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My favourite local walk is to head from my house along the coastal road to Mellon Udrigle. There are huge expansive views across Gruinard Bay to the mountains of Wester Ross and Sutherland.
On this occassion I had no option but to walk. The road from my house down to the Mellon Udrigle road was a solid sheet of thick glassy ice, impassable by vehicles without four wheel drive. This was only the second day of this situation, I didn't know it then that it would be around ten days before I could use my car again!
Everywhere looked beautiful in the newly fallen snow. This view, taken about a mile from my house as I walked towards Achgarve is one of my favourites. I never tire of looking across Gruinard Bay towards An Teallach but it is rare, even in the North-west Highlands to have this much snow combined with brilliant sunshine. Unfortunately our winters are tending towards being wetter and milder. From a photographers point of view this winter was a pleasant change!
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.
Achgarve; From the Gaelic is An t-Achadh Garbh meaning ‘the rough field’.
An Teallach; Gaelic, ‘The Forge’, according to Wikipedia from its colour in certain lighting rather than its shape. From personal experience I can agree with this explanation. In the summer, during a good sunset, and when looking east over Gruinard Bay An Teallach can appear bright red with the reflected light from the sunset in the west. However Professor Watson says that the being called the forge is due either to its smoke like mists or from supposed resemblance to a forge.
Gruinard Bay; possibly from the Norse grunnfjörðr meaning shallow firth.
Laide; In Gaelic it is An Leathad meaning ‘a slope’.
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.
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