The Corryvreckan Whirlpool
Unless you're a fan of old movies - in particular I Know Where I'm Going! - then you probably don't associate Scotland with whirlpools. So you might be surprised to learn that the world's third largest whirlpool lies off the West coast of Scotland. The Corryvreckan Whirlpool in the Jura Sound has claimed many boats and lives over the years. Its roar can be heard up to ten miles away.
The whirlpool is formed by ocean currents meeting underwater and interacting with seabed channels and the central rock pinnacle. The result is that twice a day the whirling waters reach maximum strength. In a strong gale the results can be spectacular. However as with other such natural phenomena there are no guarantees - you might see nothing at all.
Legend
The Cailleach
This variability probably helped the association of the whirlpool with a living creature and there are numerous legends concerning the Corryvreckan. The most famous is probably that of the Cailleach Bheur, the winter hag of Scotland.The Cailleach (pronounced kally-ack) can be seen as a personification of winter. The Corryvreckan Whirlpool is said to be her washtub where she cleans her cape. Once it's pure white it becomes the blanket of snow that covers the land. The name Corryvreckan comes from the Gaelic for "speckled cauldron".
Bhreacan
Another tale involves the Scandanavian prince Bhreacan (or Breackan). Bhreacan fell in love with a Scottish princess, daughter of the Lord of the Isles. Her father would consent to marriage only if the prince passed a test: to prove his worth he would have to moor his boat on the edge of the whirlpool for three days. Bhreacan agreed and, on the advice of wise scholars, had three special ropes made. One was of wool, one of hemp, the last of hair from "maidens of spotless virtue".As Bhreacan's boat was battered by the whirlpool, first the wool then the hemp rope broke. This was as expected, however the strength of the maidens' virtue should have allowed the final rope to hold. Unfortunately it turned out that one of the "maidens" had lied and was far from spotless - the final rope also snapped and Bhreacan was dragged to his doom. The prince's body was washed ashore where his faithful dog carried it to a cave, now known as Bhreacan's cave.
