There once lived a man and his seven beautiful daughters. Their home was on the shores above Loch Duich in Kintail. One stormy night long, long ago, a severely damaged ship limped into the bay of Loch Duich. Aboard were two young brothers from Ireland that were tired and weary after their treacherous journey. In good highland tradition, the man offered to share his home with the young men until the vessel was repaired and seaworthy.
As the months passed, the two handsome young brothers duly fell in love with the two youngest daughters, and of course the girls fell deeply in love with the brothers. The father was rapturous that the girls had found husbands.
However, the older sisters were not so happy. They complained bitterly that the oldest should be the first to marry as had happened for past generations. On hearing this, the two brothers told the man and his daughters that they had five older brothers in Ireland and that they were much more handsome, far stronger and much richer than them. They promised that when they returned to Ireland with their new brides that the older brothers would venture across the sea to marry the older sisters.
Seasons came and went and the sisters watched incessantly for the arrival of the five handsome brothers. Still no boat from Ireland sailed into the loch. The old man grew worried about his remaining daughters and went to seek the knowledge of an old wizard that lived in Coire Dhuinnid in Inverinate Forest. On learning the news that there were no older brothers, the dejected father related the news to his daughters. They wouldn’t believe it and asked their father to speak again with the wizard in the hope he was mistaken. Once again the wizard repeated the news, and said the girls would grew old and haggard if they insisted on waiting and wailing for the brothers. The wizard advised that if the old man wanted his daughters to remain beautiful and admired by others that they should go to the head of Loch Duich and stand there.
And so the sisters did as the wizard advised. They were then turned into mountains, forever watching over the loch, embracing the warmth of the summer sun and donning their white coats of snow in winter. The stunning beauty of the Five Sisters of Kintail are admired to this day.