#river spey

Stretching Dipper on the River Spey

River Spey on winter's dawn, Cairngorms National Park, Scotland, UK.January

I was reminded of this part of Outlander (Diana Gabildon) when I was recently going through family photographs, and @sgiandubh’s blog on the Grants of Romania.

Jacob McKenzie’s daughter Ellen was to be married to Malcolm Grant but eloped with Brian Fraser, bastard son of Simon Fraser, Lord Lovat on the night of the big gathering (Outlander, Chapter 24).

Clan Grant land was east of the great Glen, in Aberdeenshire, the northern end of the Cairngorms, and the marriage would have been a splendid alliance.

Clan Grant Motto is Stand Fast, Craigellachie!

Craigellachie (pronounced Krag-el'-a-key) is Gaelic for “rock of alarm.” 

Craigellachie is the hill or mountain behind the modern town of Aviemore; it is also the name of a village situated about thirty miles down the River Spey. During the hay days of the Clan Grant, it was the stated goal of the Chiefs of Grant to hold all the lands “between the two Craigellachies.” And they very nearly succeeded!

The belt and buckle clansman’s badge ...

... features a mountain in flames. In former times large pyres or bonfires (Fiery Cross Chapters 23/24) were ignited on high hills or mountains in Strathspey to signify a gathering of the men of the clan, to celebrate a joyous event, or to warn the clan of impending danger.

The floral clan badge worn in the bonnet or lapel, is a sprig of Scots Pine.

Castle Grant (originally called Castle Freuchie) ...

... lies about a mile outside the planned village of Grantown-on-Spey (1765) and about 30 miles south east of Inverness.

On our visit to Grantown-on-Spey in June I took this photograph of my husband taking a photo of Craigellachie Bridge ...

¿Que hacer en Cairngorms? Cairngorms destaca, entre muchas cosas, por su maravilloso Parque Nacional. Cairngorms puede presumir de un área que alberga bosques exuberantes, pueblos encantadores en las Highlands, fauna fantástica, espacios abiertos salvajes y por supuesto, el hecho de ser la misma meseta de la montaña ártica. Los lugareños de la zona aprovechan los fines de semana para explorar…

Three Days of the Oyster-Catcher (2) Coast and Castle~ Steve Tanham

Sun in Gemini

Above: Looking down into the Spey valley below – the 7:00 am beginning of our workshop Saturday

There has to be a dawn… I’m not being flippant. Our Silent Eye ‘spirituality in the landscape’ weekends always have at least one early morning event during which we gather somewhere beautiful and greet the dawn. It’s a joy and also a discipline: something that tells our inner self…