The Diary has attempted to avoid repetition in its posts but, having stopped briefly the other day to add another stone to the pile already on top of this great rock, was reminded that a previous post, in December 2009, had asked whether anyone knew the reason for the stones.The rock stands right beside the road between Kilchoan and Sanna - the map at the bottom of the page shows its exact location. One possibility is that there is a tradition of placing stones on the rock in memory of those who lost their lives in the 1518 battle between the Ardnamurchan MacIains and the MacDonalds and their allies, the Macleods - details in that original post here.
This picture looks across the rock to the site of the battle. The MacIains would have emerged through the gap in the hills to the left. Their opponents, having landed at Sanna and walked up the track which passed through Achnaha and crossed the small burn called Allt Uamha na Muice near where the road bridge now crosses it, would have come up from the valley to the right.
Battles in those days were bloody affairs. Not only did the victors show little mercy to their wounded opponents lying on the field, but they would also have hurried over the hill southwards to enjoy the spoils of the MacIain villages abandoned by their inhabitants when news came that the battle was lost.
There were no comments left on the original post. If anyone knows anything about this particular rock, or has come across a similar tradition elsewhere, The Diary would like to know, either through a comment or - if, like others, you have had problems with working Google 'Comments' - by email to kilchoandiary@btinternet.com
A map of the area is here.
I have been coming to Kilchoan/Sanna with my family for the last 10 years. When my children were younger we would often stop and put a shell or stone on this rock on our way back from a beautiful day on Sanna beach. I actually have photos of them adding to the stone. We often wondered what it was all about and just thought that maybe someone, perhaps on holiday added a stone one day and that's how it all began. It would be interesting to find out the real story behind
ReplyDeletethis tradition.
Larraine Atkin
I've had a number of comments by email on this post, including this one from Gael Cameron, for which many thanks:
ReplyDelete"It was called the Silver rock because of its colour. The Gaelic translation was then misinterpreted as the money rock and people used to put a coin under the stone they placed on top to bring them luck.
I remember doing this as a child and wished for a rabbit...guess what..It worked!
creag
nf. g. creige; d. creig; pl.+an, rock, crag
Silver or money is airgead.
This link talks of cairns in a different place nearby related to the battle:
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/22121/details/ardnamurchan+creag+an+airgid/
I've had a further suggestion from someone who has lived up here for many years. She says that it was called the silver rock because it was the place where the drovers, returning from marketing their cattle away to the east of the country, shared out the money they had made. It was the point at which they felt they were almost home, and safe.
ReplyDeleteYet another suggestion is -
ReplyDeleteThe tradition was that as man left for battle, they cast a stone, and if it rolled off, they knew they would not return. A tradition embraced by tourists!