Heartlands - Schiehallion and Loch Rannoch

TELLING THE STORY OF THE HEARTLANDS PANEL

This was designed by Sylvia from Trinafour and stitched by her and Heather from Aberfeldy. Schiehallion (1,083 metres) means the 'fairy hill of the Caledonians' (Sìth Chailleann in Gaelic), and has many mysterious tales of fairies, and other supernatural beings, and there are a number of caves, particularly Tom a Morair which from its wide entrance narrows and slopes downwards into darkness.

Tradition suggests that another cave some miles away is the other end of this passage. Schiehallion is near the gravitational centre of mainland Scotland and in 1774, because of its remote location and regular cone shape, the mountain was used for an experiment by the Astronomer Royal where, by using the angle of deflection of a pendulum through gravitational pull it was possible to estimate the earth’s density and therefore its mass. It was during this time that the first system to represent surveyed heights was used to record heights and these ultimately became known as the “contour lines”.

Loch Rannoch at the foot of Schiehallion is 10 miles long running went to Bridge of Gaur from Kinloch Rannoch. The road, traditionally known as the Road to the Isles, was originally the main route to the west coast but it only driveable as far as Rannoch Station therefore leaving the area relatively unspoilt.