大象传媒

Bha mi aig Lochan Lunn D脿 Bhr脿 o chionn ghoirid. Tha e ann an Loch Abar faisg air a鈥� Ghearasdan. Lunn D脿 Bhr脿 鈥� ainm annasach. Tha lunn 鈥� LUNN 鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh p貌la. Mar eisimpleir, canaidh sinn lunn ris a鈥� ph矛os ann am meadhan r脿imh 鈥� am p矛os eadar an d貌rn agus an liagh. Agus tha lunn ann an ainmean-脿ite. Ann an Siorrachd Pheairt, tha L脿irig nan Lunn. Tha i air slighe eadar ceann shuas Ghleann L矛omhann agus Gleann L貌chaidh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 An sin tha lunn a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥�pole of a bier or litter鈥�. Bha daoine a鈥� gi霉lan chisteachan chun a鈥� chladh ann an Cill Fhinn le bhith a鈥� cleachdadh d脿 lunn.听听听听听听听听 Ach d猫 mu dheidhinn Lochan Lunn D脿 Bhr脿? The lochan of the pole of the two querns or quernstones. Uill, bhiodh daoine a鈥� gi霉lan chlachan-br脿 le p貌la 鈥� no lunn 鈥� tron toll sa mheadhan. Mus t猫id mi ro fhada air an rathad sin, ge-t脿, feumaidh mi feart a ghabhail air beachd M脿iri NicEalair. 始S e s脿r-sgoilear na G脿idhlig a bha ann am M脿iri. Bhuineadh i do Loch Abar. L矛bhrig i p脿ipear mun ghnothach seo gu Comunn G脿idhlig Inbhir Nis ann an ochd ceud deug is naochad (1890). Bha i dhen bheachd nach e Lochan Lunn D脿 Bhr脿 seann ainm an locha, ach Lochan D霉n D脿 R脿th 鈥榯he lochan of the castle of the two forts鈥�.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha d脿 eilean anns an loch. Tha coltas ann gur e crannagan a bha annta. Air bruaich an locha, tha baile-fearainn air a bheil Lunn D脿 Bhr脿. Ma tha M脿iri ceart, 始s e D霉n D脿 R脿th a bha air anns an t-seann aimsir. Bha caisteal ann, agus bha r脿th air gach fear de na h-eileanan.

听

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach c貌 bha a鈥� fuireach anns a鈥� chaisteal? Uill, seo far a bheil an gnothach a鈥� f脿s inntinneach. Tha cuid dhen bheachd gun robh MacBheatha, seann r矛gh na h-Alba, a鈥� fuireach ann.

I was at Lochan Lunn D脿 Bhr脿 recently. It鈥檚 in Lochaber near Fort William. Lunn D脿 Bhr脿 鈥� a strange name. Lunn 鈥� LUNN 鈥� means 鈥榩ole鈥�. For example, we call the piece in the middle of an oar a lunn 鈥� the piece between the handle and the blade. And lunn is in place-names. In Perthshire, there is L脿irig nan Lunn 鈥榯he pass of the poles鈥�. It鈥檚 on a route between upper Glen Lyon and Glen Lochay.

听听听听听听 There, lunn means 鈥�pole of a bier or litter鈥�. People were carrying coffins to the cemetery in Killin, using two poles.

听听听听听听听 But what about Lochan Lunn D脿 Bhr脿? The lochan of the pole of the two querns or quernstones. Well, people would carry quernstones with a pole through the hole in the middle. Before I go too far down that road, however, I must take cognisance of Mary MacKellar鈥檚 opinion. Mary was an eminent Gaelic scholar. She belonged to Lochaber. She delivered a paper on this matter to the Gaelic Society of Inverness in 1890. She was of the opinion that the old name of the loch wasn鈥檛 Lochan Lunn D脿 Bhr脿 but Lochan D霉n D脿 R脿th 鈥榯he lochan of the castle of the two forts鈥�.

听听听听听听听 There are two islands in the loch. It appears they were crannogs. On the banks of the loch there is a farm called Lundavra. If Mary is correct it was called D霉n D脿 R脿th in olden times. There was a castle there, and a fort on each of the islands.

听听听听听听听 But who was living in the castle? Well, here is where the matter gets interesting. Some people think that MacBeth, the old king of Scotland, was living there.