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Tha mi an dùil gun cuala sibh mu Choinneach Odhar fiosaiche. B’ e am fiosaiche a b’ ainmeile air a’ Ghàidhealtachd. Sgrìobh mi mu dheidhinn ann an Litrichean sia ceud, ochdad ’s a trì (683) gu sia ceud, ochdad ’s a còig (685). Ach bha fiosaichean eile ann, agus bha fear dhiubh gu math ainmeil. ’S e ministear a bh’ ann – ministear aig an robh an dà-shealladh. An t-Urramach Iain Moireasdan. Bha e na mhinistear ann am Peitidh, faisg air far a bheil Port-adhair Inbhir Nis an-diugh.

            Bha athair Mhgr Mhoireasdain cuideachd na mhinistear – ann an Urrath ann an Siorrachd Rois. Agus bha a sheanair, Iain Moireasdan, à Bràgar ann an Leòdhas far an robh e car ainmeil. Bha e eòlach air Màrtainn MacIlleMhàrtainn a sgrìobh mu dheidhinn nan Eilean Siar.

            Co-dhiù, air ais gu Iain Moireasdan Pheitidh. Mus deach e gu Peitidh, bha e na mhinistear ann an Ath Ma-ruibhe ann an Siorrachd Pheairt. Agus tha cunntas annasach ann mun dòigh san do ghluais e gu bhith na mhinistear ann am Peitidh.

            Bha fear ann a bhuineadh do theaghlach ’ic Shimidh faisg air a’ Mhanachainn. Bha am fear seo ann am fiachan do mharsantach ann an Inbhir Nis. Bha am marsantach ag iarraidh an airgid aige, ach cha robh neach-lagha ann an Inbhir Nis deònach fhaighinn dha. Bha Clann ’ic Shimidh – na Frisealaich – gu math cumhachdach.

            Fhuair am marsantach grèim air fear MacCoinnich ann an Dùn Èideann, a bha deònach an t-airgead fhaighinn dha. Bha am MacCoinnich seo na bhàillidh do chuid de dh’uachdarain air a’ Ghàidhealtachd. Fhuair e an t-airgead. Bha am marsantach toilichte ach bha na Frisealaich feargach agus chuir iad romhpa dìoghaltas fhaighinn air MacCoinnich.

            Bha fios aca gum biodh MacCoinnich a’ tighinn don cheann a tuath gu tric. Chuir iad romhpa a mharbhadh ann an Sloc Muice, deas air Inbhir Nis. Bha iad a’ bruidhinn mun phlana aig dinnear ann an taigh mòr air choreigin agus bha ministear Cill Tharghlain, Mgr MacNeacail, an làthair.

            Bha MacNeacail airson rabhadh a thoirt do MhacCoinnich ach cha b’ urrainn dha sgrìobhadh thuige oir bha dùil aige gun cluinneadh cuideigin mu dheidhinn. Mar sin, sgrìobh e don Urramach Iain Moireasdan. Dh’iarr e air thighinn chun h-Àirde air gnothach cudromach. Nuair a thàinig am Moireasdanach, dh’inns MacNeacail dha mun phlana airson cur às do MhacCoinnich. Thug Iain Moireasdan rabhadh do MhacCoinnich.

            An ath thuras a thàinig MacCoinnich don cheann a tuath, thug e luchd-taice leis. Cha robh na Frisealaich deònach ionnsaigh a thoirt orra. Thug MacCoinnich duais don Mhoireasdanach le bhith a’ toirt air ministear Pheitidh – fear Seathach – a ghluasad gu Farrais. Agus thàinig Iain Moireasdan gu bhith na mhinistear na àite.

            Bha am Moireasdanach gu math tàlantach. Bha e na bhàrd. Bha e na shearmonaiche air leth. Agus bha an dà-shealladh aige. Nise, faisg air Eaglais Pheitidh bha clach mhòr air a’ chladach air an robh ‘Clach an Àbain’. Tha i air a sealltainn air na seann mhapaichean. Bha daoine dhen bheachd gun robh ochd tonna de chuideam innte. Latha a a bha seo, nuair a bha e a’ searmonachadh, thuirt Mgr Moireasdan gun gluaiseadh a’ chlach pìos mòr thar a’ chladaich, gun duine a làmh a chur oirre. Agus ghluais! Innsidh mi dhuibh mu dheidhinn anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: fiosaiche: seer, prophet, soothsayer; Iain Moireasdan: John Morrison; Peitidh: Petty; Urrath: Urray; µþ°ùವ²¹°ù: Bragar; Ath Ma-ruibhe: Amulree; rabhadh: warning; Sloc Muice: ‘The Slochd’ (on the A9); Seathach: Shaw; Farrais: Forres.

Abairtean na Litreach: Tha mi an dùil gun cuala sibh mu Choinneach Odhar fiosaiche: I imagine you’ve heard of the Brahan Seer; a bhuineadh do theaghlach ’ic Shimidh faisg air a’ Mhanachainn: who belonged to the Lovat family near Beauly; ann am fiachan do mharsantach: in debt to a merchant; cha robh neach-lagha ann an Inbhir Nis deònach fhaighinn dha: no lawyer in Inverness was willing to get it for him; bha Clann ’ic Shimidh – na Frisealaich – gu math cumhachdach: the Lovat clan – the Frasers – were very powerful; bha am MacCoinnich seo na bhàillidh do chuid de dh’uachdarain air a’ Ghàidhealtachd: this Mackenzie was a factor to some landlords in the Highlands; chuir iad romhpa dìoghaltas fhaighinn air X: they decided to seek revenge on X; a’ tighinn don cheann a tuath: coming to the north; chuir iad romhpa a mharbhadh ann an Sloc Muice: they decided to kill him at the Slochd; ann an taigh mòr air choreigin: in some big house or other; ministear Cill Tharghlain, Mgr MacNeacail: the minister of Kiltarlity, Mr Nicolson; cha b’ urrainn dha sgrìobhadh thuige: he couldn’t write to him; bha dùil aige gun cluinneadh cuideigin mu dheidhinn: he expected that somebody would hear about it; thug e luchd-taice leis: he took supporters with him; bha e na shearmonaiche air leth: he was an excellent preacher; bha daoine dhen bheachd gun robh ochd tonna de chuideam innte: people were of the opinion that it weighed eight tons; gun gluaiseadh a’ chlach pìos mòr thar a’ chladaich: that the stone would move a good distance over the shore; gun duine a làmh a chur oirre: without anybody touching it.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Dh’iarr e air thighinn chun h-Àirde air gnothach cudromach: he asked him to come to the Aird on an important matter. The area around Kiltarlity is still known in English as ‘The Aird’ and in Gaelic ‘An Àird’ ie ‘the headland’. Chun is unusual in that it takes the genitive case hence we say chun na h-Àirde (because àird is a feminine noun). There are, of course, other ‘Àirdean’ so I might have said ‘Àird Mhic Shimidh’ ie Lovat’s Aird to be specific.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: mun dòigh san do ghluais e gu bhith na mhinistear ann am Peitidh: about the way in which he moved to become a minister in Petty.