Nurturing an old grievance and bristling for a fight, they took to their boats, crossed the Sound of Jura and landed at a place that Archibald Campbell calls ‘Knock-an-tavil’. Sometime in 1647 the Campbells heard on the grapevine that the stronghold of the Maclaines at Glengarrisdale (‘ An Aros’ on the map, in Gothic font) was weakly garrisoned. In good Highland spirit, there was a long-standing feud between the Maclaines and the Campbells of Craignish, just across the water on the mainland.
In the mid 17th century, Glengarrisdale was in the possession of the Maclaines of Loch Buie on the Isle of Mull. This is the story of how it got there, according to Archibald Campbell who included it in ‘ Waifs and Strays of Celtic Tradition’ (1889): However, a local tradition claims that, whenever it disappears, it always comes back. It was last photographed there in 1972, but by 1976 it had vanished. Now, I should say right now that the skull is no longer in its designated spot on the map, which shows it right on the shore, on a rock just above the high tide mark. Attached to it is a blood-soaked story of a clan feud, a massacre, and revenge – and what makes it even more interesting is that the details are preserved in some of the other place-names in Glengarrisdale. The reason it’s marked on the map is because it has been there for over three centuries: the owner, a Maclaine (we don’t know his Christian name) lost it in 1647. ‘Maclaine’s Skull’ could easily be a curious geological formation that’s been given a fanciful title. If you look at the central part (click to enlarge), you will hopefully spot a place-name that’s a little out of the ordinary.
It shows Glengarrisdale Bay on the Isle of Jura. Map courtesy of National Library of Scotland It’s an old one, part of the 6” OS map of Argyllshire from 1881 (sheet CXLVII, surveyed in 1878). I’m going to start this post with a map, because it’s central to the story.
0 kommentar(er)
