Geology of Durness

The Stones of Sangomore by Dottie Mackay

 

Even in those modem “High-Tec” times, we still don’t understand,

The mearsuing of the Standing Stones that grace our ancient land,

But now to add to the great mystery, of those monuments of yore,

Comes the miraculous appearance of ‘The Stones of Sangomore.”

 

Now while to simple crofting folk they may seem a costly blunder,

There’s little doubt in years to come, experts will gaze in wonder,

But as they earnestly debate the When? – The why? – The How?

They’ll be just as B——y baffled as the folk who live here now.

Some talk of devil worship, and Druid Rituals in the nude,

And fear the stones will bring decline in moral rectitude,

But when asked Old John the Crofter said “Och I’ve seen it all before,

Did it myself when 1 was young, chase many a bird, round the rocks of Sangomore”

 

The Anti Quarry folk are happy, for its better far they say,

To see new rocks being imported than the old ones taken away,

But their opponents smile, and take the view, that from the Sango Site,

Ian Wilson can have loads of stones with no need to dynamite.

Now Iris and Dotty are both bound to “Have it Made”

As they sell their “Sango Souvenirs” to a growing tourist trade,

And as Colin Coventry escorts folk around, he’ll state it in his view,

That the Stones hold much more magic than the famous “Cave of Smoo.”

 

When the “Top Brass of N.A.T.O.” decide to hold an exercise,

They’ll be danger for ‘Low Flying Jets’ that streak across our skies,

For where before they saw Meall nan Cra, and the Hill of Ceannabeinne,

Its now the Stones of Sangomore that will fill the radar screen.

The collies from each croft around will gather at the site,

And the “Inviting Stones of Sangomore” will view with great delight,

And when nature calls our canine friends will bark aloud in glee,

For a stone comes in very handy in a land without a tree!

 

A local crofter who’s been known to take a dram or two,

May shake his head at what he sees as he staggers home from Smoo,

Where he used to see pink elephants, his befuddled brain will find,

Great heaps of rocks at Sangomore, when he’s stoned out of his mind.

There’s a worry over graffiti, and what some lager -drinking lout,

May spray made words on -” Rural Framework”- or “Keep White Settlers Out’

But if the hooligans won’t listen to the save our “Save our Stones Appeal”

Then we’ll have to get security from the “Fence at Balnakeil’

Archaeologists, in future years will ponder o’er the site

And use carbon dating methods on the heaps of seagull sh—e

Then scrape away the moss and lichen to decipher words beneath,

That say “There’s free drams at the Oasis if you vote for Francis Keith”

 

Some say there’s no need to go to see the Coliseum in Rome,

Or to travel out to Egypt when we’ve got pyramids at home,

But local cynics disagree, and want the stones put back,

And denounce poor David Richardson and Invergordons Jamie Jack

But the Tourist Board is happy, and say with stones like these,

There’s no need to visit Callanish in the far off Hebrides

And Orkney’s famous Standing Stones, the tourists will ignore,

And flock to Scotland’s new Stonehenge – The Stones of Sangomore.