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

WITCH TALES AND THE EVIL EYE
avoid delay, he deemed it advisable to get down to business
at once. In any case, no one knew when the third witch
was likely to return from her nocturnal exploits elsewhere
on the island. So the skipper drew out the customary bottle
of whisky; and forthwith he and the two witches
commenced their deliberations. A protracted discussion
now ensued. Not until the bottle was drained to the last
drop did the skipper begin to give a thought to the journey
that separated him from his boat at Portree, and to what
excuse he would have to make to the crew for his absence.
As he was on the point of leaving, in walked the third
witch. That the conference had taken place behind her
back made her angry enough, indeed : that there should
stand on the table an empty whisky bottle utterly infuriated
her ! No explanation would appease her. The more her
sister witches and the skipper attempted to explain
themselves, the more obstreperous did she become. And
she swore that she would thwart any plan to which they
had agreed. The skipper now felt that his interview with
the Camustianavaig witches might be his undoing; and so
he returned to his vessel, feeling very uncomfortable about
the whole affair.
On the following evening he was sailing his craft past
Camustianavaig before a light breeze ; and the Skye folks
were herding their cattle on the slopes of Ben Tianavaig as
he steered for the fishing grounds. Of a sudden there arose
a black squall that enveloped his boat. " And, if you are
not believing me," said the credulous native who told me this
witch tale in Skye a few years ago, " you have merely to
sail from Portree to Cumustianavaig with a west wind to
"
experience such a squall, even on the calmest day !
Furthermore, my story-teller informed me that in his
youth he had been under the influence of one of the witches
on a certain occasion. He and some of his companions had
been fishing out from Camustianavaig when, having set
several barrels of nets, they had to run for the harbour to
avoid a sudden change in the weather. At daybreak the
fishers set out to examine their nets; but their sailing was
hindered because one of their number had failed to turn up.
Two of the crew, now weary of waiting, went off to the
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