An email came in the other day and it went like this .... "Regarding the Birlinn Way. It's a good name (ties up the ancient form of transport along the western seaboard with the idea of birlin' wheels --a Scots word for turning. If we have it in Gaelic (something like Rathad nan Bhirlinn ---accent on the first syllable), there should be no confusion over Berlin!".
There is a fantastic book available "The Sea Kingdoms - The History of Celtic Britain & Ireland", by Alistair Moffat. There is some stuff about the Birlinn as well as a beautifully written, and tragic, account of the Clan Groups waiting across the battlefield for the battle to commence at Culloden.
This is a must have book for anyone interested in the history of Britain as told from the Sea Kingdoms.
