tales. Another folklore collection, Orkney Folk Tales, followed. His book and CD, Tales of Viking Lands benefit Tom’s dear friends at Storholmen Viking Village, Sweden.
Tom Muir at Storytelling Festival, Ness Battery, 2018
Tom was awarded an MBE by King Charles in 2025, recognizing his important heritage work with Orkney folktales. He has recently retired from thirty-seven years at the Orkney Museum and is now writing and publishing full-time through his indie publishing house, Orkneyology Press.
As a storyteller, Tom has travelled from Nunavut to Hong Kong and across Scotland, Scandinavia, and Europe. He also runs the annual Orkney Storytelling Festival, known as the little festival with a big heart … probably because he feeds his visiting storytellers so well!
Read more on the website Tom’s building with his American wife, Rhonda. Find his storyteller profile in Traditional Arts Culture Scotland.