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Bha na Cuimeanaich, leis an robh Caisteal Loch nan Doirb, cumhachdach. Nuair a chaochail Mairead, Òigh Nirribhidh, bha Iain Dubh Cuimeanach am measg nan daoine a dh’fhaodadh rìgh-chathair na h-Alba a ghabhail thairis. Ach, an àite sin, chaidh Iain Balliol a thaghadh. Thathar ag ràdh gun robh Iain Dubh Cuimeanach gu math diombach ri sin. Chaidh e a dh’fhuireach ann an Caisteal Loch nan Doirb far an do chaochail e anns a’ bhliadhna trì cheud deug ’s a dhà (1302).

Bha mac Iain Duibh – Iain Ruadh – ann an suidheachadh cumhachdach. B’ i a mhàthair Eleanor Balliol, piuthar an rìgh. Nuair a chaill Iain Balliol àite mar rìgh, bha an Cuimeanach Ruadh anns a’ phrìomh àite airson an rìgh-chathair a ghabhail thairis. Uill, bha a rèir a luchd-taice, co-dhiù. Ach bha fear eile ann a bha ag iarraidh a bhith na rìgh agus bhuineadh esan do na Brusaich – teaghlach cumhachdach eile.

Anns a’ mheadhan, bha Rìgh Shasainn, Eideard I. Bha Eideard ag iarraidh Alba a thoirt fo a smachd-san. Sheas Iain Ruadh Cuimeanach na aghaidh. Ann an dà cheud deug, naochad ’s a sia (1296) thug Eideard armailt leis a dh’Alba. Chaill Iain Balliol àite mar rìgh agus chaidh Iain Ruadh Cuimeanach a chur an grèim aig Blàr Dhùn Barra. ’S ann mun àm sin a chaidh Clach Sgàin a ghoid agus a thoirt a Lunnainn.

An dèidh mhìosan, chaidh Iain Ruadh a shaoradh. Ach, airson a shaorsa, bha aige ri sabaid às leth Eideird, an aghaidh na Frainge, ann am Flànras. Nuair a bha e an sin, dh’ionnsaich e gun robh muinntir na h-Alba air èirigh an aghaidh Eideird fo cheannas Uilleim Uallais agus Anndra Mhoirich. Theich e. Fhuair e air ais a dh’Alba air long. Chan eil e soilleir an robh e aig Blàr Drochaid Shruighlea far an do rinn na h-Albannaich a’ chùis air na Sasannaich.

Cha robh Eideard deiseil le Alba. Ann an trì cheud deug ’s a trì (1303), thug e armailt leis gu ceann a tuath na h-Alba. Ràinig e Caisteal Loch nan Doirb as t-fhoghar. Bha na Cuimeanaich a-nise fo smachd. Dh’fhuirich an rìgh anns a’ chaisteal airson ùine. ’S e sin as coireach gum bi sinn ag ràdh gur e Loch nan Doirb caisteal anns an do dh’fhuirich Rìgh Shasainn, ged nach robh Rìgh Albannach riamh a’ fuireach ann. 

Chaidh Iain Ruadh a mharbhadh le Raibeart am Brusach ann an trì cheud deug ’s a sia (1306). Bha an aon mhac aige ann an Sasainn. Bha e dìleas do Rìgh Shasainn. Chaill na Cuimeanaich an cumhachd ann an ceann a tuath na h-Alba.

Tha Caisteal Loch nan Doirb a’ nochdadh a-rithist anns na leabhraichean eachdraidh anns a’ bhliadhna trì cheud deug, trithead ’s a còig (1335). Bha e fo shèist aig Sir Anndra Moireach, mac a’ Mhoirich a dh’èirich às leth Alba aig Drochaid Shruighlea. Bha am Moireach òg taiceil don Rìgh Albannach, Daibhidh I. Bha Loch nan Doirb, ge-tà, fo smachd feadhainn a bha taiceil don rìgh Shasannach. 

Beagan bhliadhnaichean an dèidh sin, bha an caisteal ann an làmhan nan Albannach. Anns na seachdadan dhen linn sin, thàinig e fo smachd fear a bha ainmeil – agus droch-chliùiteach – ann an eachdraidh na h-Alba. B’ esan Alasdair Mòr mac an Rìgh – the Wolf of Badenoch. Bidh tuilleadh agam airsan san ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: Mairead, Òigh Nirribhidh: Margaret, Maid of Norway [heir to the Scottish throne]; Iain Ruadh: Red John [‘the Red Comyn’]; armailt: army; Blàr Drochaid Shruighlea: The Battle of Stirling Bridge; as t-fhoghar: in autumn; Raibeart am Brusach: Robert the Bruce; dìleas: loyal; droch-chliùiteach: of ill repute.

Abairtean na Litreach: bha Iain Dubh Cuimeanach am measg nan daoine a dh’fhaodadh rìgh-chathair na h-Alba a ghabhail thairis: Black John Comyn was among the people who could take over the throne of Scotland; chaidh Iain Balliol a thaghadh: John Balliol was chosen; b’ i a mhàthair Eleanor Balliol, piuthar an rìgh: his mother was Eleanor Balliol, the king’s sister; a rèir a luchd-taice, co-dhiù: according to his supporters, anyway; bhuineadh esan do na Brusaich: he belonged to the Bruces; ’s ann mun àm sin a chaidh Clach Sgàin a ghoid agus a thoirt a Lunnainn: it’s at about that time that the Stone of Scone was stolen and taken to London; chaidh X a shaoradh: X was freed; airson a shaorsa: for his freedom; bha aige ri sabaid às leth Eideird: he had to fight on behalf of Edward; an aghaidh na Frainge ann am Flànras: against France in Flanders; dh’ionnsaich e gun robh muinntir na h-Alba air èirigh an aghaidh Eideird: he learned that the people of Scotland had risen against Edward; fo cheannas Uilleim Uallais agus Anndra Mhoirich: under the leadership of William Wallace and Andrew de Moray; ’s e sin as coireach gum bi sinn ag ràdh: that is the reason we say; bha an aon mhac aige ann an Sasainn: his only son was in England; fo shèist aig Sir Anndra Moireach: under siege by Sir Andrew Murray (de Moray).

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Bha e ag iarraidh Alba a thoirt fo a smachd-san: he was wanting to bring Scotland under his control. The -san here after smachd is an emphatic suffix (think of the emphatic esan compared to e). Note that in the third person singular this is gender-dependent. If the English monarch had been a queen we would have required the feminine -se rather than the masculine -san i.e. fo a smachd-se ‘under her control’. You can work out the emphatic suffixes by thinking of the emphatic pronouns for each person – mise (it is -sa in this case); thusa (-sa); esan (-san); ise (-se); sinne (-ne); sibhse (-se); iadsan (-san).

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Thathar ag ràdh gun robh Iain Dubh Cuimeanach gu math diombach ri sin: it’s said that Black John Comyn was very upset at that.