Loch Gruinart ( from the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlemen ...

, meaning "shallow fjord") is a sea loch on the northern

coast The coast, also known as the coastline or seashore, is defined as the area where land meets the ocean, or as a line that forms the boundary between the land and the coastline. The Earth has around of coastline. Coasts are important zones in ...

of isle of Islay in Scotland. Land at the head of the loch, Gruinart Flats, is a designated nature reserve owned by the RSPB. It is an important winter roosting site for

barnacle geese The barnacle goose (''Branta leucopsis'') is a species of goose that belongs to the genus ''Branta'' of black geese, which contains species with largely black plumage, distinguishing them from the grey ''Anser'' species. Despite its superficial s ...

. Ardnave Point is a coastal promontory near the mouth of the loch on the northwest of Islay. The

Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart The Battle of Traigh Ghruinneart or in Scottish Gaelic ''Blàr Tràigh Ghruineart'' or sometimes called the Battle of Gruinart Strand was a Scottish clan battle fought on 5 August 1598, on the Isle of Islay, in the Hebrides. It was fought betw ...

was fought on the sands at the south end of the loch on 5 August 1598 between a force from

Mull Mull may refer to: Places *Isle of Mull, a Scottish island in the Inner Hebrides ** Sound of Mull, between the Isle of Mull and the rest of Scotland * Mount Mull, Antarctica *Mull Hill, Isle of Man * Mull, Arkansas, a place along Arkansas Highway ...

led by Sir Lachlan Mor MacLean of Duart and the Islay men led by Sir James MacDonald, 9th of Dunnyveg, son of Angus MacDonald of Dunyvaig and the Glens, in which Macleans were defeated and all killed, including Sir Lachlan, save one who survived by swimming to

Nave Island Nave Island lies to the north of Islay in the Inner Hebrides near the mouth of Loch Gruinart. It is uninhabited. Geography The island is all but cut in two by a narrow chasm that runs northwest to southeast across the northern third. The high ...

. The pìobaireachd ''Lament for Sir Lachlan Mor'' harks back to this battle which was also remembered in Islay

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

References

External links

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Landforms of Islay Gruinart Royal Society for the Protection of Birds reserves in Scotland Protected areas of Argyll and Bute Gruinart {{Argyll-geo-stub