The Feuds of the Clans
9781465535542
pages
Library of Alexandria
Overview
The Highlands and Islands have in no previous age received greater attention, in regard to their natural beauties, than in these latter times. Until within the last thirty or forty years these romantic territories were almost a terra incognita to such tourists as now frequent them in hundreds, and were known only to the natives, and to such as, in piratical and feudal times, made bloody inroads upon them. Until of comparatively late years, those interesting localities were next thing to inaccessible to the southerns from the want of roads, and of all sorts of public conveyances. Indeed, of old, few tourists ever thought for a moment of crossing the Moray Frith, but still fewer were even aware of the splendid scenery that is to be found, towards the western coasts of Inverness, Ross, and Sutherland shires, and the many interesting isles that lie beyond. Even still, there are many lakes, mountains, and localities of interest that remain but very partially explored in Coigeach, Assynt, and the internal regions of the county of Sutherland. It is but of late that the singular natural embrasures of the beautiful Loch Maree have been seen. Until within the last few years the rough country pathway was quite impassable for, wheeled carriages of every description, and even to the traveller, if a stranger, it was anything but pleasant. The consequence was that few indeed had ever seen it but the natives alone. Pennant and M’Culloch are, we believe, the only two scientific men who, until of late years, had visited it. But how rich the reward when attained! The mountains around the lake are of great height, and of a beautifully characterised and irregular outline. The shores present an immense variety of very interesting and romantic scenery. In fact, the mountains, and the loch, with its many islands, are among the finest specimens of the grand and picturesque to be found in Scotland. The Isle of Skye, likewise, lay in the same secluded state as to its natural curiosities until within the last half-century. I remember, myself, when the now far-famed Quiraing was but little seen and still less known. The same may be said of Loch-cor-uisge, the Spar Cave, the Cullin Hills, and the Other endless varieties of grand scenery in that distinguished isle. Sir Walter Scott with his pen, Horatio M’Culloch and Others with their pencils, were among the first to bring Cor-uisge into notice. The Spar Cave, commonly called “Slochd Altraman,” was at first discovered by the crew of a boat who took shelter from the storm in the mouth of the cave, who kindled a fire there, and by the light of it observed the lofty vaulted cave, sparkling with its pure white icicles of semi-transparent spar. But what a change has been effected by the lapse of a few years! These and hundreds of Other localities in those interesting regions are now annually visited by hordes of eager tourists from every quarter of the kingdom, as well as from distant parts of the world. Very much credit for this mighty change is due to the Companies of the Highland, Sutherland, Caithness, and Skye Railways, which have opened up more of the Highlands and Islands in a few years than has ever been done before. By means of these enterprising Companies, cheap and easy access can now be had to every parish and province in the far north and west. The most distant corners of the land, from John o’ Groat’s to the Butt of Lewis, are brought within the range of a day’s journey. Mountains and lakes, glens and dales, forests and plains, may be seen gliding past as if in a panoramic view when the inexhaustible iron horse speeds its rapid course along. Railways will create a revolution in the manners, customs, and language of the Highlands and Islands. Whilst our Gaelic Societies and our Celtic enthusiasts are straining their efforts to the utmost to prolong the existence and to preserve the speaking of the Gaelic tongue, the iron-horse alone is more powerful to counteract than are all their efforts to foster the progress of the Celtic language. The railway, although unintentionally, will do more to undermine the advancement of the Celtic as a spoken language in the Highlands than a battalion of Blackies around a Celtic chair, or delivering eloquent lectures in every Highland town and parish, can possibly achieve to cherish it. In one point of view this is to be regretted, but in anOther it is not. Every philanthropist must acknowledge that two different languages spoken in two sections of a kingdom cannot tend to the civilisation of those who speak not the language of the nation at large. The sooner the sections become amalgamated and assimilated to each Other in customs and language the better. The Highlanders are now, and ever were, faithful and fearless, and it is surely very delightful to see such qualities still existing in all their pristine strength, and existing, too, without that alloy of fierceness and ferocity which characterised them in the turbulence of feudal times. The Highlanders had their faults, no doubt, but a peculiar political situation was the cause of their faults, and that which swept away the cause has rendered the effects a tale of olden times. I have said that the railway has opened up the romantic recesses of Skye and the Other isles to the delighted tourist, but anOther cause has operated powerfully to attract numberless sight-seers to the “Isle of Mist” to witness not only many points of attraction, but likewise Other localities which, in olden times, were the scenes of many skirmishes and bloody feuds. That Other cause is simply this—the eloquent, graphic, racy description of Skye given by my good friend, Sheriff Alexander Nicolson of Kirkcudbright, in his late articles contributed to “Good Words.” Himself a son of the “Isle of Mist,” gentle and generous, clannish and kind-hearted, to the back-bone a Highlander, the account given by him of his native isle is worthy of himself. The learned Sheriff has likewise published lately in a monthly periodical called the “Gael,” a beautiful poetical description of Skye scenery, both in Gaelic and English, of which I may give a brief specimen in each of these languages. The learned gentleman says in Gaelic:—An toigh leat na beanntan mor, Cruachan ‘s na neoil gu h-ard? Coireachan, frithean, dachaidh an fhir-eoin
