The Grey Stone of Inchcailloch

In the ancient burial ground on Inchcailloch (Loch Lomond) you'll find many old tombstones. One of them stands out historically. Known as the Grey Stane of Inchcailloch, it marks the grave of Gregor MacGregor, cousin to Rob Roy, and 15th Chief of Clan Gregor, who died in 1693.

The Grey Stane of Inchcailleach

This stone is sacred to the Macgregors. Sir Walter Scott used it in his novel Rob Roy, where Rob gives a guarantee of good faith with the oath: "I swear to ye upon the halidome of him that sleeps beneath the grey stane of Inchcailloch."

In his book Vanished Waters, Alasdair Alpin MacGregor describes how his father (the Colonel) taught him the importance of the stone:

    "Swear by the Grey Stane on Inch Cailleach!" the Colonel would command, when disciplining us in matters of truthfulness and honour. This ancient emblem of the Macgregors meant much more to him than did the historic Black Stone of Iona, upon which the most sacred and binding oaths were taken in olden times.

    One day he took me, as on a pilgrimage, to see the Grey Stane. We travelled Loch Lomond by steamer from Balloch to Balmaha. There we disembarked, and, hiring a rowing boat, ferried ourselves across to Inch Cailleach, the Isle of Old Women - the Nuns. Through long grass we went, following a path among dense and hoary woodlands. And there, sure enough, in a clearing just by the gate of an old Macgregor burial-place, in the heart of the Isle, was the Grey Stane itself. The occasion was one of great interest to us both; but I could see from my father's demeanour that, for him, it was a solemn moment.

MacGregor goes on to say, in his book Islands by the Score, that "In the Highland home of childhood and boyhood, one was called upon to swear by this ancient MacGregor emblem, rather than upon the Bible."

Burial ground of Inchcailloch

The stone

Like Alasdair Alpin Macgregor and his father, most visitors these days make their way to Inchcailloch via Balmaha, where you can hire a boat at Macfarlane's Boatyard, or take one of their regular foot-ferry crossings. You can find a guide to Inchcailloch here.

Inchcailloch ferrry

Inchcailloch seen from Balmaha

The view on an overcast day from the summit of Inchcailloch

Inchgalbraith - Loch Lomond

Little Inchgalbreith island in Loch Lomond is very interesting. The island is only about 100 feet in diameter, and the ruin of a 16th century castle occupies most of the available space. A tangle of trees have grown throughout the tower, and a thick cloak of ivy covers many of the walls.

The castle was one of the power bases of the Galbraiths (Clann a' Bhreatannich - the Clan Briton). One might wonder why they'd build such a large castle on so tiny an island, but the castle was built when the level of the loch was lower. There is some thought that several of the islands in the loch were once linked together, and from a boat afloat on the loch (say that ten times in a row) you can see the traces of what may have been a causeway that linked Inchgalbraith to Inchconnachan.

Ospreys have nested on Inchgalbraith over the years, and Boswell and Johnson were taken to look at them when they visited Loch Lomond during their Scottish tour. In the 1800s the ospreys were deemed to be a danger to the game fishing, and were shot during a so-called 'vermin crusade'. But the ospreys have returned to Loch Lomond, and I was fortunate to have seen one last year. Below are a few photos of Inchgalbraith from a visit in 2004.

Wallaby Island

I think I must be the only one who has been on Inchconnachan that has never seen one of it famous wallabies. The wallabies were brought to the island, which is in Loch Lomond, in the 1940s, and they've run wild since then. Hoping to get a few photos of a wallaby I was dropped off on the north end of the island. Camera in hand, I started walking to the south end, but there was nary a wallaby to be seen. Thinking my movement was scaring them away, I sat down quietly in a few spots along the way, hoping for one to hop by. But it was not to be. 

If you can't make it to Inchconnachan there are lots of YouTube videos (like this one) of them hopping around the island. A few years ago there was an attempt to eradicate the wallabies; the reason was that they're 'non-native'.  I'm not sure, but I believe they finally gave up trying to kill them. Here are a few photos from my wallaby-less walk across the beautiful island of Inchconnachan. 

Inchtavannach Campsite 2

A few years ago I spent a night atop the Hill of the Bell on Inchtavannach. It was here that St Kessog rang his bell, and carved into the rock of the summit is graffiti dating back two hundred years. 

Sadly the islands in Loch Lomond are often overrun by thoughtless visitors, including many who let their dogs run loose to harass sheep and kill wallabies. But fortunately on the night of my stay I had the summit all to myself. If you zoom in on the photo you might spot a wee bottle of Lagavulin. I was flying home the next day, and since they won't let you take an open bottle through security I had to drink it all up. I slept like a baby.

The Hill of the Bell

This is the view looking south from the top of Tom na Clag, the hill of the Bell, on the island of Inchtavannach. It was up here that St Kessog rang his bell to call the faithful to service. Sadly the bell went missing a few centuries ago. I try to climb the hill once a year, but that's always been in the spring or summer. How I wish I could have been here on December 31, 2009, when a bell was brought up here to ring in the new year.

The Water Horse of Loch Lomond

Meet Rosa, who earns a living pulling a carriage for weddings in and around the village of Luss. She lives on Inchtavannach, an island in Loch Lomond, and here you can see her swimming home. We'll be visiting Rosa's island over the next few days.