Township: Vaul

Map Reference: Vaul d

Name Type: house

Meaning: The house or ruin of Charles the son of Big Lachlan

Other Forms: Taigh Lachainn Mhòir - LMcL

Taigh Thèarlaich Lachainn Mhòir - AMcL

Related Places:

Information:The uncle of Minnie Buchanan lived here. A 'cave' or inlet goes right under this house and two boys, Teònaidh Dhòmhnaill Bhig and his cousin, Teònaidh Beag, crept into the cave and made noises, pretending to be the devil. The old man hurried up to Rum View pretending to be in a flutter, saying "the devil is under my house!" According to Minnie, he was a great practical joker and knew all along it was the boys. If you go on the track going north past the house Seaside you go through an old gateway (this was the old track to Upper Vaul). There you will find a raised beach and just inshore of this is the entrance to a small cave which he believes is the one stayed in by Donald the Pilot. Ronnie MacLean, Silversands, 5/2010.

If you past Silversands on Am Bealach Dubh you come to a tobhta – Taigh Thearlaich Lachainn Mhoir. The cave goes for 60 feet from the shore right under this house until it reaches the ‘cliffs’ at the back. Tearlach would say as he sat ceilidhing in his house that he could hear the waves crashing in the cave under his living room! There used to be another entrance at the cliff end but Silversands blocked it up as sheep kept falling into it. The cave is now pretty silted up. He doesn’t have a name for it. He used to go shooting pigeons which roosted in it - AMcL.

Local Form:

Languages : Gaelic

Informants: Angus MacLean, Scarinish, 2/1996 and 10/2009

Informant 2: Lachlan MacLean (Lachainn Sheumais), Vaul, 4/1996