1253: Caisteal Chill Ràthaig (2)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
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Caisteal Chill Ràthaig (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Chaisteal Chill Ràthaig, agus mar a tha e a’ nochdadh air an t-seann mhapa aig Iain MacFhionnlaigh. Tha loidhne air a’ mhapa, a’ dol eadar Cùil Lodair agus Cill Ràthaig a tha ag ràdh ‘The Highlanders’ March in Order to Surprise the Duke in his Camp’. Tha dà loidhne an uair sin a’ dol air ais an rathad eile agus tha seo sgrìobhte orra: ‘The Highlanders’ March from Culraick to Culloden’.
Air a’ chòigeamh latha deug dhen Ghiblean, seachd ceud deug, ceathrad ʼs a sia (1746), bha armailt an riaghaltais a’ campachadh gu siar air Inbhir Narann. Bha iad air tighinn bhon taobh an ear.
Bha cùisean a’ dol ann am fàbhar an riaghaltais. Bha barrachd shaighdearan aca na bh’ aig na Seumasaich, bha armachd na b’ fheàrr aca, agus bha longan-cogaidh aca air acair faisg air Àird nan Saor. Bha biadh gu leòr aca, rud nach robh fìor mu arm nan Seumasach.
Air an fheasgar sin, mu thrì uairean, dh’aontaich na ceannardan Seumasach gun gabhadh iad brath air a’ chothrom a b’ fheàrr a bh’ aca buaidh a thoirt air armailt an riaghaltais. Bha iad a’ dol a thoirt ionnsaigh orra air an oidhche, gun fhiosta do na nàimhdean gun robh iad a’ tighinn. B’ e an latha sin an co-latha-breith aig ceannard arm an riaghaltais, Diùc Chumberland. Bha na Seumasaich an dùil gum biodh na saighdearan a’ gabhail deoch mar chomharra air an latha sin.
Dh’fhalbh na Seumasaich aig ochd uairean a dh’oidhche. Bha iad an dùil an ceann-uidhe a ruigsinn aig dà uair sa mhadainn nuair a bhiodh a’ chuid a bu mhotha de shaighdearan an riaghaltais nan cadal.
Ach cha deach cùisean gu math dhaibh. Bha iad a’ cumail air falbh bho bhailtean fearainn agus bha iad ro shlaodach anns an dorchadas. Aig dà uair sa mhadainn, bha iad pìos beag seachad air Caisteal Chill Ràthaig. Bha astar ri dhol fhathast agus rinn iad co-dhùnadh gun a bhith a’ leantainn orra. Thill iad a Chùil Lodair.
Mar a thuigeas sibh, bha na saighdearan Seumasach claoidhte. Bha an t-acras orra. Cha robh iad ann an sunnd airson sabaid air an làrna-mhàireach. Agus chaidh an latha sin leis an riaghaltas. Ach tha a’ chuid as motha de luchd-eachdraidh dhen bheachd nach robh na Seumasaich air a bhith soirbheachail an oidhche roimhe, co-dhiù. Bha luchd-brathaidh aig an nàimhdean agus bha fios aca gun robh armailt Sheumasach a’ tighinn gan ionnsaigh.
Nuair a bha Caisteal Chill Ràthaig fhathast ann an làmhan nan Ròsach, bha bobhla-puinse ainmeil aca. Bha iad a’ cumail a-mach gun do ghabh Teàrlach Òg Stiùbhart deoch às. Cha robh Ùisdean Ròsach, an t-uachdaran, na Sheumasach ach bha e aoigheil don Phrionnsa. Thathar ag ràdh gun do sheinn e port-fìdhle Eadailteach dha.
Beagan làithean an dèidh sin, an dèidh Blàr Chùil Lodair, thathar a’ cumail a-mach gun do thadhail Diùc Chumberland air a’ chaisteal. A rèir beul-aithris, dh’fhàg e paidhir bhòtannan ann. Cò aige tha fios cà’l na bòtannan a-nise.
Ma tha ùidh agaibh ann an eachdraidh na Gàidhealtachd, agus gu sònraichte ann an eachdraidh nan Seumasach, ʼs fhiach sùil a thoirt air Caisteal Chill Ràthaig on taobh a-muigh. Tha e le buidheann-charthannais Chrìosdail an-diugh, agus chan eil e fosgailte don mhòr-shluagh.
Faclan na Litreach: Caisteal Chill Ràthaig: Kilravock Castle; Iain MacFhionnlaigh: John Finlayson; co-latha-breith: birthday; claoidhte: exhausted; luchd-brathaidh: spies; aoigheil: hospitable; paidhir bhòtannan: a pair of boots; buidheann-charthannais Chrìosdail: a Christian charity.
Abairtean na Litreach: bha armailt an riaghaltais a’ campachadh gu siar air Inbhir Narann: the government army was camping west of Nairn; bha barrachd shaighdearan aca na bh’ aig na Seumasaich: they had more soldiers than the Jacobites had; bha longan-cogaidh aca air acair faisg air Àird nan Saor: they had warships at anchor near Ardersier; rud nach robh fìor mu arm nan Seumasach: something that wasn’t true about the Jacobite army; [an cothrom] a b’ fheàrr a bh’ aca buaidh a thoirt air armailt an riaghaltais: the best opportunity they had for victory over the government army; gun fhiosta do na nàimhdean gun robh iad a’ tighinn: without the enemies knowing they were coming; a’ gabhail deoch mar chomharra air an latha sin: taking a drink to mark that day; an dùil an ceann-uidhe a ruigsinn aig dà uair sa mhadainn: expecting to reach their destination at two o’clock in the morning; cha deach cùisean gu math dhaibh: things didn’t go well for them; a’ cumail air falbh bho bhailtean fearainn: keeping away from farms; ro shlaodach anns an dorchadas: too slow in the darkness; pìos beag seachad air: a short distance past; bha astar ri dhol fhathast: there was still a way to go; rinn iad co-dhùnadh gun a bhith a’ leantainn orra: they decided not to continue; cha robh iad ann an sunnd airson sabaid air an làrna-mhàireach: they weren’t mentally conditioned to fight the next day; nach robh X air a bhith soirbheachail an oidhche roimhe, co-dhiù: that X wouldn’t have been successful the previous night, anyway; ann an làmhan nan Ròsach: in the hands of the Roses; gun do sheinn e port-fìdhle Eadailteach: that he played an Italian violin tune; cò aige tha fios: who knows; ʼs fhiach sùil a thoirt air: it’s worth looking at.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: thathar a’ cumail a-mach gun do thadhail Diùc Chumberland air a’ chaisteal: it is maintained that the Duke of Cumberland visited the castle. Thathar with a verbal noun is a really useful way of constructing a present passive. The dialectal form thathas means the same. Thathar a’ togail taigh shìos an rathad ‘a house is being built down the road’; thathar a’ mìneachadh an t-seanfhacail aig an deireadh ‘the proverb is explained at the end’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: gun gabhadh iad brath air: that they would take advantage of.
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Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 949
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