Inchgalbraith:
I've only been to a few of the islands, with my current favourite being Inchcailloch. This has historic interest, with an old MacGregor graveyard and vestigial ruins of an ancient nunnery. Of most interest is the steep wooded slopes and views from the summit of Loch Lomond, which are similar to those from the superlative viewpoint of Duncryne, except nearer and more immediate.
The latest news story concerns Inchconnachan. This has a colony of wallabies, the last thing you would expect to find somewhere like Loch Lomond. Curiosity is tickled to think of these exotic animals grazing away on a Scottish island.
So it was with concern I read recently that the wallabies on Loch Lomond face being culled, as they are not a native species. I hope that if they are got rid of, they find somewhere else for them to live, like the Uist hedgehogs.
2 comments:
Inchgalbraith is thought to be a Crannog, built by Iron Age man. Crannogs were built as a safe dwelling place from attackers or predators.
In medieval times it was found strong enough to support the castle of the Galbraiths. At one time the Galbraiths owned Bannachara in Glen Fruin.
The castle is now in ruins but can still be seen through the trees, very few people actually know its there and most pass in their boats without seeing it. The island is easy to approach from the west as the bottom drops off steeply. The island is overgrown and very rocky, it is easy to see its origin as a Crannog
There's a story about Bannachra Castle. Think the Colqhuons owned it at the time. There were a bunch of MacGregors lurking outside, and when the laird of Bannachra went to bed, they saw his candle through the arrowslit windows and shot him fatally. An impressive shot, but just one of the acts that eventually led to the MacGregors being proscribed.
Post a Comment