824: Caisteal Eilean Donnain (2)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Caisteal Eilean Donnain (2)
Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Chaisteal Eilean Donnain. ’S iomadh stòiridh a tha co-cheangailte ris. Thathar ag ràdh gun robh ceann-cinnidh Clann ’ic Mhathain a’ fuireach ann ri linn Rìgh Alasdair II. Fhuair an ceann-cinnidh comas cainnt nan eun a thuigsinn. Thug sinn buannachdan dha. Chaidh e a-null thairis far an do rinn e fortan. Nuair a thill e a dh’Alba, dh’iarr an Rìgh air caisteal a thogail air Eilean Donnain airson a bhith a’ dìon na rìoghachd.
A rèir eachdraidh Clann ’ic Coinnich bha smachd aig an fhine sin air an eilean anns an treas linn deug. Ann an dà cheud deug, seasgad ’s a sia (1266), ann an Co-chòrdadh Pheairt, leig na Lochlannaich seachad an smachd air taobh an iar na h-Alba. Bha Iarla Rois ag iarraidh Caisteal Eilean Donnain dha fhèin, ach dhìon Clann ’ic Coinnich e. Thathar ag ràdh cuideachd gun robh am Brusach a’ fuireach ann thairis air a’ gheamhradh ann an trì cheud deug ’s a sia (1306) agus trì cheud deug ’s a seachd (1307).
Anns a’ cheathramh linn deug, nochd Clann ’ic Rath ann an Cinn Tàile. Ghabh Clann ’ic Coinnich earbsa annta, agus ’s iad Clann ’ic Rath a bha a’ dìon a’ chaisteil bho sin a-mach. Tha ceangal eadar an caisteal agus Clann ’ic Rath chun an latha an-diugh.
Chaidh a sgrios anns an ochdamh linn deug. Bha na Spàinntich a’ toirt taic do na Seumasaich ann an seachd ceud deug is naoi-deug (1719). Bha dùil gun tigeadh deich mìle saighdear Spàinnteach don Ghàidhealtachd airson a bhith an sàs ann an ar-a-mach. Thàinig armailt bheag de thrì cheud dhiubh a Loch Dubhthaich anns a’ Ghiblean. Ghabh iad smachd air Caisteal Eilean Donnain, ged a bha an togalach ann an droch staid.
Bha feachdan an riaghaltais air an tòir. Nochd trì soithichean cogaidh anns an loch anns a’ Chèitean. Thug iad ionnsaigh air a’ chaisteal len gunnaichean mòra. Nuair a fhuair iad grèim air a’ chaisteal, fhuair iad a-mach gun robh a’ chuid a bu mhotha de na saighdearan Spàinnteach air teicheadh. Leig iad an caisteal gu làr le seachd air fhichead baraillean fùdair-gunna. Air an deicheamh latha dhen Ògmhios rinn armailt Bhreatannach a’ chùis air a’ chòrr de na Spàinntich ann am Blàr Ghleann Seile – faisg air beinn air a bheil ‘Sgùrr nan Spàinnteach’.
Bha an caisteal na thobhta chun an fhicheadamh linn. Eadar deireadh a’ Chiad Chogaidh agus naoi ceud deug, trithead ’s a dhà (1932), rinn an Lt. Coirneal Iain MacRath-Gilstrap ath-thogail air. ’S fìor thoigh le luchd-turais an t-àite. Cha chreid mi nach e Eilean Donnain an treas caisteal Albannach as motha dhan tèid luchd-turais.
An-uiridh, bha mi fhìn ’s a’ bhean agam a’ cur seachad beagan làithean air a’ Chomraich. Cosgaidh e uair a thìde is cairteal dràibheadh eadar a’ Chomraich agus Eilean Donnain agus chan eil rathad dìreach ann eatarra. Co-dhiù, bha a’ bhean agam air a cois tràth, agus air chuairt a-muigh, nuair a stad càr ri a taobh. Bha seo aig sia uairean sa mhadainn. Dh’fhosgail tè – neach-turais à dùthaich chèin – uinneag, agus dh’fhaighnich i, ‘An e seo an rathad gu Eilean Donnain?’ Uaireannan, tha mapa no sat-nav gu math feumail!
Faclan na Litreach: Eilean Donnain: Eilean Donan; buannachdan: advantages; Co-chòrdadh Pheairt: The Treaty of Perth; am Brusach: [Robert] the Bruce; ar-a-mach: rebellion; Blàr Ghleann Seile: the Battle of Glenshiel.
Abairtean na Litreach: ’S iomadh stòiridh a tha co-cheangailte ris: many stories are connected to it; fhuair an ceann-cinnidh comas cainnt nan eun a thuigsinn: the clan chief obtained the ability to understand the speech of birds; chaidh e a-null thairis; he went overseas; bha smachd aig an fhine sin air X: that clan controlled X; nochd Clann ’ic Rath ann an Cinn Tàile: Clan MacRae appeared in Kintail; ghabh Clann ’ic Coinnich earbsa annta: the MacKenzies trusted them; chaidh a sgrios: it was destroyed; bha na Spàinntich a’ toirt taic do na Seumasaich:the Spanish were assisting the Jacobites; bha dùil gun tigeadh deich mìle saighdear:it was expected that ten thousand soldiers would come; bha feachdan an riaghaltais air an tòir: government forces were in pursuit of them; trì soithichean cogaidh: three warships; anns a’ Chèitean: in May; thug iad ionnsaigh air a’ chaisteal len gunnaichean mòra: they attacked the castle with their big guns; gun robh a’ chuid a bu mhotha de na saighdearan air teicheadh: that most of the soldiers had fled; leig iad an caisteal gu làr le seachd air fhichead baraillean fùdair-gunna: they destroyed the castle with 27 barrels of gunpowder; rinn armailt Bhreatannach a’ chùis air X: a British force defeated X; bha an caisteal na thobhta chun an fhicheadamh linn: the castle was a ruin until the 20th century; an treas caisteal Albannach as motha dhan tèid luchd-turais: the third most visited Scottish castle; cosgaidh e uair a thìde is cairteal dràibheadh eadar a’ Chomraich agus Eilean Donnain:it takes an hour and a quarter to drive between Applecross and Eilean Donan; neach-turais à dùthaich chèin: a tourist from a foreign country.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: ceann-cinnidh Clann ’ic Mhathain: the clan chief of the Mathesons. When we use clann to mean ‘clan’, it is followed by the genitive form of the clan’s name and can take two forms, including or excluding ‘mac’. In some clan names, both forms are used eg Clann ’ic Coinnich or Clann Choinnich (MacKenzies). In some, only the ‘mac’ form is used eg Clann ’ic Leòid (MacLeods), Clann ’ic Aoidh (Mackays), Clann ’ic Rath (MacRaes). In others the ‘mac’ form is not used eg Clann Dòmhnaill (MacDonalds), Clann an Toisich (MacIntoshes).
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: bha a’ bhean agam air a cois tràth: my wife was up early.
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.
Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 520
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn