tartan above the waist

[creagdhubh]

Sounds like situation normal for many families over the holiday season just past. ;)

Quite right!

I have Macpherson relatives (great aunt and uncle) that live in Kingussie in Inverness-shire, Scotland, and they are very suspicious of any person with the name Campbell - they have always been like this, their parents were like this, etc, etc. Some feuds, disagreements, back-stabbing, horrible acts of cruelty, etc, etc...amongst the clans, are not always entirely forgotten by some - especially in the Highlands, and even in today's modern, more civilised world. However, the funny thing is, throughout Clan Macpherson history, there really hasn't been too much feuding with the Clan Campbell, and all of their branches. Rather, the feuds tended to be with some of our closer neighbors in upper and lower Badenoch.

Sidenote - I recall reading a sign above a pub door near Fort William reading, "No Campbells Allowed," seriously. I think I have a photo of it somewhere, this was around 5 or 6 years ago. I am not attempting to pick on the Campbells, just using them as an example.

Cheers,

[davidg]

Sidenote - I recall reading a sign above a pub door near Fort William reading, "No Campbells Allowed," seriously. I think I have a photo of it somewhere, this was around 5 or 6 years ago. I am not attempting to pick on the Campbells, just using them as an example.

Cheers,

Are you sure it was not Glencoe? The inn there (the Clachaig?) has, or had, such a sign outside its door reminding everyone of the Glencoe Massacre

[Jock Scot]

Are you sure it was not Glencoe? The inn there (the Clachaig?) has, or had, such a sign outside its door reminding everyone of the Glencoe Massacre

Right place, I suppose in Scots terms it is "near" Fort William, wrong interpretation of the message on the sign though.

[davidg]

Right place, I suppose in Scots terms it is "near" Fort William, wrong interpretation of the message on the sign though.

You have me intrigued. It's a long while since I was there but I thought the sign mentioned the massacre although I'm probably wrong on that. So what is the real reason for the sign?

[Jock Scot]

You have me intrigued. It's a long while since I was there but I thought the sign mentioned the massacre although I'm probably wrong on that. So what is the real reason for the sign?

I thought that I had recalled this story before to you, but perhaps you missed it, so no matter.


The person responsible lives not more than a few miles from me and whilst I have heard the story many times, he has confirmed the truth of the matter to me.

Sometime in 1960's, I think, this fellow was the landlord(manager?) of the said pub, in passing he is rather eccentric and does not tolerate fools, or many people easily (he is in fact a very nice fellow under it all, with a wicked sense of humour) and whilst being very busy one day he got very fed up with , drinks and food representatives calling in and co-incidentally a distinctly unfriendly letter had arrived from an unhelpful bank manager.

The landlord's name? MacDonald. The bank manager's name? Campbell. Put the whole lot together and you get, if I remember correctly:" No Hawkers or Campbells". Of course it also became widely known and does to this day, sell a lot of beer!

[davidg]

Thanks Jock. As I said it's so long since I was last there that I can't even remember precisely the wording on the sign. 1990 or 1991 was probably my last visit, after descending the Aonach Eagach severely dehydrated

[creagdhubh]

Are you sure it was not Glencoe? The inn there (the Clachaig?) has, or had, such a sign outside its door reminding everyone of the Glencoe Massacre

It may have been there, I can't recall. I'm searching for the photo presently. Jock, I believe the sign I am referring to is somewhat different, as I don't remember it being made of brass, but I am not entirely sure, as my memory of the occassion may be failing me (more than likely due to the many pints consumed during that particular time in the west of Scotland)!

Cheers,