The Stones of Rudha Glas (2)
A few inches off the Port bow of the boat depicted on the stone there is the carving of a fish. It is very difficult to make out and could easily be mistaken for a fault in the stone but close scrutiny shows it to be definitely a fish. One could speculate on what kind of fish it is but I am not going down that road. Suffice to say that the boat and the fish seem to go together.
The
obvious question that springs to mind is "How long
has the carving of the boat been there?". A long
time certainly and this is evident from the weathering
of the incision and the growth of lichen in the grooves,
but whether it goes back further than a few decades
is a moot point. I only got to know of it recently from
someone who has been aware of it for some years and
this worries me as I was often at the Clach Gheal before
I left home, particularly when the convoys were on the
go, but I cannot remember ever seeing this carving or
hearing anything about it. My
mother had many a story both ancient and modern about
Rudha Glas and its people which she was fond of telling
us as children, but I cannot remember her mentioning
this carving. I would like to hear about it from anyone
who has knowledge of it.
Anyone interested in viewing the carvings should make for the Outend. A few hundred yards past Fionnlagh Ailean's house you will see the remnants of the old road going up the brae on your left. Follow it to near its apex where there are a number of boulders strewn about. From there go straight up the hill and you will soon see the Clach Gheal (only its not white - more a lighter shade of grey). When you reach it walk 20 or so paces East from it and you will be at the boat stone. See what you make of the carvings and let me know what you think. If nothing else the exercise will have done you good!
