For folk in Caithness and Sutherland the largest beast in the ocean was the cirean-cròin, a leviathan sea dinosaur that could eat 7 killer whales at a go. An old Gàidhlig rhyme told of its relative size to other creatures:
Seachd sgadain sath bradain,
Seachd bradain sath roin,
Seachd roin sath mial-mor-mara,
Seachd mial sath Cirein-croinSeven herrings a salmon’s meal
Tradtional Gaelic rhyme
Seven salmon a seal’s meal,
Seven seals a whale’s meal,
Seven whales the meal of a Cirein-croin.
