Gunna Sound
Do you mean the Ceiledh Band?
Or do you mean a stretch of water?
It is actually a particular stretch of water.
But it is worth mentioning the well known Ceilidh Band
After all the Isle of Tiree is justly proud of its musical tradition.
What a range this tradition includes:
At the 2015 Royal National Mòd in Oban
Donald-Iain Brown originally from Crossapol
was the winner of the prestigious men’s gold medal.
He is the brother of Campbell Brown of Gunna Sound Ceilidh Band.
Gordon Connel of Crossapol was voted Music Tutor of the Year
in the 2010 Scots Trad Music Awards
and his impact has been huge.
Considering the size of the island and its population
Tiree has produced an inordinate number of accordionists
but there also those who play fiddle, flute, bagpipes and guitar.
Bands with instrumentalists from Tiree include:
Skipinnish, Skerryvore and Gunna Sound
Gordon’s Cornaig Ceilidh Band
Trail West and Dùn Mòr
Most if not all of these bands
take part in the annual Tiree Music Festival.
The word ‘Sound’ has so many different meanings.
It can be the result of the vibrations that travel through the air.
It can be to ascertain someone’s opinion discreetly or cautiously.
It can mean in good condition; not damaged, injured, or diseased.
This is just to list a few of the various dictionary definitions of ‘sound’.
In this particular instance it is a narrow stretch of water forming an inlet
or connecting two wider areas of water such as two seas
and comes from an Old Norse word ‘sund‘
and is related to swimming.
The Gunna Sound connects the ‘Little Minch’ with the Passage of Tiree.
It is the stretch of water that separates Coll and Tiree.
It is situated at Tiree’s East End.
In 2016 the PS Waverley took passengers on a cruise into the Sound.
It was a beautiful, warm, sunny June afternoon
This year’s cruise is on June the 5th.
Info: Waverley Excursions
Under CalMac’s Summer Timetable
once a week the daily crossing to Coll and Tiree is extended
and provides the opportunity to sail through the Sound for Barra.
Wednesday is the day in question
and last Wednesday we witnessed the MV Clansman
makes its passage through the ‘Gunna Sound’ in both directions:
outbound for Castlebay, Barra and then inbound to Scarinish, Tiree.
What is interesting was contrasting the calm water in Gunna Sound
with the wild white water of the Little Minch
But don’t be fooled by the calm surface
the Sound has powerful currents.
“There’s a band up in the Highlands
That’s led by Campbell Brown
The Gunna Sound go all around
They’ll never let you down
We play our teuchter music,
a joy for young and old
But leave your blue suede shoes at home
We don’t do rock n’ roll”
From the Album ‘Rollin’ On The Sea’.
This is ‘Life on Tiree’ enjoying the Gunna Sound.
– Both boats and band –
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