Â鶹ԼÅÄ

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Anndra Moireach. Bha e beò o chionn seachd ceud bliadhna. Bha caisteal aige faisg air Abhach anns an Eilean Dubh. 

Anns a’ Chèitean dà cheud deug, naochad ʼs a seachd (1297), bha coinneamh ann an Caisteal Inbhir Nis. An làthair, bha ceannardan Sasannach ann an ceann a tuath na h-Alba. Nam measg, bha Constabal Caisteal Urchardain, faisg air Druim na Drochaid. B’ esan Sir Uilleam Fitzwarine. 

An dèidh na coinneimh, chaidh Fitzwarine agus a chompanaich dhachaigh. Bha Anndra Moireach agus feadhainn eile a’ feitheamh riutha. Faisg air ceann a tuath Loch Nis, thug iad ionnsaigh air Fitzwarine. A rèir beul-aithris, thachair e ann an àite ris an canar Innis a’ Chatha.

Theich Fitzwarine le a bheatha. Lean am Moireach e gu Caisteal Urchardain. Thug e ionnsaigh air a’ chaisteal ach cha robh e soirbheachail. Thill e a Mhoireibh. Ghabh e thairis a h-uile caisteal an sin a bha ann an làmhan nan Sasannach. 

Bha Rìgh Eideard a’ call a smachd air Alba. Aig deireadh an t-samhraidh, cha robh ach aon chaisteal na làmhan tuath air a’ mhachair Ghallta. B’ e sin Dùn Dè. Thàinig na feachdan aig Anndra Moireach agus Uilleam Uallas còmhla. Chuir iad Caisteal Dhùn Dè fo shèist. 

Chuir na Sasannaich armailt ri chèile. Chaidh am Moireach agus Uallas gu ruige Drochaid Shruighlea airson coinneachadh riutha. Rinn iad a’ chùis air na Sasannaich.

Carson nach eil am Moireach cho ainmeil ri Uallas? Uill, cha robh e beò fada an dèidh Cath Drochaid Shruighlea. Chuir ceannardan na h-Alba dà litir a-mach mìos an dèidh a’ chatha. Bha Anndra Moireach air ainmeachadh annta mar fhear de cheannardan na h-Alba. Ach, an dèidh sin, chan eil ainm a’ nochdadh a-rithist. ʼS dòcha gun deach a leòn aig a’ chath agus gun do chaochail e às dèidh làimhe.

Rinn Mel Gibson gaisgeach de Uallas anns a’ film Braveheart. Ach cò nach do nochd idir ann? Seadh, Anndra Moireach. Cha robh sgeul air sa film. ’S dòcha gu bheil an t-àm againn barrachd aire a thoirt dha. 

I was telling you about Andrew [de] Murray. He lived seven hundred years ago. He had a castle near Avoch on the Black Isle.

In May 1297, there was a meeting in Inverness Castle. Present were the English leaders in the north of Scotland. Among them was the Constable of Castle Urquhart near Drumnadrochit. He was Sir William Fitzwarine.

After the meeting, Fitzwarine and his companions went home. Andrew Murray and some others were waiting for them. Near the northern end of Loch Ness, they attacked Fitzwarine. According to oral tradition, it happened in a place called Battlefield.

Fitzwarine fled to save himself. De Moray followed him to Castle Urquhart. He attacked the castle but wasn’t successful. He returned to Moray. He captured every castle there that was in English hands.

King Edward was losing his control of Scotland. At the end of the summer, there was only one castle in their hands north of the Central Belt. That was Dundee. The forces of Andrew de Moray and William Wallace combined. They besieged Dundee Castle.

The English put together an army. De Moray and Wallace went to Stirling Bridge to meet them. They defeated the English.

Why is de Moray not as famous as Wallace? Well, he didn’t live long after the Battle of Stirling Bridge. The leaders of Scotland sent out two letters a month after the battle. Andrew de Moray was named in them as one of the leaders of Scotland, But, after that, his name does not appear again. Perhaps he was wounded at the battle and died shortly after.

Mel Gibson made a hero of Wallace in the film Braveheart. But who did not appear at all in it? Aye, Andrew de Moray. There was no mention of him in the film. Perhaps it’s time we paid him more attention.