Literature of the Gaelic Landscape. John Murray
natural features (figure 1).
Tha Fas a’ Ghràig an Leathad a’ Charraigh1
Is Coille Chasaidh an Ardchoille2,
Caibeal na Fairc(e)3 an Achadh-loinn4,
Tom an Taghain5 ’s Meall na Samhna6,
Lochan nan Arm7 anns an t-Suidhe8,
Is Tom Ruigh an Innis Eòghain9,
Dail Clachaig am Both Uachdair10,
Is daimh air cruachan Beinne Mòire11.
There’s Fas a’ Ghràig in Leathad a’ Charraigh1
And Coille Chasaidh in Ardchoille2,
Caibeal na Fairc(e)3 in Achadh-loinn4,
Tom an Taghain5 and Meall na Samhna6,
Lochan nan Arm7 in an t-Suidhe8,
And Tom Ruigh in Innis Eòghain9,
Dail Clachaig in Both Uachdair10,
And stags on the shoulder of Beinne Mòire11.
(author’s translation adapted from Watson 1928, 264)
The last line refers to Ben More - Beinn Mhòr (plate 2), which dominates the Glen. As they appear in the text, the following place-names can be found mostly in anglicised form on the OS 1:25000 map as: Ledcharrie1 (plate 3) - Slope of the Stone Pillar (NN506282); Ardchyle2 - Wood Height (NN526294); Caibeal na Fairce3 – a ruined chapel just to the east of Auchlyne and burial place of the Campbells of Auchlyne. It is not mapped, but was once associated with St Fillan.
Plate 2: Ben More - Beinn Mhòr from Ledcharrie - Leathad a’ Charraigh, Glen Dochart, Breadalbane.
Plate 3: Meall na Samhna from Leathad a’ Charraigh - Ledcharrie, Glen Dochart, Breadalbane.
Auchlyne4 (plate 4) – is Pleasant or Fertile Field (NN512296); Tom an Taghain5 (plate 5) - Hillock of the Pine Marten (NN505512), Meall na Samhna6 - Rounded Hill of Hallowtide or All Hallows (NN493325); Innisewan9 is Ewan’s Meadow (NN483283); Bowachter10 - the Upper Hut and Ben More9 (plate 6) – is Big Mountain. An Suidhe8 - the Seat, refers to the burial ground of the Macnabs of Innisewan and the seat of St Fillan (plate 7), opposite the Suie Hotel (NN490280). Again, it is not mapped. Neither are the remaining place-names in the verse. Even their locations cannot be established.
Plate 4: Caibeal na Fairce, Auchlyne, Glen Dochart, Breadalbane.
Plate 5: Tom an Taghain - Hillock of the Pine Martin and Ben More - Beinn Mhòr, Glen Dochart, Breadalbane.
Plate 6: Both Uachdair and Beinn Mhòr - Bowachter & Ben More, Glen Dochart, Breadalbane.
Plate 7: An Suidhe – The Suie, Burial Place of the Macnabs of Innisewan, Glen Dochart, Breadalbane.
There is another version of the rhyme (Robertson Collection MS357). Its first line quotes Eas a’ Ghràig – Waterfall of the Croaking or Shouting, which makes more sense than Fas – meaning a stance or station. It also records that the first soldier responds to the litany of names with: dhìochuimhnich tu Both-bhain! – you forgot Bovain! (White or Fair Hut, but perhaps Both Mheadhain – Middle Hut, which works well with Both Uachdair). Both-bhàin is 2 miles south west of Killin at NN542306 and at some distance from the main group of places cited in central Glen Dochart.
Another name, again at some distance from the others, which otherwise tend to cluster about Auchlyne, is Lochan nan Arm – Lochan of the Weapons (plate 8). It would have been well known in the area. It is still referred to in West Highland Way publicity. Here in 1306 a party of MacDougalls intent on avenging the murder of their chief’s brother-in-law, the Red Comyn, surprised Robert the Bruce and his men. They nearly succeeded, for Bruce lost his plaid brooch to the MacDougalls in the fight. In their haste to escape the boggy ground about the lochan, the future King’s party threw their weapons into the little loch to lighten their load as they fled the scene. This tiny place can be found to the southwest of Tyndrum - Taigh an Droma (NN337287) hidden by, and perched amongst a cluster, of glacial moraines.
Plate 8: Lochan nan Arm, Dail Rìgh, Taigh an Droma - Little Loch of the Weapons, Dalrigh, Tyndrum, Breadalbane.
At the end of the rhyme the second man, having finished his recital is then interrogated in his turn and responds with observations about the character of the Turner’s Burn near Upper Lix (now Wester Lix).
Tha Allt an Tuairneir an Lic Uachdarach –
Is luath e ’na theid e ’na shiubhal
Ach theid an Rìgh fo an t-sluasaid,
Ge luath e, mun ruig e an Suidhe.
(in Watson 1928, 264)
There’s the Turner’s Burn of Upper Lix.
It’s fast in its travels; though swift as it is,
the King will be below the shovel
before it reaches the Suie.
(author’s translation adapted from ibid 264)
His answer shows that he knows how rapidly and in what direction the burn runs. If the water could flow to Suie, which lies at a higher elevation upstream, the monarchy might well have been overturned. For to do so, the burn would need to change direction and run uphill from its confluence with the River Dochart. Both men had proved their provenance to each other by using a question and answer form of topo-mnemonic.
This verse shows the depth and detail of the geographical and hydrological information possessed by Highlanders in the 18th century. Today few of these places would register on any cognitive map of the locality, except perhaps Ben More, whose profile dominates the whole length of this long Glen and Lochan nan Arm, whose story is mentioned in today’s tourist literature. Yet in the 18th century the burial grounds of clan leaders, farming settlements and fertile meadows would have had great significance to the natives of Glen Dochart, as would a dramatic event in the Wars of Independence. Both religious sites are associated with St. Fillan, who was active in Glen Dochart in the 8th century. Gold shrine covers of his holy crozier, dating from the 11th and 14th century, were kept by the Dewar family until the 19th century. St Fillan is associated with a healing and baptismal pool on the River Dochart not far from Lochan nan Arm (NN351287). All the farming settlements recorded would have been inhabited in the 18th century when the two soldiers had their toponymic exchange about Glen Dochart in faraway Canada.
Both topo-mnemonics share a