Maggie goes to Sanna Bay to see the storm. Winter walks

It does not get much more remote than lovely Sanna Bay, just facing the Isle of Muck. This photograph was taken by Geo5  on a nicer day than the one our guests had and if you click the title of the post you can get to his Flickr pages.

Dear John,

No - the weather wasn’t too bad at all, the really bad stuff seemed to pass us by. The worst wind and rain seemed to happen at night time.

Years ago, when the boys were little we stayed at Acharacle and while we were there we went to Sanna Bay in a storm (because we love watching big waves). So we thought we’d catch the ferry and go for a drive. The woods on the way down were beautiful and although the wind was in the wrong direction for big waves it was good to go back there. Sanna seemed to have lost some of it’s wildness with a carpark to organize the tourists – but I suppose the locals must have thought it necessary.

We had a really lovely sunny day on Kerrera. On another day we went on an absolutely beautiful sunny walk behind Kinlochleven around Mamore Lodge and up to the reservoir. The other days all had rain – but not bad driving rain. It snowed on the mountains – but not at our level. Nothing stopped us going out but it would have been better if it hadn’t got dark so early.

We only ate out on one night and that was at the Clachaig Inn. The food was good and the beer was excellent. Then we had 2 nights at the Bridge of Orchy Hotel (food excellent) and drove home yesterday.

Maggie,
Thanks Maggie for sending us this. I've heard very good reports of the Bridge of Orchy food, we must try it out soon.
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Ian sees an eagle and a sea eagle all in one trip

This is a lovely February sunset picture taken by Ian near Strontian. He calls it "De-populated" - I like the way he got the ducks to swim in front of him at the right time. We can't get this shot in the Summer because the ferry has already finished before sunset! February can be a lovely month for doing not much at all. 
Hi John,

Weather was only really against us for short bursts and so managed low level walks on both Saturday and Sunday, Ardsheal peninsula and Steall waterfall respectively, both of which much enjoyed. Also enjoyed a fine drive over to Morvern/Ardnamurchan - saw Sea Eagle and Golden Eagle - with a wee stop in Strontian (see 'depopulated' photo) before back to Kentallen for an evening meal at the Holly Tree.

Weekend break was pretty much what we were looking for so, in short, that was probably the best bit!

Ian
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Oban has become University town. Good, really good news.

Picture taken of Dunstaffnage Castle last month by Dougie Lee. This is a truly important area in Scottish history. 


As of 2nd Feb 2011 Oban is a university town! The University of the Highlands and Islands has 13 colleges in the area including the world renowned Scottish Association of Marine Science. The Privy Council of the Scottish Parliament has decreed it so. There has been a sustained campaign for this ever since the 1960's.
This is real prestige for the town, and the University shows Scottish education at its best. Just by Dunstaffnage Castle is the truly famous Marine Science lab. Good news


John
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THE GLENCOE MASSACRE; 4 MYTHS SHATTERED

Signal Rock by Damian Dude. His photostream.

The Signal rock is a prominent outcrop near the Clachaig Hotel. Legend has it that it was from this rock that the signal was given to the soldiers at 5.00 am on February 14th 1692 to start the Massacre of Glencoe. According to copies of the official enquiry documents, held at Glencoe cottages, it wasn't. By tradition, the rock was used for warning of danger, but by the MacDonalds themselves. That is another Massacre myth shattered.

The other myths, lying in ruins, are

1. It was a clan battle. It wasn't. It was an attack on the Clan ordered by the government and the order was reputedly signed by King William himself in London
2. It was the Campbells who did it. No, the Campbells were set up to take the blame. It was a Campbell regiment ordered to do it, the Argylls, and it was a drunken shambles of a Campbell ordered to lead it, Campbell of Glenlyon, who was desperate for money. One estimate has it that there were only 20 soldiers named Campbell in the attack. Actually most of the soldiers warned the families to get out as soon as they knew what theirs orders were, which is why so many escaped. 2 Campbell officers broke their swords rather than do it, a capital offence. They were not court martialled.
3. It was a Massacre. No, the definition of a massacre is a cruel killing of a large number of people. 39 people were killed, and cruelly killed, making it a dreadful atrocity, but the numbers do not add up to a Massacre. It was an attempted Massacre.

Here is the story from The Scotsman, published recently.

In the case of Glencoe there was a smoking gun. It came in the form of a paper trail which not only led back to the perpetrators of the massacre, but went straight to the top, linking them to the Stair, the Secretary of State for Scotland and even the King himself. It was sensational stuff, and it had the 17th-century equivalent of an investigative journalist to piece the clues together.

Charles Leslie was a pamphleteer, a Jacobite propagandist, based in London but with contacts in Edinburgh. He had picked up rumours about some form of government action in the Highlands, and when the troops who had taken part in it passed through the capital en route to Flanders, news about what had actually happened began to leak.

"... if M'Kean of Glencoe [the chief of the clan] can be well separated from the rest, it will be a proper vindication of the publick justice to extirpate that sept of thieves."

This was, in effect, attempted genocide. The orders not only bore Stair's name, but were signed by the King.

However much they might be brushed aside as Jacobite propaganda, they could not be ignored. Public pressure for a full inquiry became too great to resist, and, three years after the event, a full, official investigation was ordered. Campbell of Glenlyon was disgraced by its findings, and died in exile. Stair was implicated, and though he was cleared by the King, his reputation never recovered; the smoking gun had found its target. As Leslie concluded: "Qui Glencoat Glencoabitur." That is, "he who Glencoes, will himself be Glencoed." It is a thought that Tony Blair might ponder on.

John
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