Balmoral
Creag nam Ban is near Balmoral.
That’s in Aberdeenshire. It’s
beside the River Dee. And it’s
above Abergeldie Castle. Creag
nam Ban means “the rocky hill of
the women”. People say that
witches were burned to death
there. People still remember the
name of one of the witches – Kitty
Rankine.
Kitty’s mother had the
second-sight. Kitty also had the
second-sight. She got work in the
castle. She was working for the
lady [of the house]. The laird – the
lady’s husband – was away
overseas.
One day the lady said to
Kitty, “I hear that you have the
second-sight. Tell me what my
husband is doing.”
Kitty got a basin of water.
She looked in the water. She saw
the laird sporting with other women overseas. She told the lady that.
The lady was angry. She
asked Kitty to raise a big storm at
sea – where her husband was returning on board a ship. But
Kitty didn’t have powers like that.
She only had the second-sight.
But, as it happened, a storm
arose by chance. The laird’s ship
was at sea. The ship sank. The
laird was drowned.
When the lady heard the news
she was not pleased. She was
angry. She said that Kitty was a
witch. She said that Kitty killed her
husband. Kitty was burned to
death on Creag nam Ban.
Creag nam Ban is not
particularly high. It’s just a little
over five hundred metres. But the
wind that blows at her summit, it’s
rough and strong – and noisy.
Some people say that it’s not the
wind that is heard, however. They
said that is Kitty Rankine’s
screaming. Her ghost still lives at
the summit of Creag nam Ban
Both Mhoireil
Tha Creag nam Ban faisg air Both
Mhoireil. Tha sin ann an Siorrachd
Obar Dheathain. Tha e ri taobh Uisge
Dè. Agus tha e os cionn Caisteal Obar
Gheallaidh, no Abergeldie Castle. Tha
Creag nam Ban a’ ciallachadh the
rocky hill of the women. Tha daoine ag
ràdh gun robh bana-bhuidsichean air
an losgadh gu bàs ann. Tha daoine
fhathast a’ cuimhneachadh ainm tè de
na bana-bhuidsichean – Ciotaidh
NicFhraing.
Bha an dà-shealladh aig màthair
Ciotaidh. Bha an dà-shealladh aig
Ciotaidh cuideachd. Fhuair i obair anns
a’ chaisteal. Bha i ag obair don bhean-uasal. Bha an t-uachdaran – an duine
aig a’ bhean-uasal – air falbh thall
thairis.
Latha a bha seo, thuirt a’ bhean-uasal ri Ciotaidh, “Tha mi a’ cluinntinn
gu bheil an dà-shealladh agad. Innis
dhomh dè tha an duine agam a’
dèanamh.”
Fhuair Ciotaidh mias de
dh’uisge. Choimhead i anns an uisge.
Chunnaic i an t-uachdaran a’ sùgradh
ri boireannaich eile thall thairis.
Dh’innis i sin don bhean-uasal.
Bha a’ bhean-uasal feargach.
Dh’iarr i air Ciotaidh stoirm mhòr a
thòiseachadh aig muir – far an robh an
duine aice a’ tilleadh air bòrd long.
Ach cha robh cumhachdan mar sin aig
Ciotaidh. Bha dìreach an dà-shealladh
aice.
Ach, mar a thachair e, dh’èirich
stoirm le tuiteamas. Bha long an
uachdarain aig muir. Chaidh an long
fodha. Bha an t-uachdaran air a
bhàthadh.
Nuair a chuala a’ bhean-uasal
an naidheachd, cha robh i toilichte.
Bha i feargach. Thuirt i gur e bana-bhuidseach a bha ann an Ciotaidh.
Thuirt i gun do mharbh Ciotaidh an
duine aice. Bha Ciotaidh air a losgadh
gu bàs air Creag nam Ban.
Chan eil Creag nam Ban
uabhasach àrd. Tha i dìreach beagan is
còig ceud meatair. Ach a’ ghaoth a
shèideas air a mullach, tha i garbh is
làidir – agus fuaimneach. Tha cuid ag
ràdh nach e a’ ghaoth a thathar a’
cluinntinn, ge-tà. Tha iad ag ràdh gur e
sin an sgreuchail aig Ciotaidh NicFhraing. Tha an taibhs aice fhathast a’
fuireach air mullach Creag nam Ban.
