A Scottish fish farm rejected - after campaigners warn fishermen could be lured to their deaths by fairies

Controversial fish farm plans were rejected - after campaigners warned fishermen could be lured to their deaths by fairies in the deepest part of the ocean. Ancient folklore was cited as a reason for planners to turn down an application to build a 12-cage salmon farm at a magical site off the coast of the Isle of Skye.

Objections to the Organic Sea Harvest salmon farm were also lodged by the Scottish Fishermen Federation in conjunction with other industry lobby groups, and residents raised concerns about the impact on Skye's tourist industry. But an objection letter was sent to Highland Council planners by a group called Friends of the Eilean Fhlodaigearraidh Faeries, which signed the missive "on behalf of the Flodigarry Fairies".

The letter raised concerns about the fate of the mystical 'ashrai' - a sea fairy similar to a mermaid - which it was claimed have lived off the coast of Skye for 1,000 years. Once a century, the mystical creatures are said to be drawn to the surface of the water to bathe in moonlight.

But campaigners claim the sea sprites 'fear for their lives', and that the cages would draw the fairies to the surface of the sea, causing them to melt.  And a stark warning was issued that workers' lives could be put at risk by the creatures, who could 'lure them with promises of gold and jewels into the deepest part of the ocean'.

The letter said: "Ashrai live for hundreds of years and will come up to the surface of the water once each century to bathe in the moonlight which they use to help them grow. "It is proven that the steel of the fish farm cages draws many ashrai to the surface, with only one result: they melt."

In English folklore the asrai is a type of aquatic fairy that lives in seas and lakes and is similar to the mermaid and nixie. They are sometimes described as timid and shy, standing between two and four feet tall, or may be depicted as tall and lithe. The Asrai can be described as an aquatic fairy and can resemble the Selkie. In appearance, it is said that the asrai can look like a beautiful young maiden, sometimes as youthful as children. In actuality, they can live to be hundreds of years old. Asrai's can appear to have webbed feet or hands. It is believed that if an Asrai is caught or even touches sunlight they will die and melt into a pool of water. In some Lore, their touch leaves your skin (where they made contact) forever cool; never able to be as heated as the rest of your body.

They are said to look like beautiful young maidens, sometimes as young as children, while actually being hundreds of years old. They may have webbed hands and feet, resembling some descriptions of selkies. If an Asrai is seen by a man, her beauty is so great that, according to folklore, the man will instantly wish to capture her. The Asrai are as deathly afraid of capture as they are of the sun for if captured or if even a single ray of sunlight touches them, it is said that they die and turn into a pool of water.

The tale told of one fisherman who caught an Asrai claims that the touch of her skin was so cold that where the Asrai touched his arm while pleading for her freedom and her life, the flesh has never been warm since. Their inability to survive daylight is similar to that of the Scottish Fuath.