Image Details
Viewed from the top of Cadha Beag hill, the raised beach at Little Gruinard is well delineated in the low winter sunlight. This view was timed to be taken on a windy day at low tide so that the beach would be exposed, and there would be waves breaking on the shore. Waves always add interest to any landscape photograph and I will wait until an attractive pattern of waves arrive, taking shots of each pattern that I like, and selecting the best later.
Little Gruinard is at the south-eastern end of Gruinard Bay, Gruinard Bay itself being located in the Scottish North-west Highlands. It is a favourite spot for both tourists and locals to enjoy on fine days.
Both the Little Gruinard River and the Inverianvie River flow out over this beach and into Gruinard Bay. Toward the left of this photo is a small peninsula beyond which can be glimpsed another smaller beach. This small peninsula actually becomes an island, Eilean an Tuirc, when the tide returns, and the small bay containing this beach is called Camas Gaineamhaich. The land around this area belongs to Gruinard Estate which has several cottages on the estate to let to visitors.
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.
Cadha Beag; Gaelic. Professor Watson says that Cadha is usually a steep narrow path, but is sometimes applied to steep parts of a regular road, for example Cadha Beag and Cadha Mór at Gruinard. Thus Cadha Beag means the ‘small (from beag) steep path’.
Camas Gaineamhaich; No direct reference to this name was found but Watson gives gaineamhach as meaning ‘sandy’ and as Camas is Gaelic for ‘bay’ this translates as the ‘sandy bay’, a perfect description.
Eilean an Tuirc; Watson states that place names are sometimes named after animals from the appearance of the place. Tuirc can mean a boar, a cat or the haunt of wild cats.
Gruinard Bay; possibly from the Norse grunnfjörðr meaning shallow firth.
Inverianvie River; Written as Inverianvenie River by Professor Watson. Gaelic Inbhir-riamhainnidh, also Allt Inbhir-riamhainnidh flowing out of an Gleanna garbh, ‘the rough glen’; riam-hainnidh is probably based on the root seen in the Gaelic riamh, riadh, a course, running (in modern Gaelic ‘a drill’). The suffixes may be compared with Ptolemy’s Lib-nios. A Pictish name.
Little Gruinard; This is the name of the area around the estuary of the Little Gruinard River where it enters Gruinard Bay. There is also another nearby river called the River Gruinard and the term ‘Little’ is added to the smaller river to distinguish the two. The rivers themselves are named after the bay into which they flow, Gruinard Bay, Gruinard being derived from the old Norse grunnfjörðr meaning ‘shallow firth’.
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.