Image Details
This particular image was taken before I came to live in Scotland's Wester Ross. Staying for a few days in Gairloch, I did as I always did when on holiday, got up at dawn to go on a landscape photograph hunt.
I didn't know the area then as I do now, and this was only my second view of Loch Tollaidh. This is a stunningly beautiful location, taking on a whole variety of moods throughout the year.
I think this scene captures the peace and tranquillity that I always sought when escaping the pressures of work in the city for a few days.
The small island that can be seen in Loch Tollaidh is reputedly the site upon which a crannog once stood, however there is considerable doubt that this is so, following some research carried out by an underwater archaeology team from Edinburgh University.
At the end of the loch is Creag Mhór Tollaidh, and in successive receding planes are Beinn Airigh Charr, A' Mhaighdean, Rhuadh Stac, Carn Mor and Beinn a' Chàisgein Mór.
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.
A’ Mhaighdean; A mountain in Wester Ross; the name translates as ‘the maiden’. Why it’s called the maiden is not explained by any of my sources. It is however reckoned to be the most inaccessible of Scotland’s mountains due to the 2-3 backpacking in required in order to climb it. A lady friend did say to me that it is called the maiden because it is inaccessible, I have not been able to verify this!
Beinn a' Chàisgein Mór; Listed by Dixon as Beinn a Chaisgean which may be a corruption of caisg; Easter. Apamapa translates the name as ‘the big mountain of Cashken’. Watson lists the mountain but offers no explanation of the meaning of the name. I have not been able to source any other explanations.
Beinn Airigh Charr; Gaelic. Listed by Watson as Binn Airigh a’ Charr and explained as ‘hill of the shieling of the projecting rock or shelf’. Listed in Dixon’s ‘Gairloch & Guide to Loch Maree’ as Beinn Aridh Charr its meaning is given as ‘the mountain of the rough shieling’ from the following roots; Beinn, ‘mountain’, aridh (accepted spelling is àirigh), ‘a shieling’, charr, a corruption of garbh, ‘rough’.
Carn Mór; Gaelic for ‘Big Cairn’, in this case referring to a large outcrop of rock.
Creag Mhór Tollaidh; Gaelic; Creag, Rocks, crags, Mhór, big, Tollaidh, place of the holes. Thus, ‘big rocks at the place of the holes’.
Gairloch; Gaelic, village named after the loch of the same name, Loch Gairloch, An Gearr-loch, the short loch.
Loch Tollaidh; Gaelic; ‘loch at the place of the holes’, there are also Tollie Farm, Tollie Bay, Tollie Rock, and Tollie Burn.
Rhuadh Stac; Listed by Professor Watson and J H Dixon as Ruadh stac, meaning ‘steep hill’ or ‘red peak’.
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