Roamin' in the Gloamin'!

Yesterday we left Callander and drove north to Balquhidder. Supposedly, this is the place where Alexander MacGregor aka Randy Sandy, was born. It is also supposedly where Rob Roy MacGregor, his wife and one of his sons are buried. Balquhidder actually belonged to the MacLaren clan. They took their name from an abbot, Labhran, who built the first church in Balquhidder on this site around 800 years ago. The MacLaren chiefs are buried within the old church's walls. In the 1500s, as the MacGregors were pushed out of their lands by Campbells, they moved into the Balquhidder area. Rob Roy MacGregor is perhaps the most famous MacGregor and lived in Balquhidder towards the end of his life. He was an outlaw, a Scottish Robin Hood. In 1734 he engaged his neighbor in a duel after a dispute over land. He later died of his wounds. It is unclear where exactly Rob Roy is buried. Early Victorian accounts talk about a funeral in Balquhidder on New Year's Day 1735. Other sources report his death but not the funeral. The flat stones that mark his grave here in the church are ancient, much older than him. Local tradition says Rob Roy may be buried in the MacGregor burial ground on an island in Loch Lomond or perhaps in Glengyle on the shores of Loch Katrine. Balquhidder is connected to Loch Lomond by the Bealach nan Corp, the Pass of the Corpses, a route used by MacGregors to carry their dead further west to their old homeland. Nevertheless, the "grave" has inscriptions to Rob Roy, his wife and his two youngest sons. The old church dates to 1631 and is in ruins while the new church, which is next to the old church, dated to 1855.

             Rob Roy's "grave"

Note the plaid ribbons tied to the railing.

      The old Balqhidder church, 1631.

After Balquhidder we traveled to Loch Earn to see the site where Alexander MacGregor and Margaret McLean worked as servants in Achray House. Then we went deep into the highlands, to the very heart of MacGregor territory. The first thing I noticed as we traveled further in is that the signs were bilingual, English and Gaelic! Side note, the BBC has a Scottish Gaelic network called BBC Alba.

Our destination was Dalmally in Glen Orchy. This is the heart of the MacGregor homeland. Starting in 1390, all the MacGregor clan chiefs were buried here in the church. Three raised stone coffins situated near the altar were found in which it is believed the MacGregor chiefs were placed. One of which is possibly my ancestor, Iain Camm. According to tradition he was buried in the church on the north side of the High Altar in 1390, the first burial. Iain was the second MacGregor chief. The church is actually on an island between the rivers Orchy and Orchy Bheag. The current church was built in 1810 on the site of two earlier churches and is rather unusual because it is in the shape of an octagon. What is interesting about the graveyard is that there are stone slabs that date back to Medieval times which are decorated in the Highland style with warriors in armor and other Celtc designs. Such designs are the same as those that decorated the graves of MacGregor chiefs and their kinsmen. 

The Dalmally church is also associated with St. Conan and there is a well nearby that is sacred to the locals. We tried to find it but had little success. Instead we drove up the hill and through Dalmally. We saw a sign to a monument and thought, "why not!" As we climbed up the mountain and the road got more narrow and less, well, less road-like, and with the monument nowhere in sight, I started to wonder if it even existed! We passed by a young man walking his dogs, I suggested we ask him about the monument but as I was ready to roll down the window, the young man smiled and winked at me, and my ever watchful father decided that was unacceptable and stepped on the gas. So we climbed and climbed and suddenly we broke through the trees and saw high on a hill, a monument. We pulled off to the side and walked up the path. The monument was dedicated to Donnchadh Bàn Mac an t-Saoir (1724-1812), one of the most renown Scottish Gaelic poets who was born here in Glen Orchy. The view from the monument was spectacular! You could see for miles! The forests, the snow capped peaks, the glens, and the lochs!

After taking in the glorious views, we made our way back down the hill and drove along Loch Awe. Then we saw the ruins of a castle! Kilchurn Castle was built about 1450 by Sir Colin Campbell, first lord of Glen Orchy. In 1500, additional structures were added. The castle was on an island in the loch but now because of water levels it is connected to the mainland. Toward the end of the 16th century and into the early part of the 17th century, the MacGregors occupied the castle, appointed as keepers of it by the Campbells since they (the Campbells) were spending their time elsewhere. When the proscription went into effect against the MacGregors, the Campbells retook the castle. During the Jacobite uprisings, the castle was used as a government garrison. In 1760, a violent storm damaged the castle. A bolt of lightening struck the tower, which now lies upside down in the courtyard. After that, the castle was abandoned. Perhaps it was an act of divine intervention on behalf of the MacGregors?

Cheers!

Elizabeth