Loch Gruinart
Encyclopedia
Loch Gruinart is a sea loch
on the northern coast
of isle of Islay
in Scotland. Land at the head of the loch, Gruinart Flats
, is a designated nature reserve owned by the RSPB. It is an important winter roosting site for Barnacle Geese
. Ardnave Point
is a coastal promontory near the mouth of the loch on the northwest of Islay.
The Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart was fought on the sands at the south end of the loch on 5 August 1598 between a force from Mull
led by Sir Lachlan Mor MacLean of Duart
and the Islay
men led by Sir James MacDonald, son of Angus MacDonald of Dunyvaig and the Glens
, in which Macleans were defeated and all killed including Sir Lachlan save one whom survived by swimming to Nave Island
. The pìobaireachd
Lament for Sir Lachlan Mor harks back to this battle which was also remembered in Islay folklore
.
Loch
Loch is the Irish and Scottish Gaelic word for a lake or a sea inlet. It has been anglicised as lough, although this is pronounced the same way as loch. Some lochs could also be called a firth, fjord, estuary, strait or bay...
on the northern coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
of isle of Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
in Scotland. Land at the head of the loch, Gruinart Flats
Gruinart Flats
The Gruinart Flats is a low lying landform on the western part of the isle of Islay in Scotland. The locale is an important conservation area, having been designated as an SSSI. Much of the Gruinart Flats is a marshy area operated by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds...
, is a designated nature reserve owned by the RSPB. It is an important winter roosting site for Barnacle Geese
Barnacle Goose
The Barnacle Goose belongs to the genus Branta of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey Anser species...
. Ardnave Point
Ardnave Point
Ardnave Point is a coastal promontory on the northwest of Islay, a Scottish island. This landform has a rocky northern shore and extensive dunes on the upland areas of the point.-References:...
is a coastal promontory near the mouth of the loch on the northwest of Islay.
The Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart was fought on the sands at the south end of the loch on 5 August 1598 between a force from Mull
Mull
-Places:*Isle of Mull, Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides*Sound of Mull, between the island and the rest of Scotland*Mull , Anglicisation of Gaelic Maol, hill or promontory**Mull of Galloway, Scotland**Mull of Kintyre, Scotland...
led by Sir Lachlan Mor MacLean of Duart
Sir Lachlan Mor Maclean
Sir Lachlan Mór Maclean or Lachlan the Great, was the 14th Clan Chief of Clan MacLean from late 1573 or early 1574 until 1598.Mór or Mor translates as great in English, or magnus in Latin, when added to a name in Scottish Gaelic....
and the Islay
Islay
-Prehistory:The earliest settlers on Islay were nomadic hunter-gatherers who arrived during the Mesolithic period after the retreat of the Pleistocene ice caps. In 1993 a flint arrowhead was found in a field near Bridgend dating from 10,800 BC, the earliest evidence of a human presence found so far...
men led by Sir James MacDonald, son of Angus MacDonald of Dunyvaig and the Glens
Angus MacDonald, 8th of Dunnyveg
-Life:Angus Macdonald went to Islay and Kintyre to renew the conflict with Clan Maclean. In 1579, upon information of mutual hostilities committed by their followers, the king and council commanded Sir Lachlan Mor Maclean and Angus Macdonald of Dunyveg or Isla, to subscribe assurances of indemnity...
, in which Macleans were defeated and all killed including Sir Lachlan save one whom survived by swimming to Nave Island
Nave Island
Nave Island is to the north of Islay at the mouth of Loch Gruinart in the Inner Hebrides. It is uninhabited.The highest point on Nave Island is above sea level.-History:...
. The pìobaireachd
Piobaireachd
Pibroch, Piobaireachd or Ceòl Mór is an art music genre associated primarily with the Scottish Highlands that is characterised by extended compositions with a melodic theme and elaborate formal variations...
Lament for Sir Lachlan Mor harks back to this battle which was also remembered in Islay folklore
Folklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
.