Mountain of the Old Woman

Saucy Mary is iconic, of that there is little doubt. Purported to be the free-spirited wife of Findanus, the legendary first chief of the clan, Mary is said to have lived at Dunakin where she stretched a chain across the narrows to the mainland at Lochalsh and collected tolls from passing vessels – except, of course, for Norse ships. Those were allowed to travel toll free because Mary herself was supposed to be a Norse princess.

Whether true or not, Saucy Mary’s memory has been passed down through many

generations, and the stories say that she was buried under a cairn atop Beinn na Caillich, Scottish Gaelic for Mountain of the Old Woman.

There is a Beinn na Caillich not far away, and its heights can be seen to the east from

Broadford and north of Cill Chriosd (Kilchrist). It is a beautifully symmetrical landmark, though bare save for the heather crawling up its flanks. Could this be the final resting place of Saucy Mary? Perhaps so. There is a field at its base called Goir a' Bhlàir on which it’s claimed a small army of MacKinnons defeated a raiding party of Vikings. With such connections to her own people and the people of her husband, it’s plausible that Mary could rest at the top of this mountain, forever facing east toward her homeland.

Beinn na Caillich, Kyleakin, Ordnance Survey Map, 1st Edition, Courtesy of the National Library of Scotland.

However there is a lesser-known Beinn na Caillich that may fit the legend better. Located on the southeast of Skye across Kyle Rhea from Glenelg, this Beinn na Caillich is prominently seen to the south as viewed from what is now known as Caisteal Maol but is historically remembered as Dunakin. The larger of the two

mountains is known as Sgùrr na Coinnich, which is separated from Beinn na Caillich by a saddle called Bealach nam Mulachag.

With such close proximity to Dunakin, and overlooking Kyle Akin as well as allowing her an unobstructed view toward the land of her birth, perhaps this is the Beinn na Caillich where Saucy Mary enjoys her eternal rest?