大象传媒

Tha Loch Beannacharain aig ceann shuas Shrath Chonainn. Tha sin ann an Siorrachd Rois. Faisg air an loch tha baile-fearainn ann air a bheil Scardroy ann am Beurla. Anns a鈥� Gh脿idhlig th霉sail, 鈥檚 e sin Sg脿rd Ruaidh. A-r猫ir beul aithris, 鈥檚 e fuil aig beathaichean mairt as coireach ris an dath ruadh. Seo an st貌iridh:

Bha Iain Geal Donn mac Dh貌mhnaill Dhuibh 脿 Loch Abar. Bha e ainmeil airson a bhith a鈥� togail creach. Bha ceann-cinnidh Clann 鈥檌c Coinnich Ghe脿rrloch, Alasdair Breac, m矛-thoilichte. Bha e ag iarraidh stad a chur air Iain.

Lorg Alasdair an gaisgeach Alasdair Buidhe MacAoidh 脿 Srath 脪iceall. Dh鈥檉hastaich e Alasdair Buidhe. Bha e ag iarraidh air stad a chur air Iain Geal Donn.

Latha a bha seo, chaidh Iain agus a chompanaich gu ruige An 脌mait, ann an taobh sear Rois. Thog iad dusan beathach an sin. Fear dhiubh, 鈥檚 e tarbh a bha ann.

Thill iad tro Shrath Chonainn. Dh鈥檌omain iad an crodh gu cruaidh. Stad iad aig Loch Beannacharain airson na h-oidhche. Chuir iad an t-ainm Sg脿rd Ruaidh air an 脿ite. Bha na beathaichean aca a鈥� dortadh fala.

Bha sgalag aig Alasdair Buidhe. 鈥橲 e Abrach 貌g a bha ann. Thug an gille sin聽fios do dh鈥橝lasdair gun robh na m猫irlich a鈥� dol a bhith ann am bothan-脿irigh aig Loch Beannacharain. Chaidh an dithis aca ann gu s脿mhach. Chuir Alasdair dos a ghunna ris a鈥� ghille. Thug e air a鈥� ghille gealltainn gum biodh e d矛leas dh脿.

Anns a鈥� bhothan, bha na m猫irlich a鈥� r貌stadh p矛os dhen tarbh. Cha robh fios aca mu Alasdair Buidhe. Chuir Alasdair a sgalag aig an doras. Chaidh Alasdair gu ceann eile a鈥� bhothain. Thog e sgrath bhon mhullach p矛os beag. Chunnaic e Iain Geal Donn aig an teine. Bha Iain toilichte. Bha na fir gu l猫ir timcheall an t猫ine.

Gu h-obann, dh鈥櫭╥gh Iain do a chompanaich, 鈥淎n aire 鈥� tha mi a鈥� faighinn f脿ileadh p霉dair!鈥� Ach, mus do ghluais iad, loisg Alasdair Buidhe a ghunna air Iain. Leum Alasdair s矛os far a鈥� mhullaich. Agus ch矛 sinn d猫 thachair an uair sin an-ath-sheachdain.

Loch Beannacharain is at the upper end of Strathconon. That鈥檚 in Ross-shire. Near to the loch, there is a farm called Scardroy in English. In the original Gaelic, that鈥檚 Sg脿rd Ruaidh. According to oral tradition, it鈥檚 cattle blood that is responsible for the red colour. Here is the story:

John of the light-brown hair, son of black-haired Donald, was from Lochaber. He was famous for plundering cattle. The chief of the MacKenzies of Gairloch, Alasdair Breac (鈥減ock-marked鈥�) was unhappy. He was wanting to stop Iain.

Alasdair found the hero Alasdair Buidhe Mackay from Strathoykell. He hired Alasdair Buidhe. He was wanting him to stop Iain Geal Donn.

One day, Iain and his companion went to Amat in Easter Ross. They lifted twelve beasts there. One of them was a bull.

They returned through Strathconon. They drove the cattle hard. They stopped at Loch Beannacharain for the night. They called the place Scardroy. Their animals were bleeding.

Alasdair Buidhe had a lackey. He was a young Lochaber man. That lad told Alasdair that the robbers were聽going to be in a shieling bothy at Loch Beannacharain. The two of them went there quietly. Alasdair pressed the muzzle of his gun to the boy. He forced the lad to promise he would be loyal to him.

In the bothy, the robbers were roasting a piece of the bull. They didn鈥檛 know about Alasdair Buidhe. Alasdair put his lackey at the door. Alasdair went to the other end of the bothy. He pulled up a divot a little from the roof. He saw Iain Geal Donn at the fire. Iain was pleased. All the men were around the fire.

Suddenly, Iain shouted to his companions, 鈥淟ook out 鈥� I鈥檓 getting the smell of [gun]powder!鈥� But, before they moved, Alasdair Buidhe shot his gun at Iain. Alasdair jumped down from the roof. And we鈥檒l see what happened then, next week.