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O chionn ghoirid ghabh mi cuairt bheag gu mullach cnuic anns an Eilean Dubh. Tha an t-àite ainmeil agus tha brat-chrann air a’ mhullach, le bratach na h-Alba air. ʼS e an t-ainm a th’ air an àite Ormond Hill. Bha uaireigin caisteal mòr air – Ormond Castle. Anns an leabhar aige – Place-names of Ross and Cromarty – tha Uilleam MacBhàtair ag innse dhuinn mun àite. Ach chan eil e ag innse dhuinn dè a’ Ghàidhlig a th’ air Ormond Castle. Tha an t-àite air aithneachadh ann am Beurla cuideachd mar ‘The Castle of Avoch’ oir tha e faisg air baile beag ris an canar Abhach. ʼS dòcha gur e Caisteal Abhaich a’ Ghàidhlig cheart air an daingnich.

Thathar a’ smaoineachadh gun deach an caisteal a thogail faisg air deireadh an dàrna linn deug, nuair a bha Uilleam Garbh, Uilleam mac Eanraig, na Rìgh. Bithear a’ gabhail ‘William the Lion’ air ann am Beurla. Bha e ag iarraidh caisteal rìoghail a bhith aige air cladach Linne Mhoireibh airson Inbhir Nis a dhìon.

Ceud bliadhna an dèidh sin, bha an caisteal ann an làmhan teaghlach cumhachdach – na Moirich. B’ e am fear a b’ ainmeile dhiubh Anndra Moireach. Bha e aithnichte ann am Beurla mar Andrew de Moray agus ann an Laidinn mar Andreas de Moravia. 

Bha fearann mòr aig an teaghlach thall ann am Peitidh, faisg air Inbhir Nis, agus ann an àiteachan eile ann am Moireibh. Agus bha cuid de na Moirich air a bhith nan easbaigean, agus gu math cumhachdach anns an eaglais.

As t-earrach dà cheud deug, naochad ʼs a sia (1296), bha e follaiseach gun robh Rìgh Shasainn, Eideard I, a’ dèanamh deiseil airson armailt mhòr a thoirt a-steach a dh’Alba. Bha Eideard air brath a ghabhail air suidheachadh na h-Alba oir bha i às aonais rìgh no banrigh. Bha e air toirt air an fheadhainn a bha ag iarraidh a bhith air rìgh-chathair na h-Alba aideachadh gun robh uachdranas aig Eideard air Alba. A-nise, bha na h-Albannaich a’ cur an aghaidh sin, agus a’ gairm an neo-eisimeileachd. Bha cogadh air fàire. 

Chaidh Anndra Moireach cuide ri athair gu ruige ceann a deas na h-Alba airson seasamh an aghaidh Eideard. Ach, aig Blàr Dhùn Barra, chaidh an latha leis na Sasannaich. Chaidh Anndra agus athair a ghlacadh. Bha athair air a chur don Tùr ann an Lunnainn, far an do chaochail e dà bhliadhna an dèidh sin. Bha Anndra air a ghlasadh ann an Caisteal Chester.

Cha robh e ann uabhasach fada, ge-tà. Uaireigin anns a’ gheamhradh rinn e dol-às bhon phrìosan aige. Rinn e a shlighe dhachaigh gu fearann athar ann an ceann a tuath na h-Alba. Anns an eadar-ama, bha Alba air fulang, gu h-àraidh leis gun do chuir an luchd-riaghlaidh Sasannach cìsean mòra air an t-sluagh. Tha e coltach gun robh Anndra fiadhaich mu dheidhinn.

Chaidh e gu caisteal athar faisg air Abhach. Thog e a shuaicheantas an sin agus chuir e an cèill mar a bha e a’ dol a sheasamh an aghaidh nan Sasannach ann an Alba. Aig an aon àm ʼs a bha am Moireach a’ tarraing luchd-taice thuige ann an ceann a tuath na h-Alba, bha fear eile a’ dèanamh an aon rud sa cheann a deas. B’ esan Uilleam Uallas. Còmhla, bhiodh Uallas agus Anndra Moireach ag atharrachadh eachdraidh na h-Alba.

Faclan na Litreach: brat-chrann: flagpole; uaireigin: at one time; Uilleam MacBhàtair: William (J) Watson; Abhach: Avoch; Anndra Moireach: Andrew de Moray; Peitidh: Petty; Moireibh: Moray; a shuaicheantas: his standard; Uilleam Uallas: William Wallace.

Abairtean na Litreach: O chionn ghoirid ghabh mi cuairt bheag gu mullach cnuic anns an Eilean Dubh: recently I took a short trip to the summit of a hill on the Black Isle; air aithneachadh ann am Beurla mar: known in English as; a’ Ghàidhlig cheart air an daingnich: the correct Gaelic for the fortress; bha e ag iarraidh caisteal rìoghail a bhith aige: he wanted to have a royal castle; air cladach Linne Mhoireibh airson Inbhir Nis a dhìon: on the shore of the Moray Firth in order to protect Inverness; bha cuid de na Moirich air a bhith nan easbaigean, agus gu math cumhachdach anns an eaglais: some of the Morays had been bishops and very powerful in the church; a’ dèanamh deiseil airson armailt mhòr a thoirt a-steach a dh’Alba: preparing to enter Scotland with a large army; bha Eideard air brath a ghabhail air suidheachadh na h-Alba oir bha i às aonais rìgh no banrigh: Edward had taken advantage of Scotland’s situation because she was without a king or queen; bha e air toirt air an fheadhainn a bha ag iarraidh a bhith air rìgh-chathair na h-Alba aideachadh gun robh uachdranas aig Eideard: he had forced those who wanted to be on the throne of Scotland to admit that Edward possessed sovereignty; bha cogadh air fàire: a war was on the horizon; aig Blàr Dhùn Barra, chaidh an latha leis na Sasannaich: at the Battle of Dunbar, the English carried the day; chaidh Anndra agus athair a ghlacadh: Andrew and his father were captured; anns a’ gheamhradh rinn e dol-às: in the winter he escaped; gun do chuir an luchd-riaghlaidh Sasannach cìsean mòra air an t-sluagh: that the English administration imposed heavy taxes on the populace; a’ tarraing luchd-taice thuige: attracting supporters.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: bha an caisteal ann an làmhan teaghlach cumhachdach – na Moirich: the castle was in the hands of a powerful family – the Morays. It is the norm today where a masculine noun is in the indefinite genitive singular with an adjective, that neither noun or adjective are inflected. Ann an làmhan teaghlaich would be ‘in the hands of a family’, but with the adjective cumhachdach, there is no slenderisation of either word.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: chuir e an cèill mar a bha e a’ dol a sheasamh an aghaidh nan Sasannach: he announced that he was going to stand against the English.