Remembrance Day

Just below the dark and rocky north face of the ridge called Druim na Gearr Leacainn stands a semicircular cairn. Within it lie some corroding fragments of aluminium and, stuck into its stone wall, two lengths of copper tubing twisted to form a crude cross. The cairn looks out across the twin lochans to the crags of Stacan Dubha, and beyond to the isles of Eigg and Skye.

The cairn commemorates the death in 1944 of a New Zealand Hurricane pilot who was on his way back from a sortie. This was part of Combined Operations' preparations for the D-Day landings. The pilot, Flt Lt Woodgate, and his two companions became lost in low cloud. Flt Lt Woodgate died on Ardnamurchan, WO Stephens died on Coll, and their companion managed to crash land having become hopelessly lost.

A full account of the incident is here.