A minister was summoned to a dairy farm on the Brahan Estate to investigate the mysterious disappearance of the milk stores. One evening, he concealed himself inside the milk shed, hoping to uncover the cause. At the stroke of midnight, three hares appeared and transformed into witches, one of whom was revealed to be his own mother. The witches swiftly stole the milk before transforming back into hares and disappearing across the fields. Horrified by what he had witnessed, the minister kept the encounter a secret, leaving the mystery unresolved.

Rowan was traditionally believed to offer protection against witches and evil spirits. Its branches were carried in coat pockets or hung above the hearth or doorway of the home as protective charms. This association with protection and the supernatural provides a symbolic link between the folklore and the use of rowan as a means of warding off unseen forces.