大象传媒

Tha baile beag Kinbrace ann an Siorrachd Chataibh. 鈥橲 e a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a tha air Ceann a' Bhr脿ist. Ach d猫 tha sin a鈥� ciallachadh? Tha l脿rach-l矛n air leth feumail aig Iain Mac an T脿illeir. Tha fiosrachadh mu ainmean-脿ite oirre. Tha esan ag r脿dh, 鈥淭his may be 鈥榯he head of the upland鈥�, including a form of 产谤脿颈驳丑, 鈥榰pland鈥欌��.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil sin ceart. Ach lorg mi m矛neachadh eile, st猫idhichte air beul-aithris. Tha e anns an leabhar Memorabilia Domestica: or Parish Life in the North of Scotland leis an Urramach D貌mhnall Saigeach, no Donald Sage. Sgr矛obh e an leabhar ann an ochd ceud deug is ceathrad (1840). Tha esan ag innse dhuinn gu bheil Ceann a鈥� Bhr脿ist a鈥� faighinn ainm bho dhuine.

Tha e ag r脿dh gun robh caisteal ann an Ceann a鈥� Bhr脿ist. Bha e le ceann-cinnidh nan Gunnach, Se貌ras. 鈥橲 e duine cudromach, uasal a bha ann. Bha fearann m貌r aige. Leis gun robh e cho uasal, bha br脿iste mh貌r airgid aige air a bhroilleach. Air sg脿th sin, bha daoine a鈥� gabhail 鈥淎m Br脿isteach M貌r鈥� air 鈥� mar a sgr矛obhas an Saigeach, 鈥渓iterally, 鈥榯he dignity of the brooch鈥欌��. Mar sin, chuir daoine an t-ainm Ceann a鈥� Bhr脿ist air a鈥� chaisteal aige, 鈥榯he seat of the dignitary of the brooch鈥�. Ann am Beurla, Kinbrace.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha am ministear ag innse dhuinn rudeigin eile mun Bhr脿isteach Mh貌r. Feasgar samhraidh a bha seo, bha e anns a鈥� chaisteal aige. Chuala e d霉dach air a sheinn. Bha coigrich ann. Bha na coigrich a鈥� sireadh cuid na h-oidhche.

听

听听听听听听听听听听听 Leig an Gunnach na coigrich a-steach. Bha fear dhiubh 脿rd agus sean. B鈥� esan an ceannard. Thug am Br脿isteach M貌r cuireadh dha is do a chompanaich biadh a ghabhail. Nuair a bha an coigreach na shuidhe ri taobh a鈥� Ghunnaich, th脿inig dusan fear 貌g a-steach. Shuidh na fir 貌ga aig a鈥� bh貌rd. Bha gach fear sia troighean a dh鈥櫭爄rde agus eireachdail.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎n iad seo do mhic?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich an coigreach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥溾�橲 iad,鈥� fhreagair am Br脿isteach M貌r.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淔aodaidh tu a bhith moiteil asta,鈥� ars an coigreach. Ach bha e a鈥� dol a r脿dh rudeigin a chuireadh an dithis an ugannan a ch猫ile. Ch矛 sinn d猫 bha ann an-ath-sheachdain.

The village of Kinbrace is in the county of Sutherland. The Gaelic for it is Ceann a鈥� Bhr脿ist. But what does that mean? Iain Mac an T脿illeir has a very useful website. It contains information about place names. He says, 鈥淭his may be 鈥榯he head of the upland鈥�, including a form of 产谤脿颈驳丑, 鈥榰pland鈥欌��.

听听听听听听听 Perhaps that is correct. But I found another explanation, based on oral tradition. It is in the book Memorabilia Domestica: or Parish Life in the North of Scotland by the Reverend Donald Sage. He wrote the book in 1840. He tells us that Ceann a鈥� Bhr脿ist gets its name from a person.

听听听听听听听 He says there was a castle at Kinbrace. It was owned by the chief of the Clan Gunn, George. He was an important, noble man. He owned a lot of land. Because he was of such nobility, he had a large silver brooch on his breast. Because of that, people called him the Br脿isteach M貌r 鈥� as Sage writes, 鈥渓iterally, 鈥榯he dignity of the brooch鈥欌��. Thus people called his castle Ceann a鈥� Bhr脿ist, 鈥榯he seat of the dignitary of the brooch鈥�. In English, Kinbrace.

听听听听听听听 The minister tells us something else about the Br脿isteach M貌r. One summer evening, he was in his castle. He heard a bugle being sounded. There were strangers there. The strangers were wanting a night鈥檚 accommodation.

听听听听听听听 Gunn let the strangers in. One of them was tall and elderly. He was the leader. The Br脿isteach M貌r invited him and his companions to take food. When the stranger was sat next to Gunn, twelve young men came in. The young men sat at the table. Each one of them was six feet tall and handsome.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎re these your sons?鈥� the stranger asked.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淵es,鈥� replied the Br脿ist-each M貌r.