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In 2010 we had our longest extremely cold spell of winter weather since I came to live in the West Highlands. Where I live, in Laide, seemed to get the brunt of the snowfall that eventually engulfed us and some of the single track roads became impassable for most vehicles.
This image was captured some days into the cold spell but before the heavy snow fall arrived. It was late afternoon and I had wandered along the Gruinard Bay shore northwards past the old fishing station at Laide. It had been a bright and sunny day but in the late afternoon the weather was on the turn, and looking to the north beyond the village of Udrigle, the dark skies looked ominous.
The clouds heralded the approach of snow and the low sun behind me made them look very dramatic. Over the past week or so we had had many snow showers start like this but they never lasted. I didn't know it at the time, but this snow fall was to be different. The snow didn't stop till the following morning by which time we were in very deep snow and every twig and branch on every tree was coated with it.
At the far left of the image is the village of Udrigle, from which the hill Meall nam Meallan rises to descend eventually at Mellon Udrigle. On the horizon on the far right can be seen the dark shape of Eilean a' Chlèirich.
North-west Highland Place Names
The landscape of the North-west Highlands and the Gaelic language are intimately connected. Other languages have contributed to the richness of our place names, notably Norse, but the North-west Highlands have for centuries been a Gaelic landscape. In listing the meanings of place names I have relied on authoritative sources wherever possible. For further information about sources please refer to North-west Highland Place Names in the main menu.
Gruinard Bay; possibly from the Norse grunnfjörðr meaning shallow firth.
Laide; In Gaelic it is An Leathad meaning ‘a slope’.
Meall Nam Meallan; Near Mellon Udrigle, ‘hill of hillocks’?
Mellon Udrigle; A hybrid Gaelic/Norse name meaning ‘Udrigle's Hill’. Udrigle is possibly a Norse name, however Professor Watson suggests it may be derived from the Norse útargill, meaning outer cleft or gully.
Priest Island; In Gaelic it is an Cléireach meaning ‘the Cleric'. Note that it is never written as Eilean a’ Chléireach.
Udrigle; Udrigle is possibly a Norse name, however Professor Watson suggests it may be derived from the Norse útargill, meaning outer cleft or gully.
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