.'jv. j^-V'itf' '^lu«* THE LAND OF LORNE; OR, A POET'S ADTEISTTTJEES IN THE SCOTTISH HEBRIDES, INCLUDING THE CRUISE OF THE "TERN" TO THE OUTER HEBRIDES. BY KOBERT BUCHANAN. ^i?^ ->-"' y^ T^WO ^T'OLTTTHES IN ONE. NEW YORK: FRANCIS B. FELT & CO., 91 MERCER STREET. 1871. losses TO fer ^ogal f ig^nrss THE PRINCESS LOUISE THESE PICTtTRES OF HEK FUTURE HOME IN THE HEBRIDES ABE (•WITH HER ROYAL HIGHNESS' EXPRESS PERMISSION^ INSCRIBED, ON THE OCCASION OF HER SrARRIAGE, BY THE AUTHOR. January, 1871. — ; THE LAl^D OF LORl^O:. ' A LAND of rainbows spanning glens whose walls. Rock-built, are hung with many-colored mists Of far-stretched meres, whose salt flood never rests- Of tuneful caves and playful waterfalls Of mountains varying momently their crests. Proud be this land ! whose poorest huts are halls Where Fancy entertains becoming guests. While native song the heroic past recalls." WOKDSWOUTH. PREFATORY JN^OTE. A SMALL portion of the " Cruise of the Tern " has appeared in print before, though in a very imperfect shape ; all the rest of the present work is now pub- lished for the first time. The pictures of life and scenery, such as they are, speak for themselves, and appeal more or less to everybody ; but the narrative of the Tern's cruise may have a special interest for yachtsmen, as showing what a very small craft can do with proper management. The Tern, I believe, was the smallest craft of the kind that ever ventured round the point of Ardnamurchan, and thence to Ultima Thule, or the Outer Hebrides ; but there is no reason whatever why other tiny yachts should 8 PREFATORY NOTE. not follow Buit, and venture out to the wilds. To any sportsman desirous of such an expedition, and able to stand rough accommodation and wild weather, I can promise glorious amusement, just faintly spiced with a delightful sense of danger, sometimes more fanciful than real, frequently much more real than fanciful. K. B. — — COI^rTEI^TS. PICTURES OF LORNE AND THE ISLES. CHAPTER I. FIRST GLIMPSE OF LORNE. The White House on the Hill—The Land of Lome—First Impres- sions of Oban—The Celtic Workmen—Maclean, Mactavish, and Duncan of the Pipes—The Lords of Lome and their Descendants Battle between Bnico and John of Lome—DunoUie Castle—Glori- fication of Mist and Rain—An Autumn Afternoon—Old Castles Dunstafiiiage, 17 CHAPTER IL PICTUEES INLAND. The Seasons— Cuckoos — Summer Days—Autumn—Winter—Moor- land Lochs—The Fir Wood—The Moors and the Sea—Farm-houses and Crofters' Huts—Traces of former Cultivation on the Hills—The Euined Sacters—Graveyard at Dunstaffnage The Island of Inis- liail, 40 1« —A 10 CONTENTS. CHAPTER in. THE HEART OF LOBNE, PAOB. Loch Awe and its Ancient Legend— Summer Days on the Lake—The Legend of Fraoch Eilan—Kilcburn Castle—Effects of Moonlight and of Storm—View from Glenara—The Pools of Cladich—Duncan Ban of the Songs—His Coire Cheathaich—His Mairi Ban Og, and Last Adieu to the Hills—Songs of the Children of the Mist—llio Pass of Awe—The Ascent of Ben Cruachan, 53 CHAPTER IV. Sl'ORTS ON THE MOORS AND LOCHS. Grouse and Black-game Shooting—A