Blair Collection > Deo-gréine

AN DEO-GHREINE.
59
far as I can find out. Tigh-na-sròine is not
extant to-day, but there is a 'sron' on the
way to Kingshouse and also another above
Clachaig in Glencoe. The other places men-
tinned: Gleann-ceitilein, Ceann-loch-eite,
Druim-a'-chothuis,( ìual-a'-chuilinn,are still
occupied. In the poem of "Nic Coiseam," the
place names are mostly outside Glen Etive.
"Na creisean " is a steep rocky face beyond
Dalness.
There was a primitive old schoolhouse
in the glen thirty or forty years ago, so
loosely constructed that in winter the boys
used to make a slide on the ice on the
floor! Near the modern schoolhouse is a
hill called Tom-na-gunnaireachd. No doubt
Duncan Ban exhibited his skill in marks-
manship with his beloved Nic Còiseam at
this very spot.
The population of the glen was never
very great ; but in the poet's time it was
probably much greater than now. The
Dalness forest never had any people But
foresters upon it. It was a royal deer forest
for centuries. In the lower part of the glen
and along the loch side there are many
ruins of old houses. These were mostly
peopled by Duncan Ban's own clan, the
Macintyres, three generations ago. The
seat of the clan was at Glenoe. Now
there are none of the name there, though
some of the residents are connected with
the old clan and have the blood, though not
the name, of the Macintyres.
Dalness, it is said, was one of the many
hiding places of the renowned Rob Roy. In
a life of Rob Roy, written by Mac Lay, there
is a thrilling story of the manner in which
Rob, at the risk of his own life, rescued a lady
from two base knights who had kidnapped
her from Dunstaffnage by guile and were keep-
ing her prisoner in the old house of Dalness.
The upper part of Glen Etive is associated
by legend with the name of the beautiful and
unfortunate Deirdre, the Helen of Troy of
Gaelic story. Mr. Carmichael, in the notes to
his fine version of the story of Deirdre recently
published, places her "grianan" almost on the
very site of the house of Duncan Ban. There
is, however, another grianan in the glen, a
tremendous pinnacle of rock with a rounded
flat top at the east end of Beinn Ceitilein and
opposite Allt-a'-chaorainn. It appears on the
map as "Sunny Peak." This grianan is the
last point that the setting sun touches in that
part of the glen, as the level rays strike through
a gap in the rampart of mountains to the west.
It is an almost inaccessible spot, the haunt of
goats in the olden time, a Cleopatra's needle
nearly 2,000 feet high, joined to the neighbour-
ing mountain by a neck of land, and un-
approachable on three sides. Some of my
informants say that this is the real " Grianan
Deirdre," where the princess had a safe retreat.
Certainlv a more romantic and wonderful
grianan could hardly be found anywhere else
in the whole country.
On Loch Etive, and opposite Inverliver, is
Eilean Uisneachain, connected in legendary
lore with the sons of Uisneach. About a
quarter of a mile further up than this island,
and a hundred yards back from the shore,
is a spot where a solitary apple tree grew
which was commonly called '' Craobh nan
Abhal" and also " Craobh Chlann Uisne."
A resident informs me that about twenty-
five years ago this apple tree blossomed
for the last time. It was supposed to be
the only surviving tree in the orchard of
the sons of Uisneach at Caidirle.
The death of Craobh nan Abhal is a parable
of the neglect and gradual extinction of old
Gaelic lore and poetry in a modern utilitarian
age. May the Comunn Gaidhealach be success-
ful in its efforts to make the old and fruitful
tree of Gaelic literature put forth new blossom.
M. N. Munro.
Dr. Douglas Hyde, President of the Gaelic League
of Ireland, is meeting with great success in his tour
in America in the furtherance of the Gaelic cause.
The first fruit of his work has been flashed across
the sea in the shape of an announcement of a
donation of £ioco. There's a president for you \