Image Details
On a bitterly cold January afternoon, late, and thinking that all landscape photography opportunities were probably over, I came across this ethereal scene. At the time I didn't know the history of what I was looking at, but years later I did learn of its history, and it only increased my feeling that I had arrived at this place at the most opportune moment.
I was on the north shore of Scotland's Loch Leven looking south to the dreamlike tree-covered island, Eilean Munde (right), the village of Ballachulish, and beyond to the ghostly mass of Beinn a' Bheither. The peat smoke from the chimneys of Ballachulish gave the scene an ethereal feel.
The view was irresistible and I took a variety of images on Kodachrome film, revealing a bluish grey colouration, but I have emphasised the blue as it seems to fit well with how I felt about this view.
Years later, when I was framing some work in my studio, I was listening to the radio, a travel program discussing the Glen Coe area, and I heard Eilean Munde mentioned. Then I learned that this was the island that the MacDonalds of Glen Coe, massacred in 1692, were subsequently buried on.
I immediately stopped what I was doing and brought the image up on my monitor and enlarged it to its maximum extent. There, quite clearly, were the ancient tombstones scattered amongst the trees. For me this just added some other spiritual element to this image, one that I was not aware of at the time.
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.
Ballachulish; In Gaelic it is written as Baile a' chaolais and means "settlement on the strait". The strait in question is Caolas Mag Phadraig - Peter or Patrick's narrows, at the mouth of Loch Leven.
Beinn a' Bheithir; Several websites state this to mean the ‘Mountain of the thunderbolt’ but both the Scottish Place Name Society and the Scottish Parliament website note bheithe as referring to birch, as in birchwood.
Glen Coe; The following information was gleaned from Wikipedia. In Gaelic it is written as Gleann Comhann. Due to the massacre that took place there in 1692 the name Glen Coe is often said to mean "Glen of Weeping", However, Gleann Comhann does not translate as 'Glen of Weeping'. In fact the Glen is named for the River Coe which runs through it, and bore this name long prior to the 1692 incident. The name of the river itself is believed to predate the Gaelic language and its meaning is not known. One possibility is that it was named for a tribe once living in the area; however this remains speculation. It is also possible that the name stems from an individual personal name.
Loch Leven; According to one source it is written in Gaelic as Loch Lìobhann but so far I have been unable to determine the meaning of Lìobhann with certainty. Another source states that Leven is the anglicized version of the Gaelic word leamham meaning elm.
Eilean Munde; Named after St Fintan Mundus, also known as Saint Fintan Munnu, who built a chapel here in the seventh century.
Images; Copyright © Gordon C Harrison All Rights Reserved. No reproduction without permission.
Moral rights asserted in all countries under any acts that may require such assertion.