Ben Mor Coigach

The following poem is about one of Jon’s favourite places in Scotland, called Ardmair. Ardmair comprises just a few houses set around a costal bay a couple of miles north of Ullapool. Ardmair enjoys uninterrupted views out towards the Western Isles of Lewis and Harris and the drama of the scene is completed with the backdrop of a dominant munroe, Ben Mor Coigach, whose name is the title of this poem.

BEN MOR COIGACH

There is a bay on the North West coast of Scotland,

Where every evening the sun comes to die.

And in dying sets alight the shimmering sea,

And silhouettes the distant islands with a backdrop of fire.

A dark mountain looms beside,

Swathed in a cloak of purple heather, rending the clouds.

So massive, and ancient, it evaporates the dream of one’s own significance,

And steals away the ticking breath of time.

Yet time is so precious there, in a silence sweet enough to taste.
Seconds are as diamonds.

And it tears the sole as night draws on,

and the light begins to fade.
But I have sat there gazing,

my ears filled with silence.The light slowly fading,

And thought only of the wonder of you.

Jon P Bell July 1997.

That poem was written by Jon, for Fi, to celebrate their first wedding anniversary. Poetry was clearly one of Jon’s many hidden talents. I think it sums up everything he loved about Scotland. The poem, one of a good number that Jon has written, understandably means a huge amount to Fi. They had their first holiday together in 1993 at Ardmair and returned in 1997 for that first wedding anniversary.

Reading Jon's poem at his service meant a great deal to Adele and me, having shared one of our many happy holidays with them both at Ardmair in the year 2000. It was Jon in fact that introduced me to Scotland, I’m sure having inherited his love of the place from Pat and Alan through his and Andrew’s many enjoyable childhood holidays there.

Mark Butler