September Day on the Moore The Grouse-Shooter—Peat-Bogs—Arrival of Snipe and Woodcock Mountain Lochs and other Haunts of Wild Fowl—False and True Sportsmen, . • 79 CHAPTER V. THE FIRTH OP liOKNB. Tlie Ocean Qiieen, or Coffin—Slion Macnab's Race with "the Barber" —Laclilan Finlay—From Crinan to the Dorus Mhor—Hebridcan Tides—Scarba—The Gulf of Corryvreckan—Its Horrors and Perilg —Luing and the Small Isles—The Open Firth—Easdalo and ita Quarriers—Tombs at the Door—Miseries of Calm—Gylen Castlo and the Island of Kerrera—King Haco's Invasion of the Hebrides- Puff from the Southeast—The Island of Mull—Johnson and Bos- well in the Hebrides—A Run to Tobermory—Loch Sunart—A Rainy Day—Ardtornish Castle—Anchored between Wind and Tide Night on the Firth—Troubles of Darkness—Farewell to the Ocean Queen—Arrival of the Tern, 89 — CONTENTS. li CHAPTEE VI. THE "tern's" first FLIGHT. PAOE. The Tern Afloat—Off Ardnamurchan—First Glimpses of the Isles The Cuchullin Hills—General Reflections—Flashing Forward—The Partv on Board—The Scaur of Eig—Rum—Birds of the Ocean Muck—Sunset on the Waters—Loch Scresort, Rum—The Gaelic Skipper—The Widow—A Climb among the Peaks—View of the Western Ocean from Rum—The Tern Weighing Anchor—Kilmory Bay—First View of Canna—At Aiachor, 121 CHAPTER Vn. CANNA AND ITS PEOPIiE. The Laird of Canna—His Kingly Power—Prosperity of the State The Island—The Old Tower—Canna in Storm and in Calm—The Milking—Twilight—A Poem by David Gray—Haunts of the Ocean Birds—Whispers from the Sea—The Canna People—The Quiet life —The Graveyard on the Hill-side 139 CHAPTER Vin. ElKADH OF CaKNA, .«....'... 155 — 12 CUInTENTB. THE CRUISE OF THE "TERN." CHAPTER IX. NIGHT ON THE MINCH. PAGB. Gloomy Prophecies—Terrors of the Minch—The Viking—Haraish 8haw, the Pilot—Leaving Canna Harbor—Pictures of 8kye and the Cuchuinns—Remarks on Sir Walter Scott and his Poems Afloat on the Minch—the Far-off Isles—Twilight—Hamish Shaw at the Helm—Summer Night—Talk about Ghosts and Supersti- tions—The Evil Eye—The Death-Cry—Wind Rising—Wind and Mist—Water Snakes—Midnijht—The Strange Ship—Peep o' Day Boisdale, The Red Buoy—Anchorage in Loch , ... 189 CHAPTER X. THE nSHEBS OF THE LONG ISLAND. Loch Boisdale—The Tern at Anchor—The Inn and the Population Rain—Boisdale in the Herring Season—Fishing-boats and Camps —A Night in a West-Country 8mack—Herring-gutters—Habits of East-Country Fishermen, 219 — CONTENTS. 13 CHAPTEE XI. GLIMPSES OF THE OUTEK HEBKTDES. PAGE. First Glimpse—The Uists and Benbecula—Their Miserable Aspects —Hamish 8haw—Solemnity of the People—Brighter Glimpses The Western Coast of the Island—Winter Storm—The Sound of Harris—The Norwegian Skipper—The Fjords—Kelp-bnrners—View from Kenneth Hill, Loch Boisdale—A Sunset—The Lagoons Characteristics of the People—Civilized and Uncivilized—Miserable Dwellings—Comfortable Attire—Their Superstitions and Deep Spir- itual Life, 229 CHAPTEE Xn. SPOKT IN THE WILDS, The Sportsmen and their Dogs—The Hunter's Badge—^The Weap- ons—Shooting in the Fjords—Eiders, Cormorants, Curlews—Duck- shooting near Loch