Blair Collection > Celtic magazine > Volume 2

5i THE CELTIC MAGAZINE.
THE PROPHECIES OF THE BRAHAN SEER, COIN N EACH
ODHAR FIOSAIGHE.
Bt the Editor.
[Continued.]
There are various other unfulfilled predictions of the Seer's to be
noticed. One is regarding Clack an Tiompain, a well-known stone in
the immediate vicinity of the far-famed Sti-athpeflfer Wells. It is, like
Clack an t-Seasaidk, an upright, pillar-looking stone, which, when
struck, makes a great hollow sound or echo, and hence its designation,
the literal meaning of which is the " stone of the hollow sound or
echo." Coinneack said " that the day will come when ships will ride
with their cables attached to Clack an Tiompain." It is perhaps
superfluous to point out that this has not yet come to pass ; and we can
only imagine two* ways in which it is possible to happen, either by a
canal being made through the valley of Strathpeffer, passing in the
neighbourhood of the Clack, or by the stone being removed some day by
* Since the above was written, we have taken a ramble through the neighbourhood
of Locli Ussie. and found our way to the top of Knockfarrel, famous for its perfect
specimen of a vitrified fort. We were so struck with the great size and uniformity of
the foundation of this prehistoric stronghold that we paced it, and found it be ona
hundred and fifty paces in length, with a uniform width of forty, both ends terminating
in a semi circle, from each of which projects, for a distance of sixty paces, vitrified
matter, as if it were originally a kind of pronienade, thus making the whole length of the
structure two hundred and seventy yards, or thereabout. On the summit of the hill wo
met two boys herding cows, and as our previous experience taught ua that boys, as a
rule, —especially herd boys— are acquainted with the traditions and places of interest ia
the localities which they frequent, we were curious enough to ask them if they ever
heard of Coinneach Odhar in the district, and if he ever said anything regarding the fort
on Knockfarrel. They took us to what they called "Finetal's Well," in the interior of
the ruined fort, and said that this well was used by the inhabitants of the fortress
" until Fingal, one day, drove them out, and placed a large stone over the well, which
has ever since kept the water from oozing up, after which he jumped to the other side cf
the (Strathpeffer) valley." There being considerable rains for some days prior to our
visit, water could be seen in the " well," but one of the boys drove down bis stick until
he reached the stone, producing a hollow sound which unmistakably indicated the
existence of a cavity beneath it. " Coinneach Odhar foretold," said the boy, " that if
«ver that stone was taken out of its place, Loch Ussie would ooze up through the well
and flood the valley below to such an extent that ships would sail up to Strathpeffer and
be fastened to Clach an Tiompain ; and this would happen after the stone had fallen
three tines. It has already fallen twice," continued our youthful informant, "and you
can now see it newly raised, strongly and carefully propped up, near the end of the
doctor's house." And so it is, and can be seen, on the right, a few paces from the road
side, as you proceed up to the Strathi)offer Wells. We think it right to give this— a
third— with the other versions, for probably the reader will agree that the one is just at
likely to happen as the other. We can quite understand Kenneth prophecying that the
sea would yet reach Strathpeff»^r, for to any one standing where we did, on the summit
of Knockfarrel, the bottom of the valley appears much lower than the Cromarty Firth,
beyond Dingwall, and it looks as if it mi^ht, any day, break through the apparently
slender natural embankment below Tulloch Castle, which seemed, from where we stood,
to be the only obstruction in its path. We need, however, hardly inform the reader ia
the district that the bottom of the Strathpeffer valley is, in reality, lereral feet aboT* '
the present sea lerel.