大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Iain Geal Donn 脿 Loch Abar a bhiodh a鈥� togail creach ann an Siorrachd Rois anns an t-seachdamh linn deug. Chuir Alasdair Breac Ghe脿rrloch roimhe stad a chur air. Dh鈥檉hastaich e Alasdair Buidhe MacAoidh 脿 Srath 脪iceall. Chuir Alasdair Buidhe peilear ann an Iain Geal Donn nuair a bha Iain ann am bothan-脿irigh aig Sg脿rd Ruaidh ann an Srath Chonainn. Ruith na daoine a-mach 脿s a鈥� bhothan, ach bha Alasdair agus a sgalag a鈥� feitheamh riutha. Mharbh iad a h-uile duine aca, ach a-mh脿in aon fhear a rinn a dhol-脿s.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chuir iad corp Iain am broinn seiche an tairbh, agus chuir iad air a鈥� bhior-r貌staidh e. Dh鈥檉h脿g iad na cuirp eile far an robh iad. Chaidh Alasdair Buidhe gu ruige Ge脿rrloch airson an naidheachd innse do dh鈥橝lasdair Breac. Bha Alasdair Breac toilichte cluinntinn nach togadh Iain Geal Donn creach tuilleadh air an fhearann aige. Chuir e teachdaire sa mhionaid gu ruige Caisteal Bhrathainn, ann an Ros an Ear, airson an naidheachd a thoirt don Mhorair MacCoinnich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nuair a r脿inig an teachdaire Caisteal Bhrathainn, c貌 bha a鈥� gabhail dinnear cuide ris a鈥� Mhorair MacCoinnich ach Loch Iall, ceann-cinnidh nan Camshronach 脿 Loch Abar. Chaidh an dithis uachdaran a-mach air a ch猫ile mun ch霉is, agus dh鈥檉halbh an Camshronach gun a dhinnear ithe. Chuir e gillean aige gu ruige Sg脿rd Ruaidh agus thug iad air falbh corp Iain. Chaidh dust Iain a thiodhlacadh anns a鈥� chladh anns a鈥� Chorpaich agus thogadh c脿rn dha mar chuimhneachan air.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach cha b鈥� e sin deireadh a鈥� ghnothaich. Chuir Loch Iall roimhe gum biodh feadhainn 脿 Loch Abar a鈥� togail creach ann an Ge脿rrloch fh猫in. Bhiodh sin mar dhioghaltas air b脿s nan Abrach ann an Sg脿rd Ruaidh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chuala Alasdair Breac mun phlana seo, ge-t脿. Chuir e feachd de dh鈥檕chdad duine ri ch猫ile airson seasamh ris na h-Abraich. Bha iad an d霉il gun tigeadh na h-Abraich tro Thoirbheartan agus chaidh iad ann airson coinneachadh riutha. Seo mar a chaidh an gnothach aithris anns a鈥� Cheltic Magazine ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a seachd (1877): Nuair a th脿inig a鈥� mhadainn, dh鈥檉halbh na fir, agus ma dh鈥檉halbh, gu dearbh bha am prasgan gl猫 neo-sgeadachail, ach bha iad calma, neo-sg脿thach. Cha b鈥� fhada gus an d鈥� r脿inig iad Coire Dubh Liathaich 鈥� agus mar a bha a鈥� ch霉is gun chinnte, bha bothannan-脿irigh air 霉rlar a鈥� choire, agus cha robh fios aig na Ge脿rrlaich nach robh na h-Abraich nan laighe anns na bothannan, ri foill falaich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha fear de na Ge脿rrlaich treun gu le貌r gus a dhol a dh鈥檌onnsaigh nam bothan leis fh猫in. B鈥� esan Alasdair Ros. Ann an guth m貌r, thug e d霉bhlan do na h-Abraich thighinn a-mach. Ach cha d鈥� fhuair e freagairt. Bha na h-Abraich air cluinntinn gun robh feachd de dh鈥檕chdad duine a鈥� d猫anamh orra, agus bha iad air teicheadh dhachaigh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chaidh na Ge脿rrlaich dhachaigh tro Cheann Loch I霉, far an do thachair iad ri Ruairidh Breac mac Dhonnchaidh Bh脿in, b脿rd aig a鈥� Chromfhasadh. Sgr矛obh Ruairidh 貌ran mun tachartas. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� air an 貌ran Freiceadan a鈥� Choire Dhuibh. Tha e coltach gun robh muinntir Ghe脿rrloch gu math measail air an 貌ran sin fad 霉ine mh貌r.

a bhiodh a鈥� togail creach: who would plunder cattle; Sg脿rd Ruaidh ann an Srath Chonainn: Scardroy in Strathconon; mharbh iad a h-uile duine aca: they killed every man of them; ach a-mh脿in aon fhear: except for one man; am broinn seiche an tairbh: inside the bull鈥檚 hide; tuilleadh air an fhearann aige: any more on his land; chuir e teachdaire sa mhionaid gu ruige Caisteal Bhrathainn: he immediately sent a messenger to Brahan Castle; cuide ris a鈥� Mhorair MacCoinnich: along with Lord MacKenzie; Loch Iall, ceann-cinnidh nan Camshronach: Locheil, the chief of the Camerons; chaidh an dithis uachdaran a-mach air a ch猫ile: the two leaders/landlords fell out with each other; gun a dhinnear ithe: without eating his dinner; chaidh dust Iain a thiodhlacadh: Iain鈥檚 remains were buried; dioghaltas air b脿s nan Abrach: revenge for the death of the Lochaber men; bha am prasgan gl猫 neo-sgeadachail: they were a very untidy bunch; cha robh fios aig na Ge脿rrlaich: the Gairloch men didn鈥檛 know; nach robh na h-Abraich nan laighe anns na bothannan, ri foill falaich: that the Lochaber men weren鈥檛 lying in the bothies, in ambush; treun gu le貌r gus a dhol a dh鈥檌onnsaigh nam bothan leis fh猫in: brave enough to go towards the bothies on his own; thug e d霉bhlan do: he challenged; gun robh feachd de dh鈥檕chdad duine a鈥� d猫anamh orra: that a force of eighty men were bearing down on them; bha iad air teicheadh dhachaigh: they鈥檇 gone home.

Cha b鈥� fhada gus an d鈥� r脿inig iad Coire Dubh Liathaich: it wasn鈥檛 long until they reached the black corrie of Liathach. I鈥檝e given the standard spelling of the famous mountain Liathach, on whose slopes the Gairloch men were ready to do battle with their Lochaber foes. But, in the original text, the spelling is Liaghaich (genitive of Liaghach) which is more indicative of the pronunciation, at least in Ross-shire. The word is based on liath and means 鈥渢he light-grey one鈥�, hence the spelling. The pronunciation of a median 鈥渢h鈥� separating two broad vowels as a lenited 鈥済鈥� rather than a lenited 鈥渢鈥� is simply based on ease of pronunciation. Another example from Ross-shire is an Applecross coastal name 鈥� Poll na L脿thaich 鈥渋nlet of the fine mud鈥�; it鈥檚 pronounced 鈥淧oll 鈥檃 L脿ghaich鈥�.

a rinn a dhol-脿s: who made his escape.

听

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA