Family stories are great but they are just stories. Over time they can change, new details added or subtracted to make it more fantastic. We went to Bay Cottage in Balmaha because a cousin has a painting of the old MacGregor place on Loch Lomond and showed it to locals when she visited. Those locals pointed her to Bay Cottage. Our stay at Bay Cottage was very enlightening. We sat with Liz and talked about the cottage and the dye factory where my 4th great grandfather worked. The factory was torn down several years ago but there is a cottage next to it (and right smack next to Bay Cottage) that belonged to the factory. After examining some pictures and talking with Liz, we realized that perhaps it was the cottage next door that belonged to my ancestors not actually Bay Cottage. John was an acid man and it would make more sense if he lived in a cottage provided by the factory than in the cottage we stayed in which was built for the Duke of Montrose's ship captain or engineer. The family painting depicts an idyllic Scottish scene and excludes the reality: the dye factory, the logs, the workers' homes. From my understanding this painting was done by an artist who had never even been to Scotland. He used a postcard that a MacGregor family member had of the old home place. So how accurate is it? In any case, we know that John worked in the dye factory as an acid man here in Balmaha, census records prove that much. We also know that he lived next door so he either lived in that factory cottage or in Bay Cottage. Even if he didn't live in Bay Cottage, it is more than likely that the family was in Bay Cottage since the two were neighbors for about twenty years. Perhaps the land registry will give us more information! After breakfast this morning (side note, blood sausage was once again on my plate and it was delish, maybe I'm turning a corner!), we walked along the loch and took pictures of Bay Cottage and Balmaha Cottage (the factory cottage) since we know one of them was the old MacGregor home, as well as the rubble that was the dye factory. Balmaha Cottage will actually be demolished soon although they will keep up the one cottage wall that is next to Bay Cottage for history's sake. Then we went about a two miles down the road to the Buchanan parish church. It is likely that Margaret McLean, John's mother, died in Balmaha. She was 60 in the 1841 census and living with the MacGregors in Balmaha. So perhaps she is buried in the cemetery. We looked, but as we have noticed, many stones were so old we couldn't read the inscriptions and others were broken or had fallen over.
Balmaha and Bay cottages, see how close they are together?
The dye factory was right where all this construction is behind the fence.
The view of Loch Lomond from the cottages. I can just picture little Elizabeth MacGregor playing along the shore or splashing her feet in the water!
Scotland may be famous for its haggis, bagpipes and kilts, but it is also famous for its whiskey and you can't visit Scotland and not have a wee taste! So, we went to the oldest whiskey distillery in Scotland, Glenturret, founded in 1775 in Crieff. Crieff is not too far from Balmaha, maybe a 30 minute drive. This distillery actually operated illegally for over 50 years. It wasn't legal to distill alcohol until the 1820s and the Glenturret distillery was perfectly placed up in the hills and in the trees, hidden from view. We went on a tour and it was interesting to see how whiskey is made. In order for the whiskey to be considered "Scottish," it has to be made on Scottish soil and aged in an oak cask for at least three years. As our guide explained, because of these regulations, Scottish whiskey has the best reputation in the world, but then again, he may be a wee biased! Glenturret is a small distillery and follows many of the traditional practices unlike larger distilleries which have modernized the process to make the production go faster. Also, since Scots are so thrifty, they give the grist and waste water to farmers, the grist to feed their animals, and the waste water to pour on their fields because it's high in nitrogen. Part of the tour involved two tastings. First we sampled the Glenturret single malt whiskey and then we had a choice of the various Famous Grouse blends. I chose to sample the Naked Grouse while dad chose the Black Grouse Alpha. The Black Grouse Alpha had a smoky flavor to it from the peat that is burned during the process. Neither of us found it as smooth or enjoyable as my sample of the Naked Grouse. Since we enjoyed the Naked Grouse and because we are in Scotland and because we are thrifty Scots at heart (and got a 10 pound discount), we got a bottle...for memory's sake of course!
After sampling Scotland's finest drink, we headed north to Glencoe, deep into the heart of the Highlands. I thought I had seen some spectacular scenery until we got north of Glen Orchy. The high mountains sweeping down into the glens was incredibly dramatic. I was glued to the window and demanded we stop as often as possible to gawk in awe at the incredible beauty. It got colder the higher up we went and it was quite windy. There was also fresh snow on some of the mountain peaks. These mountains are at least 3,000 feet tall. But they aren't "rocky" like the Alps. Sure, they have rocks but the slopes gracefully swoop down into the glens. Part of that has to do with age. These mountains are much much older than the Alps, millions of years older, and have been smoothed over time by nature's elements. They feel ancient. If you stand out there, it's hard not to glean a sense of spirituality about the place. There is nothing around. No civilization. It is quiet. All you can hear is the wind.
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