Camerons of