Township: Balephuil

Map Reference: Balephuil 48

Name Type: hill

Meaning: Hollow of the brambles. Locally pronounced 'Glaic'.

Other Forms:

Related Places:

Information:Na Bàird Thirisdeach, The Tiree Association, Cameron, Rev. Hector (ed.), 1932, "An Teid thu leam a Mhaggie Chaluim?", by Colin MacDonald, p 359:

Chi thu Rifrinn, ’s chi thu’n Airidh,
’S an Carnan os cionn an loin;
Chi thu Hoghnis is cnoc Ghrianail,
Glac nan Smiar, agus Cuil Bhoid

p 150:
"Ann an dubhar Glaic-nan-Smiar"

It is the first place on Tiree you will hear a cuckoo in spring - DMcC.

Tinkers used to stay in Glac na’ Smeur. David McClounnnan, Balephuil, 3/2007.

One of the MacArthurs cut the brambles in Glaic na’ Smeur with a scythe because the sheep were getting caught on it with their wool. David McClounnan, Balephuil, 10/2005.

The Gaelic Otherworld, by John Gregorson Campbell, ed Ronald Black, Birlinn, 2005, p 177: A ball of hair (gaoisid), called a ronag, was put in the milk on Lammas day [August 1st] (or on the Thursday after) to keep its substance in the milk during the rest of the year. MacSymon (MacShìomoin, a sept of MacArthurs) a native of Balemartine was much resorted to in former times for these constitution balls. On Lammas day he gave to all who came to him a little bag of plants, sewn up, to be placed in the cream jug (crogan uachdair) for the ensuing year that the cattle and the milk might retain their virtue or substance (toradh). [He lived at Glac nan Smeur - notes p296 and p431].



Local Form: Glaic

Languages : Gaelic

Informants: Nan McClounnan, Balephuil, 3/2007

Informant 2: David McClounnan, Balephuil, 3/1996

Informant 3: Eilidh (bheag) Kennedy, Balevullin, 1/1994