大象传媒

Tha an rathad eadar Loch Nis agus An t-Eilean Sgitheanach a鈥� dol tro Ghleann Moireastan. Tha c脿rn anns a鈥� ghleann. Tha e ri taobh an rathaid mh貌ir.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha an c脿rn mar chuimhneachan air gaisgeach Seumasach, fear Ruairidh MacCoinnich. Chaidh a mharbhadh anns an 脿ite sin ann an seachd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a sia (1746). Bha sin tr矛 m矛osan an d猫idh Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair. Ach carson a tha Ruairidh ainmeil? Uill, 鈥檚 d貌cha gun do sh脿bhail e beatha The脿rlaich 脪ig Sti霉bhairt. Ciamar? Leis gun robh cuid a鈥� smaoineachadh gum b鈥� esan am Prionnsa.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha Ruairidh 脿 D霉n 脠ideann. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh buntanas sinnsireil aige do Chinn T脿ile. Bha e ann am feachd ainmeil Seumasach, an 鈥淓lcho Troop鈥�. Bha Ruairidh uabhasach coltach ri Te脿rlach 脪g ann an dreach. Bha daoine gu tric a鈥� smaoineachadh gum b鈥� esan am Prionnsa!

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha Elcho Troop aig Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair. 脌s d猫idh a鈥� bhatail, sgaoil iad. Bha gach duine an urra ri a bheatha fh猫in. Bha Ruairidh ann an Gleann Moireastan tr矛 m矛osan an d猫idh a鈥� bhl脿ir. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun robh e a鈥� dol a Chinn T脿ile.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha saighdearan dearga a鈥� coimhead airson The脿rlaich 脪ig. Bha airgid-cinn air a鈥� Phrionnsa. Thachair feachd shaighdearan ri Ruairidh ann an Gleann Moireastan. Bha c貌mhrag ann. Bha Ruairidh air a le貌n gu dona. D矛reach mus d鈥� fhuair e b脿s, dh鈥櫭╥gh e, 鈥淵ou have killed your Prince!鈥�

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bha na saighdearan dhen bheachd gun do mharbh iad am Prionnsa. Ghe脿rr iad ceann Ruairidh far a bhodhaig. Thug iad air falbh e airson dearbhadh gur e ceann The脿rlaich a bha ann. Bha Cumberland a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh am Prionnsa marbh. Thill e a Shasainn.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Mu dheireadh thall, thuig an riaghaltas gun robh Te脿rlach fhathast be貌. Ach bha am Prionnsa air teicheadh. Thug gaisgeachd Ruairidh 霉ine dha.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Air taobh eile an rathaid bhon ch脿rn, faisg air an abhainn, tha clach-uaighe ann. Tha i a鈥� comharrachadh an 脿ite far an deach bodhaig Ruairidh, gun cheann, a thiodhlacadh. Agus fhathast, anns an Iuchar a h-uile bliadhna, bidh feadhainn a鈥� tighinn c貌mhla aig an uaigh. Bidh iad a鈥� comharrachadh is a鈥� cuimhneachadh gaisgeachd Ruairidh MhicCoinnich.

The road between Loch Ness and the Isle of Skye passes through Glenmoriston. There is a cairn in the glen. It鈥檚 beside the main road.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The cairn commemorates a Jacobite hero, one Roderick MacKenzie. He was killed in that place in 1746. That was three months after the Battle of Culloden. But why was Roderick famous? Well, perhaps he saved the life of Bonnie Prince Charlie. How? Because some people were thinking that he was the Prince.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Roderick was from Edinburgh. He might have had ancestral connections to Kintail. He was in a famous Jacobite troop, the 鈥淓lcho Trrop鈥�. Roderick was very like (Young) Charlie in appearance. People were often thinking that he was the Prince!

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Elcho Troop was at the Battle of Culloden. After the battle, they scattered. It was every man for himself. Roderick was in Glenmoriston three months after the battle. Perhaps he was going to Kintail.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Redcoat soldiers were looking for Prince Charles. There was a reward for capturing or killing the Prince. A group of soldiers met Roderick in Glenmoriston. There was conflict. Roderick was badly wounded. Just before he died, he cried, 鈥淵ou have killed your Prince!鈥�

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The soldiers were thinking that they [had] killed the Prince. They cut Roderick鈥檚 head from his body. They took it away in order to confirm that it was Charles鈥檚 head. Cumberland was thinking the Prince was dead. He returned to England.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Finally, the government understood that Charles was still alive. But the Prince had fled. Roderick鈥檚 heroism gave him time.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 On the other side of the road from the cairn, close to the river, there is a gravestone. It marks the place where Roderick鈥檚 headless body was buried. And to this day, in July every year, some people gather at the grave. They commemorate and remember Roderick MacKenzie鈥檚 heroism.