As a result of collaboration between the Mackay Country Group and Comunn Eachdraidh Asainte, the summer walkers will once more take to the roads, stopping at their traditional campsites, making music, telling stories and meeting friends old and new.

The summer walkers trip will begin at Altnaharra on Saturday, May 19, and take in Syre, Apigill, Torrisdale, Braetongue, Melness, Hope, Foulin, Keoldale, Kinlochbervie and Achfary, before pitching up at Stoer on Friday, June 15. On the way, the travellers, together with guest musicians and other artists, will host ceilidhs, open-house evenings, schools' fèisean and other activities with a focus on life and work on the road.

At the reins of the horse-drawn cart will be Essie Stewart, a member of one of the last of the Sutherland travelling families.

"This trip is a one-off," said Essie. "This is the only chance we will get to do this again and so it is very special. It will certainly stir up memories for me and, I'm sure, many stories as well.

"It could be a very hard life in bad weather but I have good memories of our times in the north-west – the people, the landscape and the nights in the tent with music and stories.

"My family was always welcomed in each township we visited and for generations we were part of the north-west community.

"It is a lovely thing to be able to return to those communities on horse and cart once again – to revisit old friends and places and to make new memories and stories."

A consummate storyteller herself, many of Essie's tales were passed down to her by her grandfather, Ailidh Dall (Blind Sandy), a master raconteur whose spellbinding tales by the smoky light of a campfire at dusk were recorded by renowned folklorist and collector Hamish Henderson for the University of Edinburgh's School of Scottish Studies.

This time round, the music, stories and poems, together with the matchless scenery of the route and all the emotional highs and lows of the journey, will be filmed by BBC Scotland, whose cameras will accompany the travellers.

Runrig's Calum MacDonald added the band's support to this unusual endeavour.

He said: "Runrig are delighted to be able to lend their support the wonderful Summer in the Straths project. Of all the exciting and innovative events that are happening in this special year that celebrates Highland culture, this one stands apart.

"The travelling people of the Scottish Highlands have made an immense and unique contribution to our cultural mosaic – they have been one of the prime conduits of the oral tradition and throughout their history, their lore, music, song and storytelling have brought much colour to our cultural landscape.

"Like much else these days, their lifestyle has disappeared, but we must be grateful for the priceless literature that is with us for posterity – travelling people telling their own story in their own words. We in Runrig are much indebted to Timothy Neat. His book The Summer Walkers, provided us with the inspiration for the song of the same name."

Event organiser, Issie MacPhail, of the Mackay Country Project and Comunn Eachdraidh Asainte, is particularly pleased to be undertaking the road trip as part of Highland 2007, the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture.

"As with all of our work this is not just about the past – it is about the future too. About shaping the kind of future we want for our local communities," she explained.

"The archive work we do and the events and ceilidhs put on with the great support of Fèis Air An Oir all help to generate work and make a contribution to local tourism.

"During this journey we will pay tribute to the way songs, stories and tunes were passed on between generations and communities in the past. We will also generate new songs and stories about life today – and pass these on during the journey and through our work in the coming years.

"Before phones and cars were commonplace the seasonal visits by the summer walkers were fundamental in linking all of the communities in the north-west together.

"Today that job is done not just by using phones and e-mail but most importantly through community projects like those run by Fèis Air An Oir, Mackay Country, Taigh na Gàidhlig Mhealanais and Comunn Eachdraidh Asainte.

"We are still travelling, sharing stories and working together but by different means. This journey helps to remind us of the importance and power of that for everyone in the north-west today."

The Mackay Country initiative continues to gather pace after the first wave of energy created by its 2004/5 Back to the Future project. Its success stories include a growing archive of documents and recordings cataloguing the social and cultural history of north-west Sutherland; a book, At Home in Mackay Country; a DVD, The Reel Mackay; and being the inspiration for the creation of a new Aberdeen University scholarship for the benefit of young people from the north and west.

Secretary of the Mackay Country Project, Ronnie Lansley, is currently overseeing Mackay Country's transition from a voluntary group to an incorporated not-for-profit community trust. He is justifiably proud of its progress to date and has high hopes for the future.

Paying tribute to the people who have helped to make it happen, he said: "Without the dedicated voluntary commitment and vision of what Mackay Country can mean for the unique and individual communities that make up the concept, we would not have been able to reach this stage.

"It is our current endeavour to be able to source funds to build on what has been achieved and in particular make the priority to station the archive of research results in strategic localities throughout Mackay Country.

"There are so many opportunities if the communities can work together where individually we do not have the resources but can combine to ensure that the traditions and cultures of the area are preserved and used for a sustainable future."

Details of all the summer walkers' destinations and events, and more information on Mackay Country, are available from Ronnie Lansley on 01971 511346 or by e-mail at ronnie@durness.org or at http://www.mackaycountry.com

This latest project has been supported by Highland 2007, HIE Caithness and Sutherland, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, The Gaelic Initiatives Fund, which is being administered by The Highland Council on behalf of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, and the Highland Council.

Printer friendly version

Email this article to a friend

Bookmark this

---