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B’ e Gilleasbaig Caimbeul Friseal fear de na gillean aig an t-Seann Mhadadh, am Morair MacShimidh. Nuair a chaochail a bhràthair Sìm gun chlann ann an seachd ceud deug, ochdad ʼs a dhà (1782), fhuair Gilleasbaig smachd air oighreachd nam Frisealach. Chaidh e an àite a bhràthar mar bhall-pàrlamaid Siorrachd Inbhir Nis.

Mar a bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh, ʼs e Gilleasbaig a thog Taigh Bhoth Fhleisginn, faisg air Foidhir, taobh Loch Nis. Bha an taigh deiseil ann an ochd ceud deug ʼs a naoi (1809). Chaochail Gilleasbaig sia bliadhna an dèidh sin. Leis gun robh a h-uile duine dhen chòignear mhac aige air bàsachadh roimhe, chaidh an taigh gu fear eile a bha càirdeach dha.Ìý

Bha an taigh coltach ri loidse-sheilg seach taigh-mòr oighreachd. Cha robh ann ach aon ùrlar – ach a-mhàin gun robh na searbhantan a’ fuireach ann an seòmar-mullaich os cionn a’ chidsin. Bha ceithir seòmraichean cadail ann, dà sheòmar-shuidhe agus leabharlann. A rèir choltais bha tunail ann a bha a’ ceangal an taigh ris a’ chladh.

Aig deireadh an naoidheamh linn deug, cheannaich Aleister Crowley an taigh. Tha Crowley ainmeil airson a bhith an sàs ann am ‘buidseachd’ – ‘draoidheachd dhubh’ is rudan dhen t-seòrsa sin. Cheannaich e an taigh a chionn ʼs gun robh e ann an àite car iomallach agus freagarrach airson nan deas-ghnàthan ‘draoidheil’ aige.

ʼS fheàrr dhomh rud beag innse dhuibh mu bheatha Chrowley. Rugadh e mar Edward Alexander Crowley ann an Leamington Spa ann an Sasainn ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad ʼs a còig (1875). Bha athair gu math math beartach. Mar sin, cha robh Eideard – no ‘Alick’ mar a bha a mhàthair a’ gabhail air – a’ beachdachadh air dreuchd a lorg. Bhiodh e beò air an airgead a fhuair e bho athair.

Ge-tà, cha robh e fhèin is athair air an aon ràmh a thaobh creideamh. Bha athair na Chrìosdaidh làidir a bha na shoisgeulach airson nam Plymouth Brethren. Chaidh Eideard a chur gu sgoil Chrìosdail airson greis. An ceann ùine, chuir e a chùl ris a’ chreideamh. Nuair a bha e aig Oilthigh Chambridge, dh’atharraich e ainm gu Aleister – air a litreachadh A-L-E-I-S-T-E-R. Cha do cheumnaich e bhon oilthigh, ach choisinn e cliù dha fhèin mar chluicheadair tàileisg air leth sgileil.

Bha e sgileil cuideachd mar sgrìobhadair bàrdachd agus mar neach-sreap nam beann. Bhiodh e gu tric a’ falbh gu na beanntan Ailpeach. Nuair a bha Taigh Bhoth Fhleisginn leis, bha Crowley thall thairis gu math tric. Tràth san fhicheadamh linn, rinn e oidhirp air K2 agus Kanchenjunga, an dàrna agus treas beinn as àirde san t-saoghal. Cha robh e soirbheachail, agus chaill ceathrar dhen sgioba am beatha ann am maoim-sneachda air Kanchenjunga. Bha cuid a’ cumail a-mach nach do chuidich Crowley iad mar bu chòir.

Nuair a bha e ann an Alba, ghabhadh Crowley ‘The Laird of Boleskine’ air fhèin. Bha e dèidheil air dualchas na Gàidhealtachd, agus bhiodh e a’ cur fèileadh-beag air gu tric. Ach am biodh na Gàidheil ag aithneachadh nan gnothaichean ‘draoidheil’ aige? Cha chreid mi gum bitheadh. Cluinnidh sinn tuilleadh an-ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Taigh Bhoth Fhleisginn: Boleskine House; Foidhir: Foyers; buidseachd: witchcraft; draoidheachd dhubh: black magic; deas-ghnàthan: ceremonies; beartach: rich, wealthy; soisgeulach: evangelist; neach-sreap nam beann: climber.Ìý

Abairtean na Litreach: B’ e Gilleasbaig Caimbeul Friseal fear de na gillean aig an t-Seann Mhadadh, am Morair MacShimidh: Archibald Campbell Fraser was one of the sons of the Old Fox, Lord Lovat; nuair a chaochail a bhràthair Sìm gun chlann: when his brother Simon died without children; fhuair Gilleasbaig smachd air oighreachd nam Frisealach: Archibald gained control of the Fraser estate; fear eile a bha càirdeach dha: another man who was related to him; coltach ri loidse-sheilg seach taigh-mòr oighreachd: like a hunting lodge rather than the big house of an estate; seòmar-mullaich os cionn a’ chidsin: an attic room above the kitchen; bha ceithir seòmraichean cadail ann, dà sheòmar-shuidhe agus leabharlann: there were four bedrooms in it, two sitting rooms and a library; tunail a bha a’ ceangal an taigh ris a’ chladh: a tunnel that connected the house to the cemetery; ʼs fheàrr dhomh rud beag innse dhuibh mu bheatha X: I’d better tell you a little about X’s life; a’ beachdachadh air dreuchd a lorg: thinking about finding a profession; cha robh e fhèin is athair air an aon ràmh a thaobh creideamh: he and his father did not agree on religion; chuir e a chùl ris a’ chreideamh: he turned his back on the religion; cha do cheumnaich e bhon oilthigh: he didn’t graduate from the university; choisinn e cliù dha fhèin mar chluicheadair tàileisg air leth sgileil: he won a reputation as an extremely skilful chess player; rinn e oidhirp air: he made an attempt on; chaill ceathrar dhen sgioba am beatha ann am maoim-sneachda: four of the team lost their lives in an avalanche: am biodh na Gàidheil ag aithneachadh X?: would the Gaels recognise X?; cha chreid mi gum bitheadh: I don’t think so.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Leis gun robh a h-uile duine dhen chòignear mhac aige air bàsachadh roimhe: because all of his five sons had predeceased him. To talk about a particular number of people we commonly use numerical nouns – dithis, triùir, ceathrar, còignear etc – rather than cardinal numerals. However, this requires any noun that is commanded by the numerical noun to be in the genitive (plural). Thus, for ‘five sons’ we might say còig mic (using the nominative plural of mac) or, more usually, còignear mhac (with the indefinite genitive plural of mac).

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Bha e dèidheil air dualchas na Gàidhealtachd: he was enthusiastic about the heritage of the Highlands.