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A bheil sibh eòlach air Srath Àrdail ann an Siorrachd Pheairt? Sin an srath anns a bheil Cill Mhìcheil. Tha dualchas làidir Gàidhealach aig an t-srath. Gu tuath air Cill Mhìcheil, tha baile beag air a bheil An t-Aonach Dubh mar ainm. Ann an sin, tha clach a tha a’ comharrachadh uaigh aig fear Àrdal. A rèir beul-aithris, chaidh Àrdal a mharbhadh an sin. Agus thugadh ainm don t-srath.

            Bha triùir bhràithrean ann. B’ e Àrdal am fear a bu shine dhiubh. Bha an ainmean co-cheangailte ris an fhacal ‘fuil’.

            B’ e ‘Àrd-fhuil’ no ‘noble blood’ am fear a bu shine. Tha sinn eòlach air an-diugh mar Àrdal. Bha esan a’ riaghladh ann an Srath Àrdail. B’ e an dàrna bràthair ‘Ath-fhuil’ no ‘next blood’. Bha esan a’ riaghladh ann an Athall. B’ e an treas fear ‘Teth-fhuil’ no ‘hot blood’. Bha smachd aigesan air Teimhil (no Strath Tummel).

            Thug Teth-fhuil ainm do dh’Uisge Teimhil – the River Tummel – anns an dòigh seo. Bha e fhèin is companaich a’ togail creach air latha geamhraidh. Bha tuil san abhainn. Bha cnapan mòra deighe innte. Bha a chompanaich ag ràdh gun robh e ro chunnartach a dhol a-null. Ach bha an ceannard cho ‘teth na fhuil’ ’s nach robh e airson èisteachd riutha. Dh’fheuch e ri snàmh a-null. Ach bhuail pìos mòr deighe ann. Chaidh e fodha agus bha e air a bhàthadh.

            Thàinig na Dànaich anns an deicheamh linn. Bha tursa – clach mhòr sheasaimh – aig an Aonach Dhubh. Tha i ann fhathast. Bha na h-Albannaich am falach air tulach faisg air an tursa. Bha na Dànaich a’ caismeachd gu tuath anns an t-srath. Nuair a ràinig iad an tursa, thug na h-Albannaich ionnsaigh orra.

            Bha cath mòr ann. Chaidh na Dànaich a ruagadh. Lean Àrdal agus fear eile orra ach chaidh iad ro fhaisg. Thionndaidh na Dànaich orra agus mharbh iad Àrdal agus a charaid. Chaidh an dithis a thiodhlacadh fo leac mhòr faisg air an tursa. ’S e Uaigh Àrdail a chanas daoine ris an àite sin an-diugh, ged as e ‘Giant’s Grave’ a chithear air mapaichean an t-Suirbhidh Òrdanais.

Do you know Strathardle in Perthshire? That’s the strath containing Kirkmichael. The strath has a strong Gaelic heritage. North of Kirkmichael, there is a village called Enoch Dhu. There is a stone there that marks a grave of a guy called Ardle. According to oral tradition, Ardle was killed there. And his name was given to the strath.

        There were three brothers. Ardle was the eldest of them. Their names were connected to the word ‘fuil’ [blood].

        ‘Àrd-fhuil’ or ‘noble blood’ was the eldest one. We know him today as Àrdal. He was ruling in Strathardle. The second brother was ‘Ath-fhuil’ or ‘next blood’. He was ruling in Atholl. The third one was ‘Teth-fhuil’ or ‘hot blood’. He was controlling Teimhil (or Strath Tummel).

        Teth-fhuil gave his name to the River Tummel in the following way. He and companions were raiding cattle on a winter’s day. There was a flood in the river. There were big blocks of ice in it. His companions were saying that it was too dangerous to cross. But the leader was so ‘hot in his blood’ that he didn’t want to listen to them. He tried to swim over. But  a large block of ice hit him. He went under and was drowned.

        The Danes came in the tenth century. There was a standing stone at Enoch Dhu. It’s still there. The Scots were hiding on a hillock near the standing stone. The Danes were marching north up the strath. When they reached the standing stone, the Scots attacked them.

        There was a big battle. The Danes were routed. Ardle and another followed them but they went too close. The Danes turned on them and they killed Ardle and his friend. The pair were buried under a big slab near the standing stone. People today called it Ardle’s Grave , although it is ‘Giant’s Grave’ that is seen on the Ordnance Survey maps.