The Piper of Kenavara Cave / Piobaire Uaimh Chinn a’ Bhara

Location: Kenavara

Story:
Many years ago a very great piper lived on Tiree – a piper as skilled as the ‘Little Folk’ themselves who dwelt in Kenavara Cave. One evening, while playing at a ceilidh near Kenavara and having taken a dram or two, the piper decided to go and challenge the Little Folk in the cave to a ‘play-off’. Silence fell on the company but they could not dissuade the piper from his plan.

Some of the party goers followed the piper who marched into the cave followed by his dog; they waited and listened as the sound of the pipers grew quieter and quieter. When nothing could be heard, they went home. In the morning some of them returned to the cave where they found the dog – hairless and howling like a banshee – but there was no trace of the piper.

It is said that the Little Folk were so enchanted by the piper’s playing that they decided to keep him there forever and it is said that, when the wind blows in a particular direction, the pipes can be heard as the piper tries to find his way out.

Anns a’ Ghaidhlig:

Bho chionn iomadh bliadhna, bha pìobaire ainmeil a’ fuireach ann an Tiriodh, aig an robh cliù mòr tron eilean airson cho gleusda ‘s a bha e air a’ phìob. Bha e cho math oirre ’s gu robh e air a ràdh gu tric gu robh e a cheart cho math ris na ‘Daoine Beaga’ fhèin, a bha a’ fantail ann an uaimh Chinn a’ Bhara. Aon fheasgar, ’s e a’ cluiche na pìoba aig cèilidh faisg air Ceann a’ Bhara, as dèidh mòran molaidh bho a chàirdean, nach ann a thuirt e gu h-obann gu robh e a’ dol a-mach gu uaimh Chinn a’ Bhara feuch an dèanadh e a’ chùis air na Daoine Beaga leis a’ phìob. Cha robh aon fhacal aig duine a bha an làthair, oir bha eagal orra mu na thachradh don phìobaire seo a bha cho fada na cheann nan dèanadh e an rud a bha e a’ bagairt. Cha tugadh duine às a bheachd e, agus thog e air ri ceòl na pìoba ’s a chuilean na chois.

Lean cuid de na bha aig a’ chèilidh e is eagal orra dè dh’fhaodadh tachairt. A-steach leis a’ phìobaire don uaimh, ’s an cuilean aig a shàil. Dh’fhuirich na daoine aig beul na h-uamha agus iad ag èisteachd ri ceòl na pìoba a’ sior fhàs fann, gus mu dheireadh nach robh dad ri chluinntinn ach sàmhchair a-mhàin. Às dèidh ùine fhada chuir iad roimhpa tilleadh dhachaigh don leabaidh. Anns a’ mhadainn thill cuid air ais, agus abair sealladh oillteil a’ feitheamh orra – an cuilean gun chalg agus e a’ rànail mar bhean-sìdhe. Cha robh aon sgeul air a’ phìobaire fhèin.

Tha e air aithris gun do chòrd am pìobaire cho math ris na ‘Daoine Beaga’ ’s gun do chuir iad romhpa a ghleidheadh an sin gu bràth tuilleadh. Their cuid gun cluinnear fuaim na pìoba nuair a bhios a’ ghaoth a’ sèideadh bho àirde shònraichte, ’s am pìobaire air allaban anns an uaimh a’ feuchainn ri dòigh fhaotainn air faighinn a-mach.

Ann an tionndadh eile air an sgeulachd seo bhite ag ràdh, ‘Gun do làimh sa phìob is làmh sa chlaidheamh, cha tèid neach gu bràth tron Uaimhe Mhòir.’

[Gaelic version from Mackinnon, Fiona E ‘Sgeulachdan a Tiriodh’ (1992)]

Sources:
An Iodhlann - 2011.80.4  Photograph of the entrance of An Namh Mhòr, Kenavara, 2010. 

An Uamh Mhòr, the big cave, at end of Druim nan Uan, (ridge of the lambs), & can be reached if careful at low tide when rocks are dry. Has number of other names: Uamh an Fhuamaire, the cave of the giant, Uamh nan Calman, cave of the doves, or Uamh an Òir, the cave of gold. 

Niall Brownlie writes in his book Bailtean is Ath-Ghairmean: “North of fort is Uamh Mhòr, huge opening that penetrates far into hill. In my young days often referred to as Uamh an Òir, & oral tradition maintains that it traverses entire island. My mother related how piper, accompanied by dog, set out to traverse Great Cave but never seen again. When neighbour went to mouth of cave, he found only the dog, still alive - but hairless. "Without three hands - two for pipes & one for sword - no human will ever traverse the Cave of Gold”, my mother would say most emphatically.”

Some versions of story have dog coming out at Dùn Mòr a' Chaolais above Milton & sound of pipes heard at Druim na h-Uamha,' the ridge of the cave' in Scarinish. Cave also known as Uaimh Dhiarmaid, the cave of Diarmad, ancient Irish hero. Just inside entrance is rock platform called Leabaidh Nighean Rìgh Lochlainn, 'the bed of the daughter of the king of Norway'. This probably relates to 10th century Irish traditional story about Cú Chulainn & Derbforgaill. Connection seen before in Balephetrish, where old name for Ringing Stone was Coire Fionn mac Chumhaill after the Irish Fenian hero, and it shows the influence of the Irish Gaels on Tiree. Piper's Cave (Tiree) - Scottish Cave and Mine Database Site Details (gsg.org.uk)

There are two large caves which are only accessible by boat. One of them , an Uaimh Mhor, is so deep that explorers are advised to carry a lighted candle, and to retreat as the light begins to fail for lack of oxygen. Kenavara | Isle of Tiree

There is an old tale on Tiree about a piper and his dog who entered a cave at the other end of the island, in Kenavara. They followed a secret tunnel to Scarinish where the Piper was heard to shout that he was in need of three hands, two to play his pipes and one for his sword. He then fell silent. The Piper was never seen or heard of again, but his dog appeared out of the end of a tunnel at Dùn Mòr a' Chaolais without a hair left on his body. Dùn Mòr a' Chaolais | Isle of Tiree

The Tiree Mermaid

Location: Grianal

Story:
Once upon a time and many years ago, two young girls were walking along Grianal beach when they discovered a body washed up on the sand.  They ran to fetch Colin MacNiven, tacksman of Grianal, whose brother had drowned not long before. Upon examining the body however, Colin discovered that it was only the top half of the body that was human – from the middle down it was shaped like a fish. He described the top half of the body as being like that of a young boy between the ages of 12 and 14 with small flat ears and a short chin. The arms were about 14 inches long but shaped like human arms with human hands, fingers and nails - although webbed. The lower half of the figure was completely fish shaped, with fins and a tail which was forked like a mackerel but flat. To protect the body from dogs, Colin MacNiven took it away on a handbarrow and buried it in the sand, marking the grave with stones. Eighteen years later, Colin returned to the grave with James Maxwell, JP and his son, the doctor. They dug up the grave and saw the skeleton and swore in court that this was the body of a mermaid.

Sources:
Argyll Papers ARG/4/3/65/88; a mermaid found at Diobadal in Hynish 1998.286.1 | An Iodhlann; stories about fairies, water-horses and mermaids 2000.61.2 | An Iodhlann;