THE TREE (The Guardian of the Highlands )

The Tree ( the Highland Guardian)

For years now in the Scottish highlands tales of people that disappear without trace while travelling the Ullapool road have been told.

Visit any highland pub and ask if its true

you will be greeted with stern faces and Voices that are hushed , with the smoke from the peat fire filling the room ,all will say as one

“we don’t talk about it “

Let me tell you of a night not long ago:

As you leave the wee highland village that is Contin and head up the long winding hill passed Rogie Falls

a large sign on your left will appear

warnings of snow and ice and even deer on the road is displayed .

This night i was sat on a rock high up watching the mist and moon in the eternal dance .

I noticed a car started the climb up the hill far off the sound of the peat filled water roared down the falls

as the car approached the sign it flashed

“YOU SHALL NOT PASS” over and over again

I watched as the car ignored the sign and carried on its arrogant way .

As you climb the hill it levels out to a magical view lochs, mountains ,sky all at once fill your eyes

the sheer beauty of which almost stops your very heart from beating

The car passed by UNTIL and with no reason STOPPED ………

I waited for the car to continue on its journey or the person to get out but nothing

Then from the left bank a long thin moss covered branch stretched out slowly at first then seemed to quicken as it got closer to the car window

and with that ,it crashed through the windscreen but no noise travelled up the hill nothing just a perfect highland evening .

The branch pulled back and in its grasp i could see a face wrapped in the woody embrace

The face seemed to be screaming and distorting in fear but again no sound NOTHING

I watched as the person was dragged from the car completely

and more branches entwined the body till it disappeared from sight.

I stared at the road and tried to make sense of what i had just seen

but no answers came to mind the car just sat there nothing to show what had just happened .

Many times in my life when faced with extreme danger time seemed to slow down and i thought that this is what had just happened and i rushed down the bank to help .

As i got to the car i could see that no one else was in it

the only sign was the broken window but when i looked at it again even that was unbroken ,no glass, nothing the car was in perfect condition as if it had just left a showroom in Inverness .

i stood there looking all around unsure what to do when i noticed a wee tree off to my left .

Amongst all the fine tall trees with leaves of gold was a wee tree no leaves and half the size of the rest

walking closer i could see that ever branch was covered in knots and the branches seemed that they were to heavy for the wee trunk to hold up

looking at the ground though huge roots spread out in every direction almost the width of the trunk itself they headed off into the distance

Looking closer still i thought i could see a wee light right in the heart of the tree and as i focused the light got brighter and brighter swirling faster and faster

frozen to the spot i watched as the whole tree glowed from every tip of every branch a light pulsed the like i had never seen

A feeling of warmth and trust flooded the wee glen..

From somewhere deep in the woods a voice whispered in my ear

“DONT BE SCARED”

our friend

I sat down on the soft moss and leaves and listened as an ancient story was told to me

We are the trees we are the trees the very lungs of the earth

For as long back as we can remember this wee tree has stood

IT NEVER SPEAKS

We grow as has our ancestors tall and strong for as long as we can remember it has always been that way

That wee tree old and twisted is THE GUARDIAN

it has gathered all the negative and evil from man those that would not listen to the signs and protected us all for as long as earth has travelled the universe

Lately though it has started to moan and cry the pain rumbling under the ground to far of glens and beaches to other guardians stretched out across these ancient lands

One day soon we will all know the tree ,the wee tree has fallen

and on that day Earth and all that live upon her WILL know the Guardian is DEAD

The evil the pollution the greed of humans will result in a storm the like of which has never been seen and will sweep across the lands and oceans ..

A day of cleansing

as i headed out of the woods i noticed a FRESH KNOT on the branch of the old tree , a face seemed to look up sill frozen in fear

So if you happen to journey north take the time, look out and heed the signs

and if you should be lucky enough to see that wee troubled tree

touch her gently and thank her

THE GUARDIAN of the highlands

The End

A wee tale from the Dafthermit in the tin can

p.s don’t worry about the car it was collected by my friend Hamish sold and the proceeds were sent to the local hospital…