大象传媒

Tha 脿ite ann an Canaigh air a bheil聽Coroghon Castle. Chan e caisteal聽脿bhaisteach a tha ann. Ann an G脿idhlig 鈥檚聽e an Corra-dh霉n a tha air. The steep fort or聽hill. Ged nach eil e m貌r, tha e cas.聽Tha an togalach an cois a鈥櫬燾hladaich. Tha e gu math sean. Tha e ann聽an droch staid. Mura d猫an cuideigin聽rudeigin a dh鈥檃ithghearr, cha bhi e ann聽fada.聽D猫 am feum a rinn daoine dhen聽d霉n? Tha cuid ag r脿dh gun deach daoine聽ann nuair a bha iad ann an cunnart. Ach聽tha e uabhasach beag. Agus chan eil uisge聽ann.聽Tha sanasan faisg air an togalach.聽Tha iad a鈥� toirt rabhadh do dhaoine gun a聽bhith a鈥� streap air an d霉n. Tha e聽cunnartach. 鈥橲 e Urras N脿iseanta na h-Alba a chuir na sanasan ann. Agus chuir聽iad orra 鈥淐oroghon Castle/Prison鈥�. Saoil聽an e pr矛osan a bha ann, seach caisteal?聽Chaidh agallamh a dh猫anamh le聽seann eileanach, Aonghas D貌mhnallach聽nach maireann. Rugadh Aonghas ann an聽ochd ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1863).聽Chan e 鈥渃aisteal鈥� a thuirt esan ach聽鈥減r矛osan鈥�.聽A r猫ir beul-aithris bha an togalach聽air a chleachdadh mar phr矛osan o shean.聽Ach c貌 bha air a chumail ann mar聽phr矛osanach? Uill, bha a鈥� bhean aig fear de聽na cinn-chinnidh. Bha i uabhasach聽br猫agha. Bha an ceann-cinnidh m矛-thoilichte聽gun robh n貌isean aice do dh鈥檉hir聽eile.聽Tha cuid ag r脿dh gum b鈥� e聽D貌mhnall Dubh na Cuthaig an ceann-cinnidh聽sin. Black-haired Donald of the聽Cuckoo. D貌mhnall Dubh na Cuthaig.聽Ciamar a fhuair e ainm mar sin?! Uill,聽innsidh mi dhuibh an ath-sheachdain.聽Bha D貌mhnall Dubh na cheann-cinnidh聽aig Clann Raghnaill. Chaochail e聽ann an Canaigh ann an sia ceud deug,聽ochdad 鈥檚 a sia (1686). Tha cuid ag r脿dh聽gun do ghlais e a bhean ann am Pr矛osan a鈥櫬燙horra-dh霉in.聽Ma tha sin f矛or, tha an togalach a鈥櫬燿ol air ais gu co-dhi霉 an seachdamh linn聽deug. Nochd a鈥� chiad dhealbh dheth ann聽an cl貌 anns an ochdamh linn deug. Bha sin聽anns an leabhar a sgr矛obh T貌mas Pennant.聽Bha turas aig Pennant ann an Alba ann an聽seachd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a dh脿聽(1772). Tha mi an d貌chas gum bi an聽togalach air a sh脿bhaladh. Ach bidh e聽cosgail.

There is a place in Canna called聽Coroghon Castle. It鈥檚 not a normal聽castle. In Gaelic it鈥檚 called the聽Corra-dh霉n. The steep fort or hill.聽Although it is not big, it is steep.聽The building is next to the聽shore. It is very old. It is in a poor聽condition. If somebody doesn鈥檛 do聽something soon, it won鈥檛 be there聽long.聽What use did people make of聽the fort? Some [people] say that聽people went there when they were聽in danger. But it is very small. And聽there is no water there.聽There are signs close to the聽building. They warn people not to聽climb on the hill. It is dangerous.聽It鈥檚 the national Trust for Scotland聽that put the signs there. And they聽put on them 鈥淐oroghon Castle / Prison鈥�. Do you reckon it was a聽prison, rather than a castle?聽An interview was done with聽an old islander, the late Angus聽MacDonald. Angus was born in聽1863. It鈥檚 not 鈥渃astle鈥� he said but聽鈥減rison鈥�.聽According to oral tradition聽the building was used as a prison聽in olden times. But who was held聽there as a prisoner? Well, the wife聽of one of the clan chiefs. She was聽very beautiful. The clan chief was聽unhappy that she was attracted to聽another man.聽Some [people] say that the聽clan chief was D貌mhnall Dubh na聽Cuthaig. Black-haired Donald of聽the Cuckoo. D貌mhnall Dubh na聽Cuthaig. How did he get a name聽like that?! Well, I鈥檒l tell you next聽week.聽D貌mhnall Dubh was the chief聽of Clanranald. He died in Canna聽in 1686. Some [people] say that he聽locked his wife in Coroghon聽Prison.聽If that is true, the building聽goes back to at least the Seventeenth聽Century. The first picture of聽it appeared in print in the聽Eighteenth Century. That was in聽the book that Thomas Pennant聽wrote. Pennant undertook a聽journey in Scotland in 1772. I聽hope the building will be saved.聽But it will be expensive.