Isabella Cameron Douglas writes in her 1966 book ‘A History of Strachur and District’ says the following about The Breideag
‘A bird with the face of a woman, called the Breedach (Breideag)is reputed to warn the Fergusson of death or disaster. Should a Fergusson be going on a journey and this bird crosses his or her path, he or she would immediately return home. When one of the Clan is about to die the Breedach gives warning to the next of kin.A tombstone in Strachur Cemetery erected in memory of a member of this family has this bird perched on top.’
When interviewed by Cathie Montgomery, Donald Morrison MBE, who was related to the Fergussons, told the following story (edited):-
“…..my stomach was giving me an awful lot of bother at the time. I was sick all night and they sent for the doctor who said he couldn’t find anything wrong but offered to give me a line for the day. Ach, I says, a day’s not much use. So if you think there’s nothing wrong I’ll go to my work. So I went away to work and below Arrochar I thought I don’t feel very good at all – I had a pain- so I came back and collapsed. I was in a terrible state by the time the doctor came. But the strange thing is Amy my wife said to me there’s been a funny kind of bird here all day. It’s been trying to get in the door there and I chased it away but it kept coming back – I’ve never seen a bird like that before.
When I was lying in the hospital I thought I bet that would be the Breideag. I must have been pretty near away with it! And so I was. After the operation I couldn’t understand why Amy was sitting beside me and I wasn’t in my own bed -she had been sent for because they thought I was going to die of congestion of the lungs…”