Boisdale—The Tfeni at Anchor in Loch Iluport —Starvation—Wild-Goose Shooting on Loch Bee—The Shepherds Gifts—Goose Shooting on Loch Phlogibcg—The Melancholy Loch —Breeding Places of the Wild Fowl—Rain-Storm—"Bonnie Kil- meny"—Short Rations—The Passing Ship—Red Deer, Salmon, and Eagles—Corbies and Ravens—Seal Shooting in the Maddy Fjords —lieflection on Wild Sports in General, 252 — —— 14 CONTENTS. CHAPTEE XIII. COASTING SKYE. PAOE. Effects of Cruising on Yacht and Voyagers—Recrossing the Minch Northwest Coast of Skye—Becalmed off Loch Snizort—Midnight- Lights of Heaven and Ocean—Dawn—Columns of the North Coast —The Quirang—Scenerj' of the Northeast Coast—The Stoim Portree Harbor, 291 CHAPTER XIV. THE SAGA OF HACO THE KINO. I. KITXQ ALEXANDER'S DREAM AND DEATH, . 306 II. —KING HACO GATHERS HIS HOST, 303 III.—SAILING OF THE GREAT FLEET, 310 IV.—KING HACO'S SAILING SOUTHWARD, . .312 T.—THE king's fleet MEETS WITH A GREAT STORM, . 314 VI.—THE BATTLE OF LARGS, 316 VII.—KING HACO SAILS NORTHWARD, 319 VIII.—KING HACO'S SICKNESS 322 IX. —KING HACO'S DEATH AND BURIAL, . .324 CHAPTER XV. OIiEN SLIOAGHAN AND THE CUCHUIiIilNS. Sconser and Sligachan—Party and Guide—Dawn on the Cuchullins Scuir-na-Gillcan—A Ilhapsody on Geology—Fire and Ice—The Path along the Glen—Hart-o'-Corry—Ben Blaven—A Monologue on Ossian—Schneider and the Rod Deer—First Glimpse of the "Corry of the Water "—Lochan Dhu, 327 — A go:nti!;kts. 15 CHAPTER XVL COEKUISK ; OE, THE COREY OF THE WATEK. PAGE. The Lone Water—The Region of Twilight Blocs Pei'ches—llaraish Shaw's Views—The Cave of the Ghost—The Dunvegan Pilot's Story—Echoes, Mists and Shadows—Squalls in Loch Scavaig- A Highlander's Ideas of Beauty—Camping out in the Corry— Stormy Dawn—The Fishermen and the Strange Harbor—Loch Scavaig—The Spar Cave—Camasimary, 354 CHAPTER XVIL Epilogue; The "Tekn's" Last Flight, 382 THE LAND OF LORNE. CHAPTER I. FIRST GLIMPSE OF LORNE. The Wliitc House on the Hill—The Land of Lome—First Impressions of ObaTi—Tlie Celtic Workmen—Maclean, Macta\ish, and Duncan of the Pipes—The Lords of Lome and their Descendants—Battle between Bruce and John of Lome—Dunollie Castle—Glorification of Mist and Rain—An Autumn Afternoon—Old Castles—Dunstaffnage. When the Wanderer (as the writer purposes to call himself in these pages, in order to get rid of the perk- ish and impertinent lii*st person singular) first came to dwell in Lome, and roamed, as is his wont, up hill and down dale from dawn to sunset, he soon grew weary of a landscape which seemed tame and color- less, of hills that, with one or two magnificent excep- tions, seemed cold and unpicturesque. It was the springtime, moreover, and such a springtime ! Day after day the rain descended, sometimes in a dreary " smurr," at others in a moaning torrent, and when the clouds did part, the sun looked through with a dismal and fitful stare, like a face swollen with weeping. The conies were frisking everywhere, fancying it al- ways twilight. The mountain loch overflowed its banks, while far beneath the surface the buds of the 18 THE LAND OF LOKNE.