Image Details
Limited Edition Print
We had been suffering fairly dismal weather for some time but around mid-October the weather service I use showed that Saturday promised to be an excellent day. As part of planning landscape expeditions in the West Highlands I use the Theyr precision weather planner. It is a subscription based service but well worth the modest fees. I find the animated cloud cover sequences for the area I am interested in particularly useful.
It showed that Saturday should provide ideal conditions for photography and I decided to target my landscape hunt on the Applecross peninsula. It is a part of Wester Ross I had not really explored yet apart from one brief visit a few years ago with a friend. It takes a couple of hours to reach the start of this area from my home. I started out early heading initially for Shieldaig and from there turning west onto the Applecross road.
About 4 kilometers along this road one comes to a place called Inverbain and not far from there I came across this delightful scene. I find there is something intensely appealing in these isolated West Highland croft houses when set by the shore in a stunning landscape. This one was in immaculate condition, as if it had just been painted yesterday.
Beyond the croft house the view is over Loch Shieldaig to the Torridon mountains, of which the two most prominent in this view are Beinn Alligin and Liathach.
After capturing this shot I continued on my way round the Applecross peninsula. I had barely started but already had this and some earlier shots at Shieldaig 'in the bag'. I was optimistic that the rest of the day would be equally profitable, and so it turned out to be.
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.
Applecross; For a full explanation of the origin of this name the reader is referred to Professor Watson’s excellent book – click ‘North-west Highland Place Names’ in the main menu for further information. Summing up his comments it appears that the name means the ‘estuary of the Crosan’ which is the river (Abhain Crosan) that flows into Applecross Bay. The word Crosan is of uncertain origin but is assumed to be Pictish, meaning unknown.
Beinn Alligin; Listed as Beinn Ailiginn by Watson. This mountain is named after the stream Abhainn Alligin The name Alligin is usually connected with àilleag, a jewel, a pretty woman which may possibly be correct but Professor Watson says the single l in àiliginn is a serious difficulty.
Inverbain; Listed as Inverbane by Professor Watson. In Gaelic it is In’ir-bàn meaning the ‘white estuary'.
Liathach; Gaelic, ‘the hoary place’.
Loch Shieldaig; In Gaelic it is Sìldeag derived from the Norse síld-vík meaning ‘herring bay’.
Torridon; Professor Watson gives a detailed account starting with the recorded history of this name – Torvirtayne 1464; Torrerdone 1584; Gaelic Toir(bh)eartan compare with the Irish tairbheart, to transfer, carry over, the infinitive of tairbrim. This would give the place the meaning of ‘place of transference’ with reference to the portage from the head of Loch Torridon through Glen Torridon to Loch Maree. The name applies specially to the strip of land at the head of the loch.
Images; Copyright © Gordon C Harrison All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.
Moral rights asserted in all countries and under any acts that may require such assertion.