Читать книгу An Island Odyssey - Hamish Haswell-Smith - Страница 13

TEXA

. . . There are some isles on the coast of Islay, an island Texa on the south-west, about a mile in circumference . . .

In spite of its name Texa has no connection with the Lone Star State, although I believe an American couple now own it. Abbot Adomnan of Iona referred to ‘Oidecha Insula’, meaning the island of (monastic) instruction, and this is said to be the derivation of its unusual name although I prefer ‘Tech-oy’ which means simply ‘House Island’ in Early Irish and Norse.

Lying off the south coast of Islay it was another of those small islands (a mere 120 acres) which was more or less on the direct route for Irish missionaries travelling to and from Scotland in the 6th century. Cainnech, or St Kenneth, was said to have left his pastoral staff behind after visiting Iona. Columba found it, blessed it, and cast it into the sea and Kenneth later discovered it washed up on the shore of Texa.

We anchored Jandara in the bay below the small ruined chapel. This is Lord of the Isles’ territory, and just across the kyle is Lagavullin Bay and the prominent ruin of Dunyvaig Castle where the King of the Isles’, Somerled’s, powerful fleet used to anchor in the 12th century. The chapel was built in the late 14th century by his descendent, Ragnald, son of John of Islay, and the shaft of a cross which stood beside it was decorated with Ragnald’s head. It is the earliest sculptured stone portrait of any member of the house of Somerled and it is now in the museum in Edinburgh. Round about the church bits of walling show through the turf and there are regular ridges which may well mark the remains of early monastery buildings. They indicate the position of at least five buildings. Another ruin stands some distance apart from the chapel – the abbot’s house maybe? A small well to the east is dedicated to St Mary – ‘Tobar Moireig’.

It is easy to imagine living a fairly comfortable monastic life on this peaceful spot. It is on record that Texa’s church was endowed with large estates in the south of Islay so it was quite wealthy and the island supported about thirty native ‘Texans’. It is revealing that in 1608, Andrew Knox, Bishop of the Isles, wrote a letter from Texa to King James VI asking if he could retire there – ‘. . . seeing my ould aige dayle crepis on’.

On our first visit – a damp day in early summer – the ground was blanketed with a mist of bluebells and feral goats watched us warily from a distance. They were in small groups but there are probably about eighty or so in total. The wild goats of Jura are a deep chocolate brown but Texa’s are multi-coloured which suggests mixed domestic stock.

On the ground overlooking the kyle and some distance beyond the jetty there is a renovated cottage/bothy which the owners use occasionally. This is the only habitable building – lovely in the summer – but a lonely place to stay on a winter’s night.

On the other side of Texa there is a cave called Uamh nam Fear – ‘the Men’s Cave’ – which was probably a hideout from naval press-gangs. They particularly liked to raid islands because the able-bodied men were such excellent sailors. It was not their concern that an island needed its menfolk to survive and many of the small islands were depopulated by this practice.

On the Islay coast, Loch an t-Sàilein, reached by a circuitous route past Dunyvaig Castle and two distilleries, provides a more spacious anchorage than Lagavulin Bay. It is sheltered by a tidal island and a vast plethora of rocks. The sea barrels in between them and whips up a vicious froth – like over-boiled cullen skink. A good spot from which to visit the distilleries but not my favourite anchorage.

A sailing friend – a retired surgeon – in patched pink pants, whose ‘characterful’ cottage overlooks the loch, assured us that there was a short-cut through the rocks – ‘Easy as pie, old boy! – Just follow the chart of ’54.’ His wife smiled sweetly as he kindly presented Jandara with a copy. It was dated ‘1854’ and like most charts of the time was stippled with soundings like a pointillist painting. A collector’s item certainly – but we didn’t try the short-cut.