Experience Scotland through my eyes

格蘭寇峽谷(Glen Coe)與三姊妹山(Three Sisters)

說道蘇格蘭高地最鮮明的印象，肯定會提到這裡：格蘭寇峽谷，兩旁的高山峻嶺，山頂積著白雪，峽谷刻蝕，高低落差相當大，景色十分壯觀，加上這獨特的植披配色，渾然天成的美景盡映眼簾。河谷底部是寇河(River Coe)，有一說法是格蘭寇的命名就是以寇河取名，「Glen」是蓋爾與峽谷、山谷的意思。三姊妹山則是三座高度大小類似的山頭，並排在一起，因而得稱。

有另一個說法是說是：「哭泣的山谷(Glen of Weeping)」，因為這裡在1692發生了一場大屠殺。故事要追溯到1691年8月27日，英王威廉要求高地氏族對他宣誓效忠，就可以免於一死，回覆的期限是1692年的1月1日。高地的氏族門派信差傳話給流亡法國的蘇格蘭國王詹姆士(James)，請求國王的同意，答應英王的條件。詹姆士知道短短幾個月的時間無法透過法國的幫助組織起軍隊，因此遣回負責請示的首領傳遞訊息。阿拉斯泰爾麥可萊恩(Alastair Maclain)，麥當勞(MacDonald)一族的首領，苦等著國王的回覆直到最後一天，儘管他在1月6日宣誓效忠，但是已經過了期限。他被英王視為不回覆並且以叛亂的名義，1692年2月12日，派了一百二十人的坎培爾氏族(Campbell)部隊，由羅伯特坎培爾領軍(Robert Campbell)，總共屠殺了38個男性，不管是在家裡或是他們試圖逃亡山谷躲藏都被追殺，另外40名女性和孩童，則被處決，房子也全被放火燒毀。也有民謠傳這這段可悲的歷史。

這裡同樣是電影取景的熱門地點，像是007空降危機(007: Skyfall)龐德就是駕著跑車開到這一帶停了下來。哈利波特阿茲卡班的逃犯也是在這取景，海格的小茅屋也就搭在沿途路上某處的森林裡，不過2014年已經拆除佈景。

O cruel is the snow
That sweeps glencoe
And covers the grave o donald
And cruel was the foe
That raped glencoe
And murderd the house of
Macdonald

They came in a blizzard
We offered them heat
A roof o'er their heads
Dry shoes for their feet
We wined them and dined them
They ate of our meat
And they slept in the house of
Macdonald

They came from fort william
Wi' murder in mind
The campbells had orders
King william had signed
Put all to the sword
These words were underlined
And leave none alive called
Macdonald

They came in the night
When the men were asleep
This band o' argyles
Through snow soft and deep
Like murdering foxes
Among helpless sheep
They slaughtered the house of
Macdonald

Some died in their beds
At the hand of the foe
Some fled in the night
And were lost in the snow
Some lived to accuse him
That struck the first blow
But gone was the house of
Macdonald

by Jim McLean