Myths and Legends

Day 1

Start at Harlech Castle, where an ill-fated marriage between Welsh and Irish nobility began promisingly enough when 13 ‘beautiful seemly’ ships with ‘brave ensigns of brocaded silk’ sailed across the Irish Sea. Today, the still-powerful 13th century castle is a World Heritage Site. To the south, Dolgellau is overlooked by the mountain of Cader Idris, named after a mythical giant and warrior. If you spend a night on the rocky ‘Chair of Idris’ it’s said that you will end up as a poet, a madman or a corpse. Overnight Dolgellau area.

Day 2

Aberdyfi, located at the mouth of the sandy Dyfi Estuary, is linked with the legend of the drowned land of Cantre’r Gwaelod, a kingdom submerged after a great storm. At times, distant chimes can be heard from beneath the waves – the ‘Bells of Aberdovey’. Drive to Aberystwyth. Its National Library of Wales contains some of the oldest surviving manuscripts in the Welsh language. Continue to Devil’s Bridge, so-called because of a story in which a crafty old woman outwitted Satan when crossing its ancient bridge. Overnight Aberystwyth area.

Day 3

Llanddewi Brefi, near Tregaron, is dominated by the Church of St David (Wales’s patron saint), which stands on a prominent mound above the houses. Legend tells how the mound rose magically beneath the feet of St David in the 6th century allowing him to be better seen and heard by his audience. Further south, at the Dolaucothi Roman Gold Mines, Pumsaint, there’s a stone which bears five indentations said to have been caused when five saints (‘pump’ is Welsh for five) used it as a communal pillow. Overnight Llanddewi Brefi, Tregaron area.