If you are brave, and the day is long. If you can walk away from the warm village light and are not scared of shadows that creep and grow amongst the heather of north-west Scotland; take yourself at dusk to the banks of the Meoble River. Follow its turns below the rocky gaze of
Meith Bheinn. This ‘Rough Bounds’ wilderness is not so deserted as it might seem.
Before the river’s water empties into Loch Morar, stones start to sprout from the earth. Take care. This is the tumbled remnants of the village of Meoble, its decaying crofts and overgrown graveyard do not take kindly to strangers. Watch where you put your feet, as some memories are best left undisturbed.
If your courage has still not failed you, walk a little further- not so far you cannot see the roofless crofts, but far enough you will have a head start if there is need to run. Now wait as the islands fade into darkness; ghosts are easier to see at night. Watch and listen. A dark shadow may flicker across the stones, a small whine catch in the breeze- these rough bounds are not so deserted as they might seem. I suggest you wait cautiously and remember the story I am about to tell you. The story of Cù Glas Mheobail,
the Grey Dog of Meoble.
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Some centuries ago, when this glen and village was still inhabited, there was a highlander by the name of Dugald McDonald. Dugald was a young man known for his love of deerhounds, and owned a large pack with which he trekked across the heathland. However, his favourite was a young female and she in return was his most faithful companion. Raising her from a pup, the hound (said to be called ‘Elasaid’ or Elizabeth in English) was of a size unheard of, with the most magnificent grey coat in all of Lochaber. A day soon came however, where Dugald and many other young men went to join the Peninsular wars, leaving behind their family, homes and, in Dugald’s case, his beloved grey dog. Several years past before he could return, but although he eagerly called amongst the crofts, no shaggy-coated hound ran to greet him.
Seeing his despair the villagers told him how, distraught at being left behind, Elasaid
would not tolerate the company of any other human but took herself away to the hills. Nothing more was seen or heard of her until a hunter, passing by the small, isolated lochan of Tain Mhic Dhughaill
spotted movement on the island in its centre. Shaking loch-water from her coat was a gigantic deerhound, and running out of the undergrowth to meet her came four, young pups. Dugald was delighted at the news, but the villagers gave caution. Although once his most loyal companion, no human had been near Elasaid
in years, and her litter of pups were completely wild; no human should go near them. Deaf in his joy, Dugald took no heed but immediately went to find Elasaid’s
pack at the peaty banks of Tain Mhic Dhughaill.
That he found them was certain, but no one could ever quite say what happened when he did.
It was in answer to the young man’s screams that the villagers set out into the night, but it was in silence that they found Dugald’s torn and tattered body; no explanation ever able to leave his bloodied lips. As they buried him in the graveyard, the crofters spoke quietly of what befell Dugald. Some said Elasaid
was so joyful to see her master that they wrestled and played, the pups mistaking it for an attack on their mother and killing Dugald. Others said Elasaid
had been away hunting, and without her the feral pups set upon him. Whether either account is true can never be known, but Elasaid
never left her master’s side again. Disconsolate by his death, she held a lonely and cold vigil over Dugald’s grave, occasionally rousing the villagers with mournful howls until her own death.
Time passed. The young highlander and his deerhound began to fade from memory. Until, that is, her terrible howling was heard once more in the glens of Lochaber. This time it came from Rifern, the small crofting town on the opposite riverbank to the Meoble graveyard. It was here that one of Dugald’s brothers lived, and for him Elasaid
returned. As he lay terminally ill in bed, her ghostly presence appeared by his side. She sat in vigil for several minutes before giving a sorrowful cry, her grey body dissipating like mist. A few hours later the brother died. Ever since that first (re)appearance, whenever a member of the MacDonald’s of Morar clan is close to death, a spectral deerhound is seen; an omen of what is to come, and to protect their passage to the afterlife.
In between her ominous vigils Elasaid’s
spirit haunts the hills and glens near Loch Morar, often being seen at Arisaig and Mallaig, particularly the Rhu peninsula. Many locals believe this roaming is to find the soul of her master, forever hoping they may finally be reunited. Others view it as penance for Dugald’s death at the mercy of her pack. However, none seek to find and comfort Elasaid
in her restless loneliness. That she protects the MacDonald’s is certain, what she may do to any other stray traveller is not known; it was many years she spent alone on that island, and grief can do terrible things…
scottish ghosts
scottish ghost stories
scottish folklore
celtic folklore
fairy dog
arisaig folklore
mallaig folklore
lochaber legends
death folklore
highland folklore
folklore of the scottish highlands
grey dog rum
scottish rum
Scottish myths and legends
lesser known Scottish folklore
celtic mythology
scottish mythology
scottish legends
ghost stories
bloody Scotland
haunted Scotland
forgotten Scotland
References
MacDonald, Donald Archie. “Migratory Legends of the Supernatural in Scotland: A General Survey.” Béaloideas 62/63 (1994): 29–78. https://doi.org/10.2307/20522441.
The Grey Dog of Meoble (tom-odgen-keenan.com)
The Grey Dog of Meoble | A Blast From The Past (mikedashhistory.com)