The Highlanders use Gaelic in direct contrast with the Standard English of the ruling classes. Readings from factual sources shape the narrative. Symbolism helps express the central themes.
these are my mountains
This refrain echoes through the text. At different stages, various characters take the opportunities to claim a piece of this terrain for themselves.
Symbolically, the mountains represent:
It is possible to read the mountains as symbolic of the endurance and resilience of the Highland people or the permanence of the land itself.