麻豆约拍

Ann an ceithir cheud deug, fichead 鈥檚 a seachd (1427) dh鈥檌arr R矛gh na h-Alba, Seumas I, air na cinn-chinnidh Gh脿idhealach coinneachadh ris ann an Inbhir Nis. Bha na cinn-chinnidh a鈥� smaoineachadh gum biodh an R矛gh a鈥� cur f脿ilte orra. Ach 鈥檚 ann air a鈥� chaochladh a bha e. Chaidh na ceannardan G脿idhealach a chur an gr猫im. Chaidh feadhainn dhiubh a chur gu b脿s air a鈥� chroich. An 脿ite a bhith a鈥� ci霉ineachadh ch霉isean eadar an Riaghaltas agus na fineachan, rinn an R矛gh m貌ran na bu mhiosa iad.

B鈥� e an ceann-cinnidh a bu chumhachdaiche aig an 脿m Alasdair mac Dh貌mhnaill 鈥檌c E貌in 鈥檌c Aonghais 脪ig 鈥� ceann-cinnidh nan D貌mhnallach agus Tighearna nan Eilean. Seo na sgr矛obh Aonghas MacCoinnich mun ghnothach anns an leabhar aige Eachdraidh na h-Alba, a chaidh a chur an cl貌 ann an ochd ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a seachd (1867):

鈥淏ha Aonghas Dubh MacAoidh agus Alasdair D貌mhnallach, Morair nan Eilean, agus a mh脿thair, ban-Iarla Rois, am measg na muinntir a chuireadh an l脿imh. Chuireadh iad sin uile fo dheuchainn airson am beatha, agus chaidh an fheadhainn a bu ro chiontaiche dhiubh a chur gu b脿s. Fhuair Fear nan Eilean 鈥檚 Aonghas Dubh cead an cois鈥�, an d猫idh an cumail greis nam pr矛osanaich. Ach b鈥� 猫iginn do dh鈥橝onghas a mhac, Niall, a thoirt seachad mar gheall air gun cumadh e an t-s矛th an d猫idh sin. Rinneadh pr矛osanach de Niall san sgeir mhara ris an abrar am Bas, far an do chumadh 脿ireamh bhliadhnachan e, 鈥檚 airson an d鈥� fhuair e an t-ainm Niall Basa MacAoidh.

鈥淒h鈥櫭╥rich Alasdair D貌mhnallach nan Eilean an ceannairc a-rithist cho luath 鈥檚 a thill an R矛gh don taobh deas. Thog e deich m矛le duine anns na h-eileanan agus ann an Ros; leis an fheachd l脿idir seo loisg agus dh鈥檉h脿saich e roinn mh貌r dhen d霉thaich, agus gu h-脿raidh fearann a鈥� Chr霉in, ris an robh fearg mh貌r aige. Agus loisg e gu l脿r baile Inbhir Nis, a bha na bhaile r矛oghail.鈥�

Chuir an R矛gh arm eile ri ch猫ile agus rinn e air Loch Abar. Thr猫ig na Camshronaich agus Clann Chatain Alasdair agus bha e follaiseach dha nach b鈥� urrainn dha seasamh an aghaidh an R矛gh. Gh猫ill e agus chaidh a chur don phr矛osan ann an Tuntalla ann an Lodainn. Bha seo ann an ceithir cheud deug, fichead 鈥檚 a naoi (1429).

Ach cha robh ar-a-mach nan D貌mhnallach seachad. Chuir caraid aig Alasdair, D貌mhnall Ballach, feachd ri ch猫ile. Thachair i ri arm an R矛gh, a bha fo smachd Iarla Mh脿rr is Iarla Ghallaibh, ann an Inbhir L貌chaidh as t-Sultain ceithir cheud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a h-aon (1431). Thug na D貌mhnallaich buaidh.

Bidh cuimhne agaibh anns an d脿n 鈥橲 Math an C貌caire an t-Acras gun do mhol Iarla Mh脿rr fear 脫 Birein a thug cuid-oidhche dha ann an Loch Abar 鈥� agus gun do chuir e f脿ilte mh貌r air anns a鈥� chaisteal aige ann an Cionn Droma ann an Siorrachd Obar Dheathain. Uill, ma chuir, cha robh ach ceithir bliadhna aige airson sin, oir chaochail e ann an ceithir cheud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1435).

Anns an leabhar Inverness and the MacDonalds, tha Evan Barron ag innse dhuinn gun do chaochail an t-iarla anns a鈥� bhliadhna sin ann an Inbhir Nis. 鈥橲 d貌cha gun deach f脿ilte a chur air 脫 Birein ann an Inbhir Nis, seach Cionn Droma. Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 mu dheidhinn sin. Ach tha Barron ag r脿dh gun deach an t-iarla a thiodhlacadh ann an Cladh nam Manach anns a鈥� bhaile ceithir bliadhna 脿s d猫idh dha fuarag e貌rna a ghabhail a-mach 脿s a鈥� bhr貌ig aige fh猫in, agus an t-acras air.

Faclan na Litreach: fineachan: clans; Inbhir L貌chaidh: Inverlochy; cuid-oidhche: a night鈥檚 lodging; Cionn Droma: Kildrummy.

Abairtean na Litreach: dh鈥檌arr Seumas I air na cinn-chinnidh Gh脿idhealach coinneachadh ris: James I asked the Highland clan chiefs to meet with him; 鈥檚 ann air a鈥� chaochladh a bha e: it was otherwise; chaidh X a chur an gr猫im: X was arrested; chaidh feadhainn dhiubh a chur gu b脿s air a鈥� chroich: some of them were put to death on the gibbet; a鈥� ci霉ineachadh ch霉isean: calming matters; Tighearna [also Morair] nan Eilean: The Lord of the Isles; am measg na muinntir a chuireadh an l脿imh: among the people who were apprehended; an fheadhainn a bu ro chiontaiche dhiubh: those of them who were most guilty; b鈥� 猫iginn do dh鈥橝onghas a mhac a thoirt seachad mar gheall air gun cumadh e an t-s矛th: Angus had to give over his son as a pledge that he would keep the peace; dh鈥櫭╥rich Alasdair an ceannairc a-rithist cho luath 鈥檚 a thill an R矛gh don taobh deas: Alasdair recommenced his rebellion as soon as the King returned to the south; loisg agus dh鈥檉h脿saich e roinn mh貌r: he burned and cleared a large part; fearann a鈥� Chr霉in: Crown land; loisg e gu l脿r: he burned to the ground; thr猫ig na Camshronaich agus Clann Chatain Alasdair: the Camerons and Clan Chattan abandoned Alasdair; bha e follaiseach dha nach b鈥� urrainn dha seasamh an aghaidh: it was obvious that he couldn鈥檛 stand against; Tuntalla ann an Lodainn: Tantallon in Lothian; fo smachd Iarla Mh脿rr is Iarla Ghallaibh: under the control of the Earl of M脿rr and the Earl of Caithness; thug na D貌mhnallaich buaidh: the MacDonalds were victorious; gun do chaochail an t-iarla: that the earl died; 脿s d猫idh dha fuarag e貌rna a ghabhail a-mach 脿s a鈥� bhr貌ig aige fh猫in: after he had eaten barley brose out of his own shoe.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Rinneadh pr矛osanach de Niall san [ie anns an] sgeir mhara ris an abrar am Bas: Neil was made a prisoner on the sea rock called the Bass. Just a little reminder that the preposition ann [an] can sometimes be used where 鈥渙n鈥� (rather than 鈥渋n鈥�) would be employed in English. Common examples are anns a鈥� mhonadh (on the hill) and anns an eilean (on the island) eg bha mi san Eilean Sgitheanach (I was on Skye). In the 21st Century many might prefer to say air an sgeir to anns an sgeir but clearly the latter was preferred by Angus Mackenzie in the mid-19th Century.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: Fhuair Fear nan Eilean 鈥檚 Aonghas Dubh cead an cois鈥�: the Lord of the Isles and Black Angus were freed [lit. they got permission of (to use) their legs.]