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Updated: June 3, 2025
The clachan dabbled with snow, the white hills, the black sky, the sea marked in the coves with faint circular wrinkles, the whole world, as it looked from a loop-hole in Dunure, was cold, wretched, and out-at-elbows. If you had been a wicked baron and compelled to stay there all the afternoon, you would have had a rare fit of remorse. How you would have heaped up the fire and gnawed your fingers!
For the sake of greedy, low-minded fellows, the summons of her war-pipes would be heard in them no more, or would sound in vain among the manless rocks; from sheilin, cottage, or clachan, would spring no kilted warriors with battle response! The red deer and the big sheep had taken the place of men over countless miles of mountain and moor and strath!
By the light of my torch, I deciphered the following billet, written on a wet, crumpled, and dirty piece of paper, and addressed "For the honoured hands of Mr. F. O., a Saxon young gentleman These." The contents were as follows: "Sir, "There are night-hawks abroad, so that I cannot give you and my respected kinsman, B. N. J., the meeting at the Clachan of Aberfoil, whilk was my purpose.
CATERAN, a Highland irregular soldier, a freebooter. CHAP, a customer. CLACHAN, a hamlet. CLAW FAVOUR, curry favour. CLAYMORE, a broad sword. CLEEK, a hook. CLEIK the cunzie, steal the silver. COB, beat. COBLE, a small fishing boat. COGS, wooden vessels. COGUE, a round wooden vessel. CONCUSSED, violently shaken, disturbed, forced. CORONACH, a dirge. CORRIE, a mountain hollow. COVE, a cave.
Campbell, who still kept some accent of the clachan, though, like many Highlanders, she had it more in tone than in pronunciation, and often spoke almost pure English, which, indeed, she had taken pains to acquire, lest she might be transferred from her charge for fear of teaching him to speak as a young nobleman ought not to speak.
Now gang your ways hame, like a gude bairn jouk and let the jaw gae by Keep out o' sight o' Rashleigh, and Morris, and that MacVittie animal Mind the Clachan of Aberfoil, as I said before, and by the word of a gentleman, I wunna see ye wranged.
Once he was heard to say, looking wistfully at Mrs. Campbell, who had been telling him with many tears, of a "freend o' hers" who had just died down at the clachan, "Nurse, I wish I could greet like you." The first thing which broke up in his heart this bitter, blighting frost was, as so often happens, the sharp-edged blow of a new trouble.
Oh, sir! but she would have had a proud heart to see you in her dwelling, for she had a genteel turn, and would not let me, her only daughter, mess or mell wi' the lathron lasses of the clachan. Ay, ay, she brought me up with care, and edicated me for a lady: nae coarse wark darkened my lily-white hands. But I maun work now; I maun dree the penalty of man."
To the storm-stayed shows came the gypsies in great numbers. It was a clachan of miserable little huts built entirely of clay from the dreary and sticky pit in which they had been flung together. A shapeless hole on one side was the doorway, and a little hole, stuffed with straw in winter, the window. Some of the remnants of these hovels still stand.
A company, after having taken leave of their host, often went to finish the evening at the clachan or village, in 'womb of tavern. Their entertainer always accompanied them to take the stirrup-cup, which often occasioned a long and late revel.
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