The peat-fire flame : folk-tales and traditions of the Highlands & Islands

NORSE AND VIKING FOLK-TALES
ments of the castle to dry, so as to make believe that its
defenders had an ample supply of emergency rations, and
were far from surrendering. Soon the Norsemen became
discontented and demoralised; and, wearying of their
protracted siege, they weighed anchor and sailed away for
Lochlann.
ElLEAN DONAN WrESTED FROM THE KiNG's TrOOPS.
The ruse whereby the besieged in Kisimul Castle
successfully induced the Norse invaders to abandon their
siege is reminiscent of the tale, still recounted in the
Western Highlands, of how the natives of Kintail, by
employing another ruse, were able to wrest the Castle of
Eilean Donan from the king's troops. This tale, however,
is believed to relate to an event that occurred at a date
subsequent to
Islands.
the Norse occupation of the Highlands and
On the pretext that lowering skies and the ominous
croaking of ravens foreshadowed torrential rain while the
Kintail folks were in process of securing their harvest, one
of their number approached the Castle with the request that
the governor should allow the garrison to lend the
harvesters a hand. To this request the governor acceded.
But the garrison, on its return from harvesting, found
Eilean Donan in the hands of the men of Kintail.
" The oldest inhabitant of the parish," according to the
Statistical Account, " remembers to have seen the Kintail
men under arms, dancing on the leaden roof of the castle,
just as they were setting out for the Battle of Sheriffmuir,
where this resolute band was cut to pieces." ^
1 This, doubtless, is the incident that inspired the late Lockhart Bogle
to commit to canvas his wonderful painting entitled " The Night before
the Raid : MacRae Clansmen dancing on the Leaden Roof of Eilean
Donan before leaving for Sheriffmuir." This picture is one of the
most beautiful works of art I have ever seen. At frequent intervals
during the last fifteen years, it was my privilege, when visiting friends
in Glasgow, to sit facing it at meal-times. In 1936 the late Colonel
AlacRae-Gilstrap purchased it for fifty pounds from Lockhart Bogle's
sister-in-law. It ought to have found a permanent place in some national
collection : so far as I am aware, there is nothing like it in any public
gallery. Perhaps, this footnote may move some beneficent Scot to buy
it back, and present it to the people of Scotland, to whom it rightly
belongs.
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