Sgurr a'Mhaoraich and the Glengarry People

[Collaciotach]

Sgurr a Mhaoraich faisg loch Cuaich air Dis-saithairne agus ann Gleann a Gharaid ......

In 1782 Duncan MacDonnell was the first of the Glengarry "daoine uasal" turning his land over to "an caora mor" or the big sheep .

The bards said that there were few removals in Gleann Cuaich at the time as this land was pasture.

They also said so successful was this introduction that three years later began the systematic evictions of the Gleann a Gharadh people from the surrounding Glens and land now drowned by Loch "Cuaich" ( loch of the cup shape)

Air cuil Gleann a Gharadh is Loch Cuaich

Today the stalkers path to Sgurr a Mhaoraich leads you quickly up and onto druim coire nan Eiricheallach which translated means "ridge of the corrie of stolen cattle" although Peter MacRae native to Ceann Loch Hourn would have it as" the coire of the lazy sheperd boy".

There is grand views to Gairich from the druim

Loch Cuaich is Gairich

Bha an t side sgothach is tioram ach leis frasach bheag ..... on Saturday past the weather was mixed which added to the atmosphere of this empty portion of the Gaidhealtachd

Druim is ceo

Gáradh faisg a choire

We were blessed with openings to the North along the long cleared Gleann Cuaich with Druim Seile a Deas flanking her Ceann Taile side

Gleann a Cuaich is Druim Seile a Deas

Gáradh faisg Coire a Eiricheallach

She is a grand hill a Mhaoraich and we had fleeting glimpses of a clear summit as we approached the last of the coirean is slighean

faisg a mhullach

However the Gaidhealtachd likes to hide her summits for sure and Sgurr a Mhaoraich soon disappeared into the ceó as we arrived at the Cárn

Anns a ceo aig a cárn

We sat air a mhullach for a while watching the ceo swirl around and indeed it was pleasant tucked out of the wind although Mhaoraich was keepingg her cloak on !

bidean bheag

After a while we began wandering down over the druim garbh its a pleasant scrabble mind with slippery rock and some fair drops

a doil sios leis an cu

A'dh'aithgearr bha sinn sios an sgothan agus anns a grian is frasach a ribhist .... we soon exited the mist into a mix of sun n showers back on Druim Coire nan Eiricheallach

Air cuil a druim

In April 1745 six hundred men from the Glengarry lands joined Charles Edward Stuart under the command of Aonghas MacDonell of Lochgarry, amongst them would have been men who grazed their cattle on the high pasture of Sgurr a Mhaoraich and in the Coire nan Eiricheallach .......

Cha till mi tuile

Suil air ais

[mrssanta]

enjoyed reading this with the wee snippets of history.

[Collaciotach]

enjoyed reading this with the wee snippets of history.

The hills are meaningless without their history

[Bod]

Very intriguing report there Collaciotach, and I like you view on hills and their history very much!

(Where do you think you find best references to the history of our hills and glens without knowing and having time to learn from the locals?)

[dogplodder]

I loved this hill - and it was good to get the free history lesson thrown in!

[soulminer]

A fine report from an area I certainly enjoyed leaving footprints in The accumulation of knowledge, on a variety of subjects, is the one thing I have enjoyed about the travelling and walking around Scotland on the 'Bagging 'mission. I hope this thirst for more doesn't fade, and these type of reports add more to the history section Cheers.

[hills]

Cant wait to do this hill, it looks good, fine report.

[Collaciotach]

Very intriguing report there Collaciotach, and I like you view on hills and their history very much!

(Where do you think you find best references to the history of our hills and glens without knowing and having time to learn from the locals?)

Uill ......books is a source but a life time of learning is no got easy

[mrssanta]

keep sharing - your reports are always a good read and most informative thanks

[Collaciotach]

keep sharing - your reports are always a good read and most informative thanks

Moran taing Mrs..... it is my mission to raise awareness and to remind the Gaidhealtachd is no "wilderness", it has been shamefully exploited and centuries of history has been suppressed