Day 9 - The Journey's End
We awoke this day to what would be out final one on the road. I have been remiss is introducing more of my traveling companions so let me take a moment to do so. I had mentioned that Paul Alexander accompanied us to the Piping competition (seems like quite a while ago now). Accompanying him are his wife Carolyn and his daughter, Sarah, who will be celebrating her 11th birthday on the 27th and Sarah's grandmother, Erma Conrad. Jack and Malinda Anderson were among those that I got to know early on the trip. Jim and Sharon Campbell are the only Campbell's on the trip other than Sharon (from Texas) and as such, take a lot of ribbing from our host. Jim also sports a short pony tail that I find to be right smart but that Sharon (his Sharon) gives him some amount of grief over. Among the singles were the roomies, Helen Lichtenfels and Pam Russell. Pam raised “heiland coos” with her husband before he passed away. We shared dinner several nights with Paul and Pat McAllister and with Harvey and Georgia Lawrence. And then there was Bill and Rosemary Avery, a lovely couple who had a camera just like mine.
As we made our way north from Loch Melford through Oban, I thought back over the journey I had taken and the friends I had made. The bad start with the night spent in the Newark airport and the next night finding our way in the dark between Coupar Angus and Dunkeld were but hiccups in this wondrous journey. And as the end neared, the rain that had become an everyday occurrence was but a page in this broad chapter of life. After all, it is the good times that we remember, not the bad, otherwise the “good ole” days wouldn't really seem so good, now would they?
Ahem...let's get back to the task at hand here. North of Oban, Castle Stalker sits on a small islet in Appin Bay. It was used in the movies “Monte Python and the Holy Grail”, “Highlander” and “Highlander: Endgame”. It is a four story tower castle built in 1320 by Clan MacDougal, then Lords of Lorn.
Our next stop would be at the village of Glencoe, the sight of an infamous masacre associated with the Jacobite uprisings. Here I will pause a moment to relate the details of this massacre for like the Hatfield-McCoy feud and the Capulets and the Montagues, this incident rings down through history even today. It all started when, in 1691 William of Orange, of the House of Hanover and King of England, Scotland and Ireland, offered all of the clans that had taken part in the most recent Jacobite uprising a pardon if they would pledge allegiance to him. This, he declared, must be effected before the first of January. The clan chiefs were urged to take the oath by James II in exile. Alistair Maclain, 12th Chief of Glencoe, set out on December 31 to Ft. William to give his oath. However, because of circumstances, he was required to proceed to Inverary to make his oath before Sir Colin Campbell, sheriff of Argyll. Due to the inclement weather and a series of circumstances, it was six days before he actually gave his oath to Sir Colin. Thinking that he had fulfilled the requirements, he returned to Glencoe.
However, it was felt that an example must be made of this incident and so, in late January or early February, two companies of the Earl of Argyll's Regiment of Foot, around 120 men, were dispatched under signature of William himself to Glencoe. When the soldiers arrived and requested that they be billeted by the MacDonalds of Glencoe, they were received in the hospitable tradition of the Highlands. The troops were made up mainly of lowlanders with a few Campbells and were led by Captain The Mountains at Glencoe in the Mist Looking up the Glen from Glencoe Robert Campbell of Glenlyon. For about two weeks the soldiers lived as guests, being provided food and shelter. On February 12, 1692, Captain Drummond arrived with the express orders to “put all to the sword” and thus the “Rape of Glencoe” was enacted. In all, 38 were murdered either in their sleep or as they tried to escape and an additional 40 women and children died of exposure after their homes were burned. Though various members of the government forces actually found ways to warn some of their hosts few were saved.
Under Scots law, there is a special category of murder known as “murder under trust”, considered to be even more heinous that ordinary murder and this was clearly a case of such. A trial took place and a guilty verdict was returned and, as a result, John Campbell spent but a few days imprisoned in Edinburgh castle.
The Glencoe Masacre became a propoganda piece for the Jacobites. Moreover, because of the involvement of Campbell of Glenlyon, it was seen by many as a continuation of the ancient MacDonald-Campbell rivalry. Even today the Clachaig Inn in Glencoe posts a sign declaring “No Hawkers or Campbells” (though what they have against hawkers, I don't know).
This gory tale does not mar the spectacular beauty of this glen. The stark mountains and Coe River that created this vale are indeed magnificent. And the mountains are very popular with hikers, climbers and walkers and, in the winter, skiers. This area has also been the setting for such movies as “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” and “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban”.
From Glencoe, we proceeded southward through the area known as Bleak Rannoch Moor. This area is known for its wildlife and is designated as a National Heritage site. (The ancestral home of Clan McDuck, Castle McDuck, is said to be located in the Dismal Downs somewhere on Rannoch Moor.)
From Rannoch, we next traveled along the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. Famous in story and song, Loch Lomond is the largest of the Scotish lochs. It is flanked on the eastern shore by Ben Lomond, another of the Scottish Munro peaks at 3195 feet. There are many versions of the story behind the song, “The Bonnie Banks O' Loch Lomond”, but all are based on the belief that, should a person die away from his homeland, then the fairies would dig a tunnel, the “low road”, for his soul to return home.
As we made our way into Glasgow and to our final destination, Alex pointed out sights dear to him including his boyhood neighborhood, the house where he grew up and the cemetery in which his mother, father and oldest bother, David, are interred. He spoke fondly of how, at the age of 14, as his brother Neil became more accomplished as a piper (eventually to become a world champion piper), his older brother, David, presented him with his first guitar. I'm sure we all feel indebted to David for this simple act of love.Alex had one final treat for us after dinner that night. He introduced Ms. Kathleen Graham, a master of the Celtic harp and also of the Gaelic language. She entertained us with several songs both accompanied by the harp as well as a capella. One song demonstrated how the women, in the making and coloring of wool, would collect “pee” from their chamber pots and let it “age” into ammonia to be used in the process. The song was accompanied with the slapping of her hands on her thighs mimicking the kneading of the fabric in the process.
Whilst on the Beatonite Uprising of '03, Ms. Graham performed for us at the Duisdale Hotel on the Island of Skye and one song in particular was a signal moment for me. The song was written by her friends on the death of Kate, a young child. The title of the song, if I understand her Gaelic, is “Òran Ceit” or, simply, “ A Song for Kate”. Even though she performed it completely in the Gaelic, the melody and her voice deeply touched my heart. Over time, the memory has faded and when I learned from Alex that she would be performing on this tour, I had eagerly awaited the opportunity to experience her performance once again. As before, I was not disappointed. The song will truly bring a tear to your eye and a lump in your throat. I spoke briefly with Kathleen after the performance and expressed my gratitude to get to hear it again and, this time, to record it. Now, if the memory again fades, I can revive the moment.With her song in my heart, I found myself quickly asleep.
Day 10 – Ceann-uidhe