The Gordons o' Girnoc
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Camlet is a farm that is situated in a stunningly beautiful, yet unbelievably remote spot. No aphorism could be more apt for there can be no doubt that Camlet is indeed "somewhere between the middle of nowhere and the back of beyond!" It may seem contrived and trite to say that when the writer first glimpsed Camlet, he had a truly visceral feeling and that deepest sense of belonging. This place felt right. Perhaps this was no more than simple atavism at work; perhaps that "inextricable sibness" was getting to the writers head? Who knows? Whatever, Camlet will remain a most cherished spot, in this a most treasured country.
The farm sits well off the main route, at the top of a track that climbs up the hill from the glen road and then curves back to it in a great loop. It takes one into the territory of the Minister of The Camlet, who was, according to Reverend Stirton, a notoriously bombastic figure who prophesised daily doom and damnation. His influence we are told spilled beyond the Girnoc into the parish as a whole. Sadly we may never know if he was a Gordon or not; but there seems a good chance he was!
The derivation of Camlet is simple and neat, for Cam stands for curved or crooked; and Leathad for side. Indeed the farm, as described, sits within a central elbow of the glen, rising high in a bend above the 'little rushing' Girnoc burn.