The Land of the Hills and the Glens 



that the name was "Loch nan Ceall," or "The Loch of the 

 Round Gravelly Bluffs." This word is not known to the 

 present generation of Gaelic speakers, but certainly near 

 the head of the loch the hills are scarred with gravel, one 

 especially, which in the clear midsummer light shows up 

 red and prominent from many miles out to sea, and is 

 noticeable even from Tiree and Coll. 



Guarding the entrance to the loch are the two islands 

 of Inchkenneth and Eorsa. Lying well out into the loch, 

 Eorsa breaks the force of the west wind, and gives good 

 anchorage for a ship in the wildest gale from that quarter. 

 The island is uninhabited, save by the sea birds which 

 have their home here. In winter, woodcock frequent the 

 long heather, while in summer its shores are peopled by 

 colonies of terns. 



On Inchkenneth is the burying ground of many High- 

 land chiefs. One farm stands on the island, and often 

 during winter weather the farmer is cut off from the main- 

 land for days and even weeks on end; for no boat can 

 make the passage of the Sound when the great squalls 

 sweep across from Ben More. 



As the days lengthen, and the snowy corries of Ben 

 More become streaked with black, many oyster catchers 

 people the shores of the loch. Certain of these birds are 

 always present, even in the dead of winter, but these winter 

 visitors take their departure northwards at the coming of 

 spring and are replaced by oyster catchers who have their 

 winter homes to the south'ard. "Gille Bridghe," as the 

 oyster catcher is known in the Gaelic, is quite fearless 

 during the season of her nesting. I have counted over 

 a dozen pairs of these birds brooding their eggs within 

 a few yards of the road that runs by the loch. 



It is said that the name "Gille Bridghe," or "Saint 

 Bridget's Lad," was given in olden times to the oyster 

 catcher because when the saint came first from Ireland 

 to convert the Long Island (the name bv which the Outer 



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