大象传媒

Aig ceann shuas Shrath Chonainn, ann an Siorrachd Rois, tha loch ann air a bheil Loch Beannacharain. Gu siar 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. Bha Uilleam MacBh脿tair dhen bheachd gu bheil an t-ainm a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渞ed scree鈥�. Ach tha Iain Mac an T脿illeir ag innse dhuinn, anns an leabhar aige Place-Names of Scotland, a th脿inig a-mach an-uiridh, gu bheil e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渞ed-brown swathe of land鈥�.Chan eil mi cinnteach d猫 as coireach ris an dath ruadh anns an ainm 鈥� 鈥檚 d貌cha a鈥� chreag no an 霉ir. Ach, a-r猫ir beul aithris, 鈥檚 e fuil aig beathaichean mairt a thug an t-ainm don 脿ite. Seo an st貌iridh:

Bha fear 脿 Loch Abar a bha ainmeil airson a bhith a鈥� togail creach anns an t-seachdamh linn deug. B鈥� esan Iain Geal Donn mac Dh貌mhnaill Dhuibh. Bhiodh e gu tric a鈥� togail creach air taobh an ear-thuath na G脿idhealtachd agus a鈥� tilleadh dhachaigh tro ghlinn is srathan mar Srath Chonainn.Bha Iain agus a bhr脿thair D貌mhnall air a bhith a鈥� cur dragh m貌r air coimhearsnachdan ann an Siorrachd Rois. Chuir ceann-cinnidh Clann 鈥檌c Coinnich Ghe脿rrloch, Alasdair Breac, roimhe gun d猫anadh e a鈥� ch霉is air Iain an ath thuras a nochdadh e ann an Siorrachd Rois.

Chuir Alasdair fios a-mach gu muinntir a鈥� chinn a tuath, feuch faighinn a-mach c貌 an gaisgeach a bu treasa a bh鈥� ann anns na sg矛rean sin. Th脿inig fios air ais thuige 鈥� Alasdair Buidhe MacAoidh 脿 Srath 脪iceall. Chuir e Alasdair Buidhe os cionn oidhirp gus spr猫idh nan Rosach a dh矛on bho na m猫irlich Abrach.

Co-dhi霉, chaidh Iain Geal Donn 鈥檚 a chompanaich gu ruige An 脌mait, ann an taobh sear Rois, far an do thog iad dusan beathach mairt. Fear dhiubh, 鈥檚 e tarbh a bh鈥� ann. Thill iad tro Shrath a鈥� Bh脿thaich agus Srath Chonainn gu ruige taobh an iar Loch Beannacharain far an do chuir iad seachad an oidhche. 鈥橲 iad a thug an t-ainm Sg脿rd Ruaidh don 脿ite oir bha iad air na beathaichean a phutadh cho cruaidh 鈥檚 gun robh fuil a鈥� tighinn asta.Bha sgalag aig Alasdair Buidhe 鈥� Abrach 貌g. 鈥橲 e an gille sin a thug fios do dh鈥橝lasdair gum biodh na m猫irlich a鈥� stad airson na h-oidhche ann am bothan-脿irigh ri taobh Loch Beannacharain. Chaidh an dithis aca don 脿ite. Chuir Alasdair dos a ghunna ris a鈥� ghille. Thug e air a鈥� ghille gealltainn gum biodh e d矛leas dh脿, seach do na h-Abraich eile.Anns a鈥� bhothan, bha na m猫irlich a鈥� r貌stadh p矛os dhen tarbh. Cha robh amharas sam bith aca gun robh Alasdair Buidhe air an t貌ir. Chuir Alasdair a sgalag aig andoras. Chaidh Alasdair fh猫in gu ceann eile a鈥� bhothain. Thog e sgrath bhon mhullach p矛os beag. Chunnaic e Iain Geal Donn ga gharadh fh猫in aig an teine. Bha Iain ann an sunnd mhath. Bha na fir gu l猫ir ann an cr貌ileagan 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 d鈥� fhuair e fh猫in no c脿ch cothrom dad a dh猫anamh, chuir Alasdair Buidhe peilear ann. Leum Alasdair s矛os far a鈥� mhullaich agus chaidh e gu doras a鈥� bhothain airson taic a thoirt do a sgalaig. Agus ch矛 sinn d猫 thachair an uair sin an-ath-sheachdain.

t霉sail: original; Sg脿rd Ruaidh: Scardroy; Uilleam MacBh脿tair: William J Watson; 霉ir: soil; Loch Abar: Lochaber; coimhearsnachdan: communities; Siorrachd Rois: Ross-shire; Srath 脪iceall: Strath Oykell; An 脌mait: Amat; Srath a鈥� Bh脿thaich: Strathvaich; sgalag: lackey; bothan-脿irigh: shieling bothy; peilear: bullet.

ceann shuas Shrath Chonainn: the upper end of Strathconon; gu siar air an loch tha baile-fearainn ann: to the west of the loch there is a farm; d猫 as coireach ris an dath ruadh: what is responsible for the red colour; fuil aig beathaichean mairt: cattle blood; ceann-cinnidh Clann 鈥檌c Coinnich Ghe脿rrloch: the chief of the MacKenzies of Gairloch; chuir X roimhe gun d猫anadh e a鈥� ch霉is air Y: X intended to defeat Y; muinntir a鈥� chinn a tuath: the people of the north; feuch faighinn a-mach c貌 an gaisgeach a bu treasa a bh鈥� ann: in an attempt to identify the strongest hero; os cionn oidhirp gus spr猫idh nan Rosach a dh矛on bho na m猫irlich Abrach: in charge of an attempt to protect the Ross people鈥檚 livestock from the Lochaber robbers; dusan beathach mairt: a dozen cattle; bha iad air na beathaichean a phutadh cho cruaidh 鈥檚 gun robh fuil a鈥� tighinn asta: they had pushed the cattle so hard that they were bleeding; chuir X dos a ghunna ris a鈥� ghille: X put the muzzle of the gun against the lad; thug e air a鈥� ghille gealltainn gum biodh e d矛leas dh脿: he forced the lad to promise that he would be loyal to him; a鈥� r貌stadh p矛os dhen tarbh: roasting a piece of the bull; air an t貌ir: in pursuit of them; thog e sgrath bhon mhullach p矛os beag: he lifted a sod a little from the roof; ann an cr貌ileagan: in a circle; an aire 鈥� tha mi a鈥� faighinn f脿ileadh p霉dair: look out 鈥� I鈥檓 getting the smell of [gun]powder.

airson a bhith a鈥� togail creach anns an t-seachdamh linn deug: for stealing livestock in the seventeenth century. Togail creach (or in more old-fashioned Gaelic togail na creiche) means literally 鈥渓ifting (ie taking away) the plunder鈥� and I imagine the Gaelic idiom has found its way into the Scots and English expression 鈥渓ifting cattle鈥�, meaning 鈥渞ustling鈥� (unless the linguistic influence was in the reverse direction). When we refer to 鈥渢ogail creach鈥�, unless we are more specific about the situation, it would be understood as referring to the old Highland practice of stealing cattle from another clan or in another part of the country, and driving them home.

ga gharadh fh猫in aig an teine: warming himself by the fire.Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA