Rubba nan Corr

First stop after the day’s exertions was to the Ordnance Survey’s website, which has a lovely little page detailing the Gaelic origins of place names. ‘Boc’ turns out to be a buck or a ‘he-goat,’ likely referring to a billy goat. Therefore, Boc na Caillich, I suppose, can be interpreted as ‘the old woman’s billy goat.’ But … The Scottish Government’s website ScotlandsPlaces has scans of the original surveyors’ notebooks used by the Ordnance Survey. For Boc na Caillich, the surveyor had written:— <<This name applies to a Small Standing rock, and Signifies “The old woman’s pimple”:, Situated about 3/4 of a mile from “Dunbeg”>> Mulling this over, it amuses me to entertain the notion that those mischievous Dunbeg crofters were having a jolly good laugh at the befuddlement of those Government officials. I can just picture their impish grins as they spun a yarn, convincingly claiming that "Boc na Caillich" actually pertains to a completely different region of a woman's anatomy altogether. And as for that hilariously prim and proper Victorian surveying brigade, it's no wonder they rendered it as "Pimple" in their records, utterly scandalised by the mere thought of anything remotely risque. Oh, the prudishness of those bygone days! Adapted from my blog post Link which contains relevant sources.

The Victorian surveyor's notebook contains the following notes: <<This name spplies to a high Standing rock, Signifying "The Pinnacle" Situated on the Coast 3/4 of a mile north west from Greshornish House.>> Source: ‘OS1/16/7/111 | ScotlandsPlaces’. 2019. Scotlandsplaces.gov.uk <Link > [accessed 17 July 2023]

From high above, a black basalt shoreline stretches out, adorned with a splash zone of pale barnacles. In their futile search for sustenance, a sheep and her young one gaze about, oblivious to the presence of luscious green sea weed right before their eyes.

Lovely view over the Braebost Burn on the old road turned cycle/walkway.

The ground here rises close to the cliff edge, with exposed rock replacing the boggy moorland just inland. It makes a pleasant section of the excellent coastal walk around Greshornish.

I've been on this summit many times without noticing the bolt. It is a fourth order trig point, set in concrete close to the small cairn, and somewhat overgrown by grass. See Link for context.

The sea loch, an inlet of Loch Snizort, seen from the site of the derelict village of Diubaig.

The Leslie Anne, a multipurpose workboat, landing craft and support vessel based in Kishorn, is seen working at a Marine Harvest fish farm in Loch Greshornish.

When I lived at the nearby Borve Cottage in the early 1990s, this tin clad meeting house was in regular use. It now appears to be disused and in disrepair.

A view from beside the ruins of the old settlement of Diubaig, looking over the outflow of the Allt Diubaig and Loch Diubaig towards the outer reaches of Loch Snizort. The lumpy ground to the right of the loch is Greshornish Point.

Until recently, this long-uninhabited roadside cottage was roofed and had windows and door. When builders turned up, I had thought that restoration was underway, but it now looks like the cottage is to be left derelict. Other views: NG3553 : Derelict cottage, Flashader, NG3553 : Cooking range in derelict cottage.

Another view of the small and now roofless cottage in Flashader. The road is the A850. See also: NG3553 : Derelict cottage in Flashader and NG3553 : Cooking range in derelict cottage.

Detail of the interior of a derelict cottage in Flashader (see also NG3553 : Derelict cottage in Flashader). The tiny cottage had two fireplaces - this one housing a cast iron range.

This section of former single track road provides a traffic-free pedestrian and cycle path for a short distance to the east of Flashader. The modern two-way A850 runs almost parallel.