The blonde-haired boy and the gold
Shortly after the Battle of
Culloden, two vessels appeared in
Loch Ewe. They were going to meet
a messenger. The messenger had
French gold. The gold was for the
Prince who was hiding in the
Highlands. But the messenger
didn’t appear. The vessels sailed
away.
Shortly after that, a local man,
Hector Cross, was at his shieling
near Letterewe. A young High
lander with yellow hair came to his
shieling bothy. Hector and his
family gave him shelter. The
yellow-haired lad gave them gold.
The news spread that he had gold.
The lad stayed a night with
Hector and his family. He left next
morning. Shortly after that, there
was a gunshot. The lad’s body was
found. There was no sign of the
gold.
It came out that the yellow-
haired lad was working for Bonnie
Prince Charlie. He was on the way
to Loch Ewe with the gold. He was
going to meet the vessels that put
into the loch. But he was late.
The Prince still needed gold,
however. And a man from the area
got part of the French gold for him.
He was Duncan MacRae of Isle
Ewe. Duncan was loyal to the
Prince. He was with him at
Culloden. After the battle, he
helped the Prince to escape.
Duncan was going to give him the
gold when he had an opportunity.
It was dangerous for him to
have gold, however. The British
[red] army was in pursuit of the
Prince across the Highlands.
Duncan and two others took a pot
full of gold across Loch Ewe from
Mellon Charles to Cove. From
there, they took the pot to Locha
Druing. They hid it there in a
hollow behind the loch, which is
called Am Feadan Mòr.
They didn’t need to put the pot
deep below the ground. Duncan
had the power of charms. He made
the pot invisible. But that also
created a difficulty. Because how
would the Jacobites find it? We’ll
see what happened next week.
An Gille Buidhe agus an t-Òr
Beagan às dèidh Blàr Chùil Lodair,
nochd dà shoitheach ann an Loch Iùbh.
Bha iad a’ dol a choinneachadh ri
teachdaire. Bha òr Frangach aig an
teachdaire. Bha an t-òr airson a’
Phrionnsa, a bha am falach air a’
Ghàidhealtachd. Ach cha do nochd an
teachdaire. Sheòl na soithichean air
falbh.
Goirid às dèidh sin, bha fear de
mhuinntir an àite, Eachann Cross, aig
àirigh faisg air Leitir Iùbh. Thàinig
Gàidheal òg le falt buidhe don bhothan-
àirigh aige. Thug Eachann agus a
theaghlach fasgadh dha. Thug an gille
buidhe òr dhaibh. Sgaoil an naidheachd
gun robh òr aige.
Dh’fhuirich an gille oidhche
còmhla ri Eachann ’s a theaghlach.
Dh’fhalbh e an ath mhadainn. Goirid às
dèidh sin, bha brag gunna ann. Chaidh
corp a’ ghille a lorg. Cha robh sgeul air
an òr.
Thàinig e a-mach gun robh an
gille buidhe ag obair do Theàrlach Òg
Stiùbhart. Bha e air an rathad a Loch
Iùbh leis an òr. Bha e a’ dol a choinneachadh ris na soithichean a chuir a-
steach don loch. Ach bha e fadalach.
Bha am Prionnsa fhathast feumach air òr, ge-tà. Agus fhuair fear às an
sgìre sin pàirt dhen òr Fhrangach air a
shon. B’ esan Donnchadh MacRath à
Eilean Iùbh. Bha Donnchadh dìleas don
Phrionnsa. Bha e còmhla ris aig Cùil
Lodair. Às dèidh a’ bhatail, thug e taic
don Phrionnsa faighinn air falbh. Bha
Donnchadh a’ dol a thoirt an òir dha
nuair a bha cothrom aige.
Bha e cunnartach an t-òr a bhith
aige, ge-tà. Bha an t-arm dearg an tòir
air a’ Phrionnsa air feadh na
Gàidhealtachd. Thug Donnchadh is
dithis eile poit làn òir tarsainn Loch
Iùbh bho Mheallan Theàrlaich gu ruige
an Uamhghaidh, no Cove. Às a sin,
thug iad a’ phoit gu Locha Druing.
Chuir iad am falach i ann an sloc air cùl
an locha, ris an canar Am Feadan Mòr.
Cha leigeadh iad a leas a’ phoit a
chur gu domhainn fon talamh. Bha an
seun aig Donnchadh. Rinn esan a’ phoit
do-fhaicsinneach. Ach bha sin na
dhuilgheadas cuideachd. Oir ciamar a
bhiodh na Seumasaich ga lorg? Chì
sinn dè thachair an-ath-sheachdain.
