Appin & Lismore
Appin and Lismore
Castle Stalker, Appin T
he Appin murder may have happened over 250 years ago, but the events that inspired the Stevenson novel Kid-
napped are still enough to rouse a shiver among unprepared visitors to this appar- ently tranquil corner of Argyll. In 1752, Colin Campbell, a land agent, was shot in the back as he rode through woods near Duror. The government set out to make an example of his assassin and wrongfully convicted and hung James Stewart, a lo- cal farmer, whose remains were to dangle at the Ballachulish bridge for four years after his execution. The history of the Stewart clan is interwo- ven with the Appin scenery, most strikingly at Castle Stalker, a landmark familiar from its
appearance as Castle Aaargh in the closing scenes of Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975). The castle was built by John Stew- art in the fi fteenth century only to be lost by the 7th Stewart chief 300 years later through a drunken bet in which he exchanged the family stronghold for an eight-oared boat. There are good views of the castle from Portnacroish or the road to Port Appin, and although tides mean that it is only occasion- ally accessible, tours are sometimes possi- ble (see website, 01631 730354). Across the loch, the island of Lismore claims its own ancient origins. An early Christian settlement was founded there by St Molu- ag, who, legend has it, staked his claim to the island in a coracle race against St Co-
lumba. Columba was narrowing ahead as they neared the shore, so Moluag, desper- ate to claim the land, cut off his own little fi n- ger with an axe and threw it on to the shore – ensuring that at least a part of him reached the island fi rst. The island’s gaelic name ‘Lios Mor’ meaning ‘great garden’ is an apt one, though the fer- tility of its soil may owe less to an infusion of saintly blood than to its limestone base and temperate climate. Lismore can be reached by a car ferry from Oban, but the little passenger ferry from the charming Port Appin offers a more intimate experience and with an abundance of wild fl owers, the island lends itself to a close-up exploration on foot or bike.
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