大象传媒

An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha sinn ann am Baile Cheatharnach, faisg air Loch Nis. 鈥橲 e sin a chanadh m貌ran daoine anns an ochdamh linn deug ris an sg矛re faisg air Abhainn Fharragaig.

Gu tric, gu h-脿raidh an d猫idh Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair, bha fir 脿 Baile Cheatharnach air an d矛teadh airson crodh a ghoid. Ach chan e crodh a-mh脿in. Ann an seachd ceud deug, leth-cheud 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1753) nochd fear Alasdair Fearghasdan anns an taigh-ch霉irte ann an Inbhir Nis. Bha e fo chasaid gun do ghoid e muilt, uain agus cl貌imh bho Mhac an T貌isich, Fear an Tuilm. Fhuaireadh fear eile, Iain Friseal, ciontach de bhith a鈥� goid each. Thuirt na h-霉ghdarrasan gun do dh鈥檃idich e a chiont. Ach anns a鈥� ch霉irt chaidh a r脿dh gur e nach robh Beurla aige fh猫in is nach robh G脿idhlig na h-霉ghdarrasan a bu choireach ris a鈥� 鈥渕h矛-thuigse鈥� sin.

Cha robh muinntir an 脿ite fh猫in saor bho eucoir. Chaidh each a ghoid turas bho thuathanach ann am Bail鈥� a鈥� Chreagain. Chaidh bliadhna seachad agus cha chualas guth air an each. An uair sin, aig a鈥� Bhliadhn鈥� 脵ir, nochd an t-each aig an doras. Bha e a鈥� gi霉lain botail de dh鈥檜isge-beatha. Tha e coltach gun robh e air a bhith a鈥� gi霉lain uisge-beatha eadar diofar sg矛rean agus gun do theich e dhachaigh.

Tha am fiosrachadh seo a鈥� tighinn bho dh脿 leabhar 鈥� fear le Ailean B Lawson air a bheil A Country Called Stratherrick agus leabhran a chuireadh ri ch猫ile leis an uachdaran, Niall Friseal-Tytler, anns na ficheadan dhen fhicheadamh linn. Bha sin gu m貌r st猫idhichte air fiosrachadh bho Sheumas Gobha. Rugadh Seumas ann an ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1803), agus chaochail e ann an naoi ceud deug 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1903). Bha cuimhne mhath aige chun an latha a chaochail e. 鈥橲 e am ministear ainmeil, an Dr T貌mas Sinton, Ministear Durais, a chruinnich m貌ran de na naidheachdan aige.

Bha athair Sheumais na threabhaiche ann am Baile an Lagain, faisg air D霉n Dearduil. 脌s d猫idh Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair, bha seanair Sheumais am falach ann an uamh airson tr矛 seachdainean deug, fhad 鈥檚 a bha na saighdearan dearga a鈥� d猫anamh sgrios thall 鈥檚 a-bhos. Bha c貌ig balaich dheug c貌mhla anns an uaimh, oir bha muinntir an 脿ite air cluinntinn gun robh na saighdearan a鈥� murt balaich, eadhon san leabaidh.

Bha sinn-seanmhair Sheumais na banntrach. Nuair a chuala i gun robh na saighdearan dearga a鈥� tighinn dl霉th, dh鈥檌arr i air buachaille na sia b脿 bainne aice a thoirt air falbh. Ach thachair am buachaille ris na saighdearan. Mharbh na saighdearan an crodh air fad.

Nuair a bha Seumas fh猫in na ghille, fhuair e obair aig a鈥� Choirneal Lester, a bhiodh a鈥� tighinn a shealg ann an Srath Fharragaig. Bha oighreachd aig a鈥� Choirneal Lester ann an Ceant, agus bhiodh Seumas a鈥� dol ann gu tric. Ach, 脿s d猫idh greis, thill e don Gh脿idhealtachd agus cha do dh鈥檉halbh e a-rithist. Bha e an s脿s gu m貌r ann an gn矛omhachas an uisge-bheatha 鈥� ged nach robh cead laghail aige sin a dh猫anamh!

Bha tri霉ir bhr脿ithrean aige agus, a dh鈥檃indeoin na thachair leis na saighdearan dearga nan 貌ige, chaidh iad uile don arm. Bha aon bhr脿thair na fhreiceadan aig uaigh Napoleon ann an St Helena fad c貌ig bliadhna. Bhiodh e ag innse mar a chaith Napoleon snaoisean gu le貌r 鈥� tr矛 puinnd de chuideam dheth 鈥� fhad 鈥檚 a bha e a鈥� coimhead Bl脿r Bhatairli霉, leis gu robh a鈥� ghaoth l脿idir ga sh猫ideadh air falbh!

Faclan na Litreach: ciontach: guilty; Duras: Dores (village on Loch Ness); treabhaiche: ploughman; dl霉th: close; Ceant: Kent; freiceadan: guard.

Abairtean na Litreach: Baile Cheatharnach: literally 鈥渢ownship of freebooters鈥�; Abhainn Fharragaig: River Farigaig; gu h-脿raidh an d猫idh Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair: particularly following the Battle of Culloden; bha fir air an d矛teadh: men were convicted; chan e crodh a-mh脿in: not only cattle; fo chasaid gun do ghoid e muilt, uain agus cl貌imh: accused of stealing wedders, lambs and wool; gun do dh鈥檃idich e a chiont: that he admitted his guilt; chaidh a r脿dh gur e nach robh Beurla aige: it was said that it was [because] he did not speak English; a bu choireach ris a鈥� 鈥渕h矛-thuigse鈥�: that was responsible for the 鈥渕isunderstanding鈥�; saor bho eucoir: free from [suffering] crime; cha chualas guth air: nothing was heard of; a鈥� gi霉lain botail de dh鈥檜isge-beatha: carrying bottles of whisky; leabhran a chuireadh ri ch猫ile leis an uachdaran: a booklet that was compiled by the landlord; Seumas Gobha: James Gow; a chruinnich m貌ran de na naidheachdan aige: who collected many of his anecdotes; fhad 鈥檚 a bha na saighdearan dearga a鈥� d猫anamh sgrios: while the redcoat soldiers were engaged in atrocities; bha sinn-seanmhair Sheumais na banntrach: James鈥檚 great-grandmother was a widow; dh鈥檌arr i air buachaille na sia b脿 bainne aice a thoirt air falbh: she asked a herdsman to take her six milking cows away; ged nach robh cead laghail aige: although he did not have legal authority; a dh鈥檃indeoin na thachair: despite what happened; mar a chaith Napoleon snaoisean: how Napoleon used snuff; tr矛 puinnd de chuideam dheth: three pounds weight of it; Bl脿r Bhatairli霉: the Battle of Waterloo; leis gu robh a鈥� ghaoth ga sh猫ideadh air falbh: because the wind was blowing it away.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: bho Mhac an T貌isich, Fear an Tuilm: from Mackintosh, the laird of Holm (then just to the south of Inverness, now a suburb of the city). When you see Fear with a capital letter, followed by a name of a place in the genitive case, it traditionally means the 鈥渓aird鈥� or 鈥渓andlord鈥� (although it is rarely used for contemporary landlords.) Other examples are Fear na Comraich (the laird of Applecross in Wester Ross), Fear Thalaisgeir (the laird of Talisker in Skye) and Fear Chanaigh (the late laird of the Isle of Canna, John Lorne Campbell, who died in 1996).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Bha sin gu m貌r st猫idhichte air fiosrachadh bho Sheumas Gobha: that was largely based on information from James Gow.