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A story and a yarn
Ian Stephen
Ian Stephen was born in the Isle of
Lewis, Scotland where he lives today.
A former coastguard officer, he won
the Robert Louis Stevenson award in
1995, and represented Scotland in
Canada as part of the Scottish Poetry
Library’s Commonwealth Poets united series in 2014.
Of the following tale, he says, "I heard this from Chrisella
Ross, in
an Lanntair
, Stornoway, November 2013. My
retelling is based on memory and some handwritten notes.
She ascribed the original source as one Lachlan Mor (mac
Dhomhnaill
‘
ic Mhuirich) one of the dynasty of
MacVurichs, bards to Clanranald.
"The role of Clanranald features strongly in the learned,
illustrated travelogue of Professor Murdo Macdonald; this
resource is a generous sharing of the author
’
s personal
recollections. These are brimful with cultural references
ranging from the culture of seafaring to a summary of the
marks that artist-makers have left in the landscape of the
Highlands and islands, over centuries."