J. F. Campbell Collection > Prophecies of the Brahan seer (Coinneach Odhar Fiosaiche)

16 THE PROPHECIES OF THE BRAHAN SEER
echo, and hence its designation, the literal meaning of
which is the " stone of the hollow sound or echo."
Coinneach said " that the day will come when ships
will ride with their cables attached to '' Clach an
Tiompain." It is perhaps superflnous to point out that
this has not yet come to pass ; and we could only imagine
two ways in which it was possible to happen, either by a
canal being made through the valley of Strathpeflfer,
passing in the neighbourhood of the Clach, or by the
removal of the stone some day by the authorities of
" Baile Chail " to Dingwall pier. They may feel dis-
posed to thus aid the great prophet of their county to
secure the position as a great man, which we now claim
in his behalf
"While the first edition was going through the press
we visited Knockfarrel, in the immediate vicinity of Loch
Ussie, and we were told of another way in which
this prediction might be fulfilled so peculiar that,
although it is altogether improbable, nay impossible,
that it can ever take place, we shall reproduce it.
Having found our way to the top of this magnificent
and perfect specimen of a vitrified fort, we were so
struck with its great size, that we carefully paced it,
and fomid it to be one hundred and fifty paces in length,
with a uniform width of forty, both ends terminating
in a semi-circle, from each of which projected for a dis-
tance of sixty paces, vitrified matter, as if it were ori-
ginally a kind of promenade, thus making the whole
length of the structure two hundred and seventy yards,
or thereabout. On the summit of the hill we met two
boys herding cows, and as our previous experience
taught us that boys, as a rule — especin"!';. herd boys, —