Thursday, October 25, 2012

GOOD PLACE FOR A NEW WIFE SAYS KENNY


We have had many professional photographers take pictures of our cottage, but this is one of the loveliest we have ever seen. This one was taken in September by Rod MacDonald, a guest, (now a prized guest). Thank you Rod for permission. I'll be posting others. His photographic website is to be found here. You can email him from here

Kenny and Donna, just married, came to us a couple of weeks ago. What an enthusiast! Who else would write in the guest book, "Stunning scenery all around. Makes me proud to be a Scot"
He likes the Clachaig Inn up the road, and so do Gillian and I. We were in there two weeks ago.

The best bit of his story is where he tells of coming across three Twitchers who had been in position for 3 days looking for sea eagles. Within 5 minutes of Donna and Kenny arriving two flew over the ridge behind them. Like number 11  buses they are. You wait for days for one then .......

Thanks Kenny for your great comments. 
John
PS. We've just had an enquiry for the New Year - the cottage is still available at £595 for any numbers of days between Dec 28 and Jan 7th if anyone is interested.

Short breaks in Scotland, Last minute cottage holidays Scotland, Autumn, Winter, Spring Weather month by month Scotland summer Weather month by month Scotland Autumn Weather in Scotland Winter, month by month Misunderstandings about Scotland's weather Scotland's rain Advice on driving in Scotland. Several Scotland driving pages are linked to this. Honeymoon cottages in Scotland Scotland for Christmas and New Year The unofficial Scottish tourist Board Cottages in Scotland permitting smoking Cottages in Scotland welcoming pets





Monday, October 22, 2012

THE GORY TALE OF THE ISLE OF EIGG





They have been looking this summer for an ancient monastery, Kildonan, on the Isle of Eigg. That's the Island just off the coast with the huge rock knob shape you can see at the South end with steep cliffs to the North. You can reach it by ferry from Mallaig or Arisaig. The Eigg people own the Island now, as part of a Trust. 

These old church sites, were built upon even older religious sites, and this one might go back to Mesolothic times. The archaeological teams are from Glasgow, Cranfield and Birmingham universities

St Donan was the missionary who led a big expedition to Christianise these Islands. A contemporary of St Columba, he actually led a rival group. Apparently he and his followers were murdered and buried in the Church on Apl 17th April 617. How they know this in such detail beats me. 

They had extensive signs of very ancient peoples here, anything up to 8,000 years ago. It has been a violent place in its day. The Vikings from Norway made this one of their early settlements in the 8th century. They brought the spoils from their raids on Iona and they brought slaves captured in Ireland. These poor souls were destined to be taken to Norway, sold on to Sweden, and the survivors from these journeys were taken to Constantinopol.

Isle of Eigg
The Isle of Eigg is situated in the heart of Clanranald country, this small island has a very bloody history being  involved in every MacDonald rebellion against the crown and in a good many feuds. A lengthy feud between the MacDonalds and the MacLeods in the 16th Century led to the death of 395 MacDonalds in 1577, the island’s entire population, in “Uamha Fhraing” (Cave of Frances, aka Massacre Cave) The Clanranald residents of the island took refuge in a cave on the south coast and they were suffocated by a fire lit at the entrance by a party of MacLeods in what apparently was a revenge attack. The feud was finally ended some years later by the marriage of Alan of Moidart to the daughter of MacLeod of MacLeod. Hugh Miller visited this notorious cave three centuries later, in 1844, and described in his book, “The Cruise Of The Betsy,” seeing the bones of adults and children in family groups with the charred remains of their straw mattresses and small household objects. All were finally removed for burial in hallowed ground.

That's enough blood and gore for one day.

John
The story they don't tell you about the Glencoe Massacre History around the cottage in Appin Did the Vikings stage a battle in Glencoe? The Pictish broch in Lismore West of Scotland millions of years ago Robert the Bruce and the Ardchattan parliament Robert the Bruce and the Knights Templar The story of the MacDonalds of Glencoe Ancient roads of the Highlands Glencoe, the 4th Wonder of Scotland Castles in the Glencoe area



 
Lochside cottage near Glencoe in the Highlands of Scotland
  • Short Breaks Glencoe
  • Stories about Appin villages blog