Griseornais

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]

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 most complete of several ruined houses in the long uninhabited village of Diubaig. The view is across Loch Diubaig to the peninsula of Greshornish.

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

Covered with lichens and, today, with frost. The gate is beyond use without risking terminal damage to it, but the stile still bears weight.

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.

  The photograph was taken from the shore of the Loch from a caravan and camping site at Borve. See also this rainbow photograph by Norrie Adamson:- NG3452 : Loch Greshornish, Skye.

  The photograph was taken from the eastern shore of the loch on the southern edge of a caravan and camping site at Borve. The hamlet in the distance is Coishletter and the summit above the trees beyond is Mullach Ben Sca. The wind turbines are part of Edinbane Wind Farm.

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.

The very attractive old lichen covered wooden gate NG3254 : Gate and stile, Diubaig is fallen and broken. Sad to see it gone. The stile is now redundant, so may last a bit longer. The view over the distributaries is to Loch Diubaig, where the river reaches the sea.

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.