Loch an Eich-uisge
Track Information
Original Track ID
CW0152.754
Original Tape ID
Summary
The loch of the water-horse.
There is a loch in Barra called Loch an Eich-uisge [the loch of the water-horse]. This water-horse was once spotted, in the form of a man, by a girl. She saw a handsome fellow standing on the edge of the loch and went to meet him. She put his head on her lap and started to caress his hair. She then remembered that she had heard her mother and father talking about a water-horse in the loch, and so she fled.
Item Notes
Loch an Eich Uisge : decimal latitude/longitude [57.01294, -7.4695]
"Halfway between Beinn Eireabhal and the caves at Traigh Chliaid is a small loch just northwest of Loch Cuilce 'loch of reeds'. On the map it is nameless but among locals it is known as Loch an Eich Uisge 'lake of the kelpie' (NF682046). The story goes that a girl who was herding sheep met a beautiful horse at this loch. She became very friendly with the horse, stroked it and when she eventually mounted it, the horse ran into the loch and the girl was never seen again. Stories of kelpies, water-horses, are told throughout the Highlands and Islands and the common name for these lakes -as in Barra- is Loch an Eich Uisge. In Scottish folktales kelpie lakes and haunted shielings are often situated close to each other and this is also the case in Barra. Airigh na hAon Oidhche 'shieling of the one night' (NF703037) is located less than 500m to the north east of Loch an Eich Uisge and is a place where visitors hardly dared to stay longer than one night."
See:
Stahl, Anke-Beate, 'On the Verge of Loss: Lesser Known Place-names of Barra and Vatersay' in Barra and Skye: Two Hebridean Perspectives, ed. Arne Kruse, Scottish Society for Northern Studies (Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh: 2006), p. 94-114 (98-99)
Recording Location
County - Inverness-shire
Parish - Barra
Island - Barra
Village/Place - Northbay
Item Location
County - Inverness-shire
Parish - Barra
Island - Barra
Village/Place - Loch an Eich-uisge
Language
Gaelic
Genre
Collection
Transcription
Tha mi a-nis a' dol a dh'innse dhuibh mu dheidhinn tè a chunnaic an t-each-uisge ann an riochd duine ann a shin, agus i a' buachailleachd ri taobh an locha ann a sheo, Loch an Eich-uisge.
Dh'fhalbh i a-mach leis na beothaichean ann am madainn bhrèagha shamhraidh co-dhiù, 's dh'òl iad deoch às an loch, agus theann iad an sin air ionaltradh. Agus sùil gun tugadh ise air an dàrna dhith, chunnaic i am fireannach a b' àille 's a bu bhrèagha a chunnaic i riamh mu choinneimh a dà shùil na shìneadh air bruaich an loch.
Agus thòisich i air beachdneachadh a dhèanamh, 's ma thòisich, sin mar bu mhotha a bha a miadh a' dol air, agus a bha i a' fàs... nach fhaca i duine riamh a bha cho brèagha ris. Agus 's ann a dh'fhalbh i agus shuidh i, agus rug i air a cheann, agus chuir i na h-uchd e. Agus thòisich i air roinn nan camalagan òr-bhuidhe a bha sìos mu a chluasan, agus rud a ghabh i mòran de dh'iongantas, fhuair i rabhagaich an loch am measg na gruaige aige, agus chuir seo iongantas 's uabhas oirre. Gu dè a chuireadh an rabhagaich na cheann.
Nist, thòisich i air cuimhneachadh gun cuala i aig a h-athair 's aig a màthair, agus aig feadhainn eile cuideachd, gun robh each-uisge a' fuireach anns an loch, agus thòisich i air a ràdh rithe fhèin, math dh'fhaodte gura h-e an t-each-uisge a tha seo. Ach thuirt ise rithe fhèin an sin:
"Ach gu dè mar a bhiodh an t-each-uisge na dhuine brèagha mar seo."
Agus co-dhiù, thòisich i air cothromachadh an dàrna cuid an aghaidh na codach eile, agus mar a sìor bu mhotha a bha i a' rannsachadh a chinn, 's a' cur air dòigh a chamalagan, 's ann bu mhotha a bha i a' toirt a chreidsinn oirre fhèin gura h-e a bh' ann. Agus thuirt ise rithe fhèin:
"'S fheàrr dhomh teicheadh, agus cho luath agus a rinn mi riamh cuideachd, agus mi fhìn a tharraing às a seo."
Seo a bh' ann. Dh'fhalbh i agus leig i i fhèin às a' chòta a bh' oirre, agus dh'fhàg i e fo a cheann. Agus cho luath 's a bha aice... agus dh'fhalbh i às a còta-uachdair dhachaigh dìreach mar a bha i, agus cha do sheall i riamh às a dèidh.
Ach air a dh'ionndrainnich am fear a bha na chadal, a bheil sibh a' faicinn, gun do dh'fhalbh i, anns a' mhionaid dhùisg e, an ceann ùine bheag dhùisg e. Agus air a chunnaic e nach robh sgeul oirre, dh'èirich e na sheasamh, agus chuir e smùid às na creagan le a chasan, agus gus an latha an-diugh, tha iad ri fhaicinn ann an siud far an do sheas e air na creagan agus a smùid e na clachan dhan loch. Agus tha an athailt ann a shiud fhathast.
Agus sin agaibh a-nist naidheachd iongantach a chuala mise mun each-uisge, agus a thachair aig Loch an Eich-uisge ann am Barraigh.
Source Type
Wire
Audio Quality
Good