Fraoch Eilean Castle (2)
There are, or to be more precise, there were, three castles on different islands within Loch Awe. The castles, although now ruined, are all still there, but only two of them now stand on islands. The Campbell castle of Kilchurn (visible in the distance on the right side of the far end of the loch, above the left end of the left island), is now on a headland, due to people fiddling around with the loch's outlet, which resulted in a lowering of the loch's water level. Innis Chonnell, also a Campbell castle, stands towards the southern end of the loch and the third stands among the trees of the right-hand of these two islands - Fraoch Eilean, sometimes abbreviated to Frechelan. Given the success I had yesterday flying out over Loch Ard, this was the first of four 'over water' excursions I made today!
There are two explanations for the island's name:
The first is that it is Gaelic for Heather Island.
The second is that the name relates back to the name of a hero from Celtic mythology. A young man named Fraoch heard that fruit, capable of restoring youth and curing hunger, grew on a Rowan tree on the island, so he went out to the island to get some for Mengo, the love of his life. He found the tree guarded by a serpant or dragon which was wrapped around its trunk, but succeeded in stealing some and returning to Mengo. He was then sent back to get the tree itself (which goes to show that 'enough was never enough' for women even back in those far-off days), but this time the dragon pursued him and in the ensuing battle, both Fraoch and the dragon were killed. (And presumably, and more importantly, the tree!) A cairn was raised on the spot where Fraoch fell and the island named in his honour.
Personally, I lean towards the second explanation!
Fraoch Eilean Castle (2)
There are, or to be more precise, there were, three castles on different islands within Loch Awe. The castles, although now ruined, are all still there, but only two of them now stand on islands. The Campbell castle of Kilchurn (visible in the distance on the right side of the far end of the loch, above the left end of the left island), is now on a headland, due to people fiddling around with the loch's outlet, which resulted in a lowering of the loch's water level. Innis Chonnell, also a Campbell castle, stands towards the southern end of the loch and the third stands among the trees of the right-hand of these two islands - Fraoch Eilean, sometimes abbreviated to Frechelan. Given the success I had yesterday flying out over Loch Ard, this was the first of four 'over water' excursions I made today!
There are two explanations for the island's name:
The first is that it is Gaelic for Heather Island.
The second is that the name relates back to the name of a hero from Celtic mythology. A young man named Fraoch heard that fruit, capable of restoring youth and curing hunger, grew on a Rowan tree on the island, so he went out to the island to get some for Mengo, the love of his life. He found the tree guarded by a serpant or dragon which was wrapped around its trunk, but succeeded in stealing some and returning to Mengo. He was then sent back to get the tree itself (which goes to show that 'enough was never enough' for women even back in those far-off days), but this time the dragon pursued him and in the ensuing battle, both Fraoch and the dragon were killed. (And presumably, and more importantly, the tree!) A cairn was raised on the spot where Fraoch fell and the island named in his honour.
Personally, I lean towards the second explanation!