Julian Cope presents Head Heritage

Many of you will be familiar with Tigh na Cailleach or Tigh nam Bodach in Gleann Cailliche near Glenlyon, said to be the site of the "oldest uninterrupted pagan ritual in Britain". A planning application for a hydro-electric scheme in Gleann Cailliche has been submitted.

More details can be found on the Glen Lyon History Society's website:

"Planning permission was recently lodged for four hydro electric schemes that will forever transform the Gleann Cailliche and the surrounding landscape. Existing tracks will be upgraded to take heavy traffic. Power houses will be constructed, borrow pits dug and fresh tracks will be carved into the steeply sided slopes to weirs. An overhead power line will be run past the Tigh nam Bodach and down the side of Loch Lyon."

You can view the application details here (if that link doesn't work, go here and search for application reference 11/00061). Comments on the application will only be accepted until the 18th of March.

I would urge anyone who has an interest in this fantastic glen to submit a comment. As someone who doesn't generally get particularly misty-eyed or blown-away by sites, Tigh na Cailleach really does it for me.

While I'm in favour of renewable energy, I think any changes to this particular glen would spoil it and detract from it's uniqueness. I know that argument can be used for pretty much any place, but I do feel this is somewhere special.

There's an account of my walk through from Bridge of Orchy to the Tigh na Cailleach on my website here - it gives a sense of the remoteness you can experience in this glen, despite not being too far away from civilisation.

I thought Tigh na Cailleach was listed on here once, maybe I'm mistaken....