The peat-fire flame : folk-tales and traditions of the Highlands & Islands
The peat-fire flame : folk-tales and traditions of the Highlands & Islands
The peat-fire flame : folk-tales and traditions of the Highlands & Islands
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THE PEAT-FIRE FLAME<br />
except by swimming, he decided, while <strong>the</strong>ir attention was<br />
diverted in digging above, to escape by swimming across<br />
Kiloran Bay, along with his dogs, a distance <strong>of</strong> about a<br />
mile. He had not completed a bow-shot's length <strong>of</strong> this<br />
arduous undertaking, however, when his foes noticed him,<br />
<strong>and</strong> discharged a flight <strong>of</strong> arrows at him, one <strong>of</strong> which<br />
pierced his hip. MacPhee now made for a rock lying a<br />
little ahead, l<strong>and</strong>ed <strong>the</strong>reon, <strong>and</strong> extracted <strong>the</strong> arrow. Since<br />
that day <strong>the</strong> rock has been known by a Gaelic name meaning<br />
<strong>the</strong> Black Skerry <strong>of</strong> MacPhee.<br />
<strong>The</strong>reafter MacPhee <strong>and</strong> his dogs completed <strong>the</strong>ir swim<br />
across Kiloran Bay. <strong>The</strong>y <strong>the</strong>n w<strong>and</strong>ered along <strong>the</strong> shore<br />
until <strong>the</strong>y came to Baile na h-Airde. <strong>The</strong>re MacPhee found<br />
a coble with a plank stove in, lying amongst iris-flags above<br />
high-water mark. Cutting a sward with his knife, he<br />
plugged <strong>the</strong> leak, <strong>and</strong> launched <strong>the</strong> coble. And, taking his<br />
dogs aboard with him, he rowed across to Jura. In this wise<br />
he escaped from <strong>the</strong> cave on Colonsay that to this day is<br />
known as MacPhee's Cave.<br />
Cave <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> MacIans.<br />
<strong>The</strong>re is a <strong>folk</strong>-tale current in Ardnamurchan that recalls<br />
<strong>the</strong> manner in which <strong>the</strong> MacLeods <strong>of</strong> Skye suffocated <strong>the</strong><br />
MacDonalds, who had taken refuge in <strong>the</strong> Cave <strong>of</strong> St.<br />
Frances, on <strong>the</strong> Isl<strong>and</strong> <strong>of</strong> Eigg. Tradition has it that <strong>the</strong><br />
whereabouts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> MacDonalds were disclosed by <strong>the</strong> foot-<br />
prints <strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir number who, believing <strong>the</strong> enemy to<br />
be out <strong>of</strong> sight, came out <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> cave to reconnoitre, <strong>and</strong><br />
left his marks upon <strong>the</strong> snow, thus enabling <strong>the</strong> enemy to<br />
trace him <strong>and</strong> his clansmen to <strong>the</strong>ir hiding-place.<br />
By <strong>the</strong> rocky shore <strong>of</strong> Ardnamurchan <strong>the</strong>re is a cave<br />
known as <strong>the</strong> cave <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> MacIans. At <strong>the</strong> time <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
story, Ardnamurchan belonged to a sept <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> MacDonalds<br />
called <strong>the</strong> MacIans <strong>of</strong> Ardnamurchan. Now, about <strong>the</strong><br />
year, 1624, <strong>the</strong> Campbells invaded Ardnamurchan, seized <strong>the</strong><br />
Maclan stronghold <strong>of</strong> Mingary, garrisoned it, <strong>and</strong> drove<br />
<strong>the</strong> MacIans into hiding among <strong>the</strong> wilds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir patrimony.<br />
Some <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> fugitives sought refuge in this cave. Here<br />
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