2011 Schotland Glen Lyon Carn Mairgmassief2 6-06-2011 18-15-21

Glen Lyon () is a

glen A glen is a valley, typically one that is long and bounded by gently sloped concave sides, unlike a ravine, which is deep and bounded by steep slopes. The word is Goidelic in origin: ''gleann'' in Irish and Scottish Gaelic, ''glion'' in Manx. ...

in the

Perth and Kinross Perth and Kinross (; ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland, and a Lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area. It is bordered by Highland (council area), Highland and Aberdeenshire to the north, Angus, Scotland, Angus, Dundee, and F ...

region of

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. It is the longest enclosed glen in Scotland and runs for from

Loch Lyon Loch Lyon (Scottish Gaelic, ''Loch Lìobhann'')Loch Lìobhann/Loch Lyon

Fortingall Fortingall () (lit. "Escarpment Church"—i.e. "church at the foot of an escarpment or steep slope") is a small village in Glen Lyon, Perthshire, Scotland. Its nearest sizable neighbours are Aberfeldy and Kenmore. Local legend claims that it ...

in the east. This glen was also known as ''An Crom Ghleann'' ("The Bent Glen"). The land given over to the MacGregors was ''An Tòiseachd''. It forms part of the Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon National Scenic Area, one of forty such areas in Scotland, which are defined so as to identify areas of exceptional scenery and to ensure its protection from inappropriate development by restricting certain forms of development. Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

described Glen Lyon as the "longest, loneliest and loveliest glen in Scotland". Apart from a few scattered farms and cottages throughout the glen, the only real settlements are at

and Bridge of Balgie. The glen contains several small hamlets and has a primary school where Gaelic is taught weekly.

History

Quite densely inhabited from prehistoric times (as many archaeological sites attest), although its present population is of modest size, the glen has been home to many

Scottish clan A Scottish clan (from Scottish Gaelic , literally 'children', more broadly 'kindred') is a kinship group among the Scottish people. Clans give a sense of shared heritage and descent to members, and in modern times have an official structure r ...

s, including

Clan MacGregor Clan Gregor, also known as Clan MacGregor, is a Highland Scottish clan that claims an origin in the early 9th century. The clan's most famous member is Rob Roy MacGregor of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The clan is also known to ha ...

, Lyon, Menzies, Stewart, Macnaughtan, MacGibbon and the Campbell lairds of Glen Lyon. At the end of the 11th century the de Leons (later shortened to "Lyon") had come north with Prince Edgar, son of

Malcolm III of Scotland Malcolm III (; ; –13 November 1093) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Alba from 1058 to 1093. He was later nicknamed "Canmore" (, , understood as "great chief"). Malcolm's long reign of 35 years preceded the beginning of the Scoto-Norma ...

to fight against his uncle, Donald Bane. Edgar was victorious and the de Leons received lands that were later called Glen Lyon in Perthshire. Local

Tacksman A tacksman (, meaning "supporting man"; most common Scots spelling: ''takisman'') was a landholder of intermediate legal and social status in Scottish Highland society. Tenant and landlord Although a tacksman generally paid a yearly rent for th ...

Robert Campbell of Glenlyon Robert Campbell, 5th Laird of Glenlyon (1630 – 2 August 1696), was a minor member of Scottish nobility and is best known as one of the commanding officers at the Massacre of Glencoe. Life Robert was the second son of Archibald Campbell, ...

(1630–1696), led the troops of the Earl of Argyll's Regiment of Foot during their involvement in the infamous massacre of the MacDonalds at Glencoe in 1691. A magnificent silver-gilt

brooch A brooch (, ) is a decorative jewellery item designed to be attached to garments, often to fasten them together. It is usually made of metal, often silver or gold or some other material. Brooches are frequently decorated with enamel or with gem ...

set with precious stones belonging to the Campbell lairds of Glen Lyon (that has been dated to the early 16th century) is currently in the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

. Glen Lyon, also written Glenlyon, has been the home of (among others)

early Christian Early Christianity, otherwise called the Early Church or Paleo-Christianity, describes the historical era of the Christian religion up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325. Christianity spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and be ...

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

s (including

Adomnán Adomnán or Adamnán of Iona (; , ''Adomnanus''; 624 – 704), also known as Eunan ( ; from ), was an abbot of Iona Abbey ( 679–704), hagiographer, statesman, canon jurist, and Christian saint, saint. He was the author of the ''Life ...

ocally Eonán(died 704), Abbot of

Iona Iona (; , sometimes simply ''Ì'') is an island in the Inner Hebrides, off the Ross of Mull on the western coast of Scotland. It is mainly known for Iona Abbey, though there are other buildings on the island. Iona Abbey was a centre of Gaeli ...

and

biographer Biographers are authors who write an account of another person's life, while autobiographers are authors who write their own biography. Biographers Countries of working life: Ab=Arabia, AG=Ancient Greece, Al=Australia, Am=Armenian, AR=Ancient Rome ...

St Columba Columba () or Colmcille (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is today Scotland at the start of the Hiberno-Scottish mission. He founded the important abbey ...

). It contains at least two

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

s: Meggernie Castle till inhabitedand Carnbane Castle uined Their history is described in Alexander Stewart's ''A Highland Parish'' (1928), and Duncan Campbell's ''The Lairds of Glenlyon'' (1886).

Notable people

Isobel Forrester Isobel Forrester born Isobel Margaret Stewart McColl (1895 – 1976) was a Scottish born ecumenist. She was chair and an active member of the Scottish Churches Ecumenical Association. Life Forrester was born at the manse in Glenlyon. She was the ...

an ecumenist was born at Glenlyon manse in 1895. * Fr. James MacGregor (), parish priest of Fortingall for the

Catholic Church in Scotland The Catholic Church in Scotland, overseen by the Scottish Bishops' Conference, is part of the worldwide Catholic Church headed by the Pope. Christianity first arrived in Roman Britain and was strengthened by the conversion of the Picts thr ...

during the early

16th-century The 16th century began with the Julian year 1501 (represented by the Roman numerals MDI) and ended with either the Julian or the Gregorian year 1600 (MDC), depending on the reckoning used (the Gregorian calendar introduced a lapse of 10 days in ...

, compiled the

Book of the Dean of Lismore The ''Book of the Dean of Lismore'' () is a Scottish manuscript, compiled in eastern Perthshire in the first half of the 16th century. The chief compiler, after whom it is named, was James MacGregor (''Seumas MacGriogair''), vicar of Fortinga ...

, the most important surviving manuscript collection of

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

Scottish Gaelic literature Scottish Gaelic literature refers to literary works composed in the Scottish Gaelic language, which is, like Irish and Manx, a member of the Goidelic branch of Celtic languages. Gaelic literature was also composed in Gàidhealtachd communities ...

. His ''Chronicle'', covering local events in a mixture of

Middle Scots Middle Scots was the Anglic language of Lowland Scotland in the period from 1450 to 1700. By the end of the 15th century, its phonology, orthography, accidence, syntax and vocabulary had diverged markedly from Early Scots, which was virtual ...

and

Ecclesiastical Latin Ecclesiastical Latin, also called Church Latin or Liturgical Latin, is a form of Latin developed to discuss Christian theology, Christian thought in Late antiquity and used in Christianity, Christian liturgy, theology, and church administration ...

, is also still extant, and is an important historical source for the central

Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Africa * Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa * Highlands, Harare, Zimbab ...

. * Watson Kirkconnell (1895–1977), a Canadian poet and

public intellectual An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and Human self-reflection, reflection about the nature of reality, especially the nature of society and proposed solutions for its normative problems. Coming from the wor ...

of proudly Highland Scottish descent, explored the legacy of his Glen Lyon ancestors in his memoirs.

Gallery

File:2011 Schotland Glen Lyon rivier 6-06-2011 18-24-02.png, River Lyon File:2011_Schotland_Glen_Lyon_vee_6-06-2011_18-20-06.png, Cattle in Glen Lyon

References

{{Scottish provinces, minor Glens of Scotland Protected areas of Perth and Kinross National scenic areas of Scotland Valleys of Perth and Kinross