22/11/2021
ACHARACLE
Village names are sometimes made for heroes, however Acharacle was named after the bad yin!
Acharacle as most know was named after Torquill whose gang was ousted from the area by Somerled in 1120. However while Somerled was a wild character he was the hero in this instance
While much is known about Somerled less is known about Torquil.
He was of Danish decent, however was also connected to the MacLeods of Lewis.
He came to Loch Shiel on the usual Scandinavian R**e, Pillage and Plunder massacres.
His gang landed on the coast around Dorlin and started battle seriously above the village, where there is a loch named to commemorate the event, Loch na Fala, (The Loch of Blood).
The local people were beaten back as far as Langal. Eventually Somerled (King of the Isles) who controlled the area came to their aid (perhaps visiting his mum who lived at Lochaline!) and the tide of battle turned, the foes being swept back to the ford of the river Shiel.
Leading from the front both head warriors met on that ford.
Somerled battled and killed Torquil on the ford and with Torquil’s blood colouring the ford it has been called by the locals Ath Thorcuil. (Torquil’s Ford)
How that morphed into the name ACHARACLE we know today has confounded many, although earlier spellings even into the 1800s included 'Aharacle' and several variations of this. Some scholars insist the c should never have been included.
The name has puzzled many even considering Somerled was the hero of the day - should we not be living at Ath-Somerled ?!
Anyhow taking up advice from Gaelic Scholar friends the development of the name is at least understandable. in order to make the genitive you add an h to Torquil, and having done that, you must silence the t; as the t in Ath is silenced because of the h, it all sounds like ah—horakill.
Locally the accent is on the second syllable. Ath is the Gaelic for a ford, and Thorcuil is "of Torquil."
This somehow morphed into ACHARACLE, however things could have been worse! - just imagine if the tourist name had won the day then you would be living in "Akker-akkle !!! 🙂
History does not record any surveys of the ford area over the centuries, however funding has been applied for by a University group interested. The outcome of that will be of great interest one day!
'Torquil’s Ford' rather unloved today with no signs to tell folk the story, not a pathway to allow tourists to view, och nor has one even composed a tune after the event.
Alan Henderson - there is a task for you! - with an abundance of Acharacle DNA in your soul! ! Compose a tune: 'Torquil's Ford'.
