Monday 21 May 2007

Tir is Teanga 21.05.07

The river level dropped by 6 inches as they sat outside the tent on their way to Beinn Dearg Mor in Fisherfield.

Poor visibility kept Colin Macleod off the Munros in the Fannichs, and so he headed for a low level walk along Loch a' Bhraoin. After stopping in a bothy, he discussed the corrie "Tongue of the Cheeses", and notes that the land is deserted but for ruins and place names.

The attempt on An Teallach is led by a member of the local MRT, and Colin ropes up for the Bad Step. "I'm glad it is foggy, as I'd be scared if I could see the drop". Soon after, they call it a day, "there'll be other days, and it'll still be there." A sentiment I've uttered myself.

There was a good discussion on the potential misnaming of the placenames. Perhaps it is time that the names were re-examined and re-named.

Personally, I'm against the re-naming of places by the "victors", as if climbers were marauding armies conquering peaks in the uncivilised wastelands of Ooter Teuchterdom. People left or were forced off the lands, and then the names that their fore-fathers gave to the places were also eradicated. Recant the sins of ethnic cleansing, and give back the true names to the land. Keep the nicknames if you wish, but it is about time that something was done to give the names some meaning, and get the pronunciation correct - not best guesses, as regional dialects change.

Link to BBC Scotland online - watch-again feature should appear here shortly.

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