Beyond the Cattle Grid with Dr Chris Robinson – Episode Six Sibbens: The Forgotten Plague of the Highlands

In this episode, Dr Chris Robinson uncovers the little-known story of sibbens, an infectious disease that once swept through the West Highlands of Scotland. Originating in Inverlochy, Lochaber, sibbens left communities ravaged, baffled 18th-century doctors, and fuelled fears of a Highland epidemic. But what exactly was sibbens? How did it spread, and why has it faded from public memory? Join us as we delve into historical accounts, medical mysteries, and the social impact of this forgotten scourge—one that shaped Highland history in ways few remember today.

Join Dr. Chris Robinson on another fascinating journey through local history in Lochaber in the West Highlands of Scotland.

Many thanks to Fiona Young for our theme music "Mrs Pauline Robinson"

Join Dr. Chris Robinson on a fascinating journey through time exploring some of the forgotten places of Lochaber's past.

Many thanks to Fiona Young for our theme music "Mrs Pauline Robinson"

In this fourth episode of our podcast listen to Dr Chris Robinson is joined by his son David in Hong Kong to take you Beyond the Cattle Grid to explore 'a whale of a tale' about the humpback washed up in Loch Linnhe, close to Fort William, in 1985. Further cetacean related digressions include the story of the Fomous Tay Whale and other whaling related anecdotes from Japan, Norway and Australia ending with a brief dicussion on the whale shark industry in the West Highlands.

If you have any comments, suggestions for topic or you'd like to be a guest, please contact us at d_robinson77@hotmail,com or [email protected] 

Many thanks to Fiona Young for our theme music "Mrs Pauline Robinson"

In this third episode of our podcast Chris continues his journey and focuses on some local stories, including a feud between the MacDonald and Campbell clans over a cairn, Jacobite fighting, waterfalls, and the discovery of the Ballachulish Goddess.

Many thanks to Fiona Young for our theme music "Mrs Pauline Robinson"

Listen to Dr Chris Robinson take you Beyond the Cattle Grid at the Blarmachfoldach settlement nestled in the hills above Fort William. 

In episode 2 we continue our journey beyond the cattle grid at Blarmachfoldach, including a visit to the graveyard, a search for hidden gold, and the rediscovery of Neolithic cup marks.

Many thanks to Fiona Young for our theme music "Mrs Pauline Robinson"