格伦·埃蒂夫盛开着石南花的小湖，苏格兰 Small loch in Glen Etive, Scotland (© Oliver Hellowell/Minden Pictures)

格伦·埃蒂夫盛开着石南花的小湖，苏格兰 Small loch in Glen Etive, Scotland (© Oliver Hellowell/Minden Pictures)

An island in the Highlands

Here in the Scottish Highlands, there's something about the rugged environs of Glen Etive that has tickled the imaginations of both ancient and modern storytellers. A glen is a long, narrow valley and this one is especially beautiful. It has strange footnotes in both Irish and Scottish folklore. The name itself translates to 'little fierce one' and is given in honor of Etive, the Gaelic goddess long associated with nearby Loch Etive.

According to an Irish myth, Glen Etive was founded by the tragic heroine Deirdre and her lover Naoise after they were forced into exile. In Scottish folklore, Glen Etive is said to be the home of a mythical creature called a Fachan--a giant cyclops with one leg, a single tuft of hair, and a lone hand protruding from its chest. Glen Etive has caught the attention of modern storytellers as well, drawn to its history and beautiful scenery. A surprising number of TV shows and major films, like 'Braveheart' and the James Bond installment 'Skyfall,' have shot on location here.

Glen Etive is also one of Scotland's 40 National Scenic Areas, and is a favorite destination for white water kayakers, who journey here to shoot down the series of rapids, falls, and pool drops along the River Etive. Hikers trek the mountain trails around Ben Starav to the southeast and the Glen Coe mountains in the north. Some of these of hikers are known as 'peak baggers,' who make it a game to summit every peak in the region. So far, about 4,000 or so people have completed the entire list of 284 Scottish peaks, or 'munros' as they're known locally.

高地上的一个岛屿

在苏格兰高地，格伦艾蒂夫崎岖的环境激发了古代和现代说书人的想象力。峡谷是一个又长又窄的山谷，这个山谷特别美丽。它在爱尔兰和苏格兰民间传说中都有奇怪的脚注。这个名字本身翻译成“小凶猛的一个”，是为了纪念艾蒂芙，长期以来与附近的艾蒂芙湖联系在一起的盖尔女神。

根据一个爱尔兰神话，格伦·艾蒂夫是由悲剧女主角迪尔德雷和她的情人娜奥伊丝在被迫流亡后建立的。在苏格兰民间传说中，格伦埃蒂夫据说是一种神话生物法坎的家——一只巨大的独眼巨人，一条腿，一簇头发，一只手从胸前伸出。格伦艾蒂夫吸引了现代说书人的注意，也被它的历史和美丽的风景所吸引。很多电视节目和主要电影，如《勇敢的心》和詹姆斯·邦德的《天崩地裂》都在这里拍摄。

格伦艾蒂夫也是苏格兰40个国家级风景区之一，也是白水皮划艇运动员最喜欢的目的地，他们在这里沿着艾蒂夫河击落一系列急流、瀑布和池水。徒步旅行者沿着本斯塔拉夫周围的山路跋涉到东南部和北部的格伦科山脉。其中一些徒步旅行者被称为“峰袋客”，他们把登上该地区的每一座山峰当作游戏。到目前为止，大约有4000人已经完成了284座苏格兰山峰的完整列表，也就是当地人所熟知的“munros”。