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Cumin's Cairn

Cairn(s)

Folklore

About a mile to the north-east of Loch Loch, among the hills of Ben-y-Gloe in Perthshire, is a cairn known generally as Mackintosh's Cairn, sometimes as Comyn's Cairn (Carn a'Chuimeinich). It is said by tradition to mark the spot where, some centuries ago, a great chief of the Comyns was killed by a certain Mackintosh, who raised the stones as a monument of his act.

The story of the feud which culminated in the erection of this cairn has been told more than once. The main incidents, asa narrated on the authority of local tradition by Col. J. A. Robertson (author of Gaelic Topography and other works) in a small volume entitled The Earldom of Atholl, privately printed in 1860, are as follows: - The Comyns, on obtaining a footing in Atholl, at once commenced their usual practice of attacking their neighbours. Among these were the Mackintoshachs, or Mackintoshes, descendants of the old Toshachs or Thanes of Glentilt, who were attacked by the Comyns at a feast and all murdered, except a young child in a cradle. This child, Ewen, also called "Sherigan," grew up, and some fifteen years after the massacre attacked the Comyns at a place called Toldamph (Tolldamh, near Blair Atholl) and defeated them. The Comyns fled up Glentilt, and turned in at the stream which issues from Loch Loch, but Ewen, taking a near way through the hills of Ben Gloe, by a stream called Cromaldun, met their leader at Loch-na-diodd, and shot him. Colonel Robertson says that these events are supposed to have taken place about or soon after 1260, and that Ewen had a son named Angus, who obtained a "bounding charter" to his lands.
There are other retellings mentioned in the article. One has rather striking image of Cumming the Big being shot just as he raises his hand to wipe away some sweat from his brow, so getting his hand pinned to his head by the arrow as he drops down dead.

From a report of a meeting of the Gaelic Society of Inverness, in The Northern Chronicle for April 15th 1885.

The cairn actually looks like it's on the banks of Loch Loch. It's miles from anywhere near a road and must be quite a spot. Frankly I doubt I could have been bothered to raise a cairn for the person who'd murdered my entire family, but you never know - it could well be older than the story purports, couldn't it (the record on Canmore hasn't assigned it a date yet).
Rhiannon Posted by Rhiannon
5th February 2020ce

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