大象传媒

Tha sinn fhathast ann an Gleann L矛omhann ann an Siorrachd Pheairt. Gu siar air Fairtirchill, tha an rathad faisg air an abhainn. Tha coille thiugh ann. Tha an abhainn ann an gl貌m. Tha i bras is cumhang.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Air a鈥� mhapa, 鈥檚 e Macgregor鈥檚 Leap a tha air an 脿ite mar ainm. Leum MhicGriogair. Ach c貌 an Griogarach a bha ann? Carson a bha e a鈥� leum?

鈥橲 e Griogar MacGriogair a bha air. 鈥橲 e ceann-cinnidh a bha ann aig Griogaraich Ghleann Sreith. Bha sin anns an t-siathamh linn deug.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Oidhche a bha seo anns an 脪gmhios c貌ig ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1565), chaidh dithis de na Griogaraich a mhurt. B鈥� iad Griogar eile, mac Deadhan Lios M貌r, agus fear Raibeart MacConaill. A r猫ir choltais, 鈥檚 e murtair proifeiseanta a mharbh iad. Rinn e sin 脿s leth Caimbeulaich Ghleann Urchaidh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Beagan seachdainean 脿s d猫idh a鈥� mhuirt, bha am murtair fh猫in air a mharbhadh. 鈥橲 e Griogar MacGriogair a rinn e. Fhuair e d矛oghaltas. Ach bha Caimbeulaich Ghleann Urchaidh feargach. Chaidh Griogar am falach anns na coilltean.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Cha robh e anns na coilltean fad na h-霉ine, ge-t脿. Bha e a鈥� coinneachadh ris a鈥� bhean aige uaireannan. Bha sin anns a鈥� chaisteal aig a h-athair. Ach ch霉m Caimbeulaich Ghleann Urchaidh s霉il air a鈥� chaisteal.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Latha bha seo, fhuair iad lorg air Griogar. Chuir iad na coin aca air a th貌ir. Ruith Griogar air falbh. Ruith e thar a鈥� mhonaidh is tro na coilltean. R脿inig e bruach na h-aibhne. Bha taghadh aige 鈥� leum far na creige agus 鈥檚 d貌cha adhbrann a bhriseadh 鈥� no eadhon a mharbhadh fh猫in 鈥� no a bhith air a mharbhadh leis na Caimbeulaich. Leum e agus r脿inig e taobh thall na h-aibhne sl脿n, s脿bhailte. Rinn e a dhol-脿s. Agus 鈥檚 e 鈥淟eum MhicGriogair鈥� a tha air a bhith air an 脿ite sin bhon latha sin a-mach.

We鈥檙e still in Glenlyon in Perthshire. West of Fortingall, the road is close to the river. There is a thick wood there. The river is in a gorge. It is fast-running and narrow.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 On the map it鈥檚 called MacGregor鈥檚 Leap. Leum MhicGriogair. But who was the MacGregor? Why was he jumping?

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He was called Gregor MacGregor. He was a clan chief of the MacGregors of Glenstrae. That was in the sixteenth century.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 One night in June 1565, two of the MacGregors were murdered. They were another Gregor, the son of the Dean of Lismore, and a Robert MacConnell. Apparently, it was a professional assassin who murdered them. He did that on behalf of the Campbells of Glenorchy.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A few weeks after the murder, the murderer himself was killed. It was Gregor MacGregor that did it. He [had] got revenge. But the Campbells of Glenorchy were angry. Gregor hid in the forests.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 He wasn鈥檛 in the forests all the time, however. He was meeting with his wife at times. That was in her father鈥檚 castle. But the Campbells of Glenorchy kept an eye on the castle.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 One day, they found Gregor. They put their dogs in pursuit of him. Gregor ran away. He ran over the hills and through the woods. He reached the bank of the river. He had a choice 鈥� jump from the rock and perhaps break his ankle 鈥� or even kill himself 鈥� or be killed by the Campbells. He jumped and he reached the other side of the river in one piece. He made his escape. And that place has been called 鈥淢acGregor鈥檚 Leap鈥� since that day on.