Blair Collection > Popular tales of the West Highlands > Volume 2

THE TWO SHEPHERDS. »9
still remained where he was till he saw the sun in the morning,
which no sooner he observed, than he took to his soles home as
fast as he could. He gave the book to his master ; and this is
how the far-famed red book of Appin was got.''
I have heard many old people say that they went from all
parts to consult the red book of Appin, though this is the best
story I heard about it. You ask if there were virtue in iron ; yon
must know that iron was the principal safeguard against evil
spirits, etc., etc. ; which I shall show in my next letter on the
fairies.
5. The next is from the telling of a dancing master, a north
country Highlander, and written by my friend Mr. John Campbell
of Kilberry, in Argyllshire. The supernatural being described as
Bauchan, is probably Bocan, a little buck, a hobgoblin, a ghost,
a sprite, spectre (Armstrong and other Die.) ; and he seems but
a half-tamed specimen of the same genus as the terrible being
before described.
CoLuiNN GUN Cheann, The Headless Trunk ; Coluinn Gun
Cheann was a very celebrated Bauchkan, who favoured the family
of the Macdonals of Moran, for ages immemorial, and was fre-
quently seen about their residence, Moran House ; which is
situated on the main land, opposite the point of Slaate, in the
Island of Skye. Though a protector of the family, he was parti-
cularly hostile to the neighbourhood, and waged war, especially
with all the strong men he could meet with ; for this purpose, he
particularly haunted the " Mile Eeith," or " Smooth Mile," one
end of which was not above 200 yards from the Mansion (I know
the place well) ; the other end of the Mile terminated at a large
stream, called the Kiver Moran, famed in history for salmon fish-
ing ; after sunset, people did wisely to avoid that part, for then
the "Coluinn Gun Cheann" was sure to keep his vigils; and
any stray man who passed was sure to become a victim, the
bodies being always found dead, and in the majority of instances
mutilated also. As he took care never to appear, except to a soli-
tary passenger, it was in vain to send a party against him. He
was seldom, if ever, seen by women, and did no harm either to
them or to children. Once, it happened that a distant relative,
but intimate friend of Raasay's, dared his fate, and remained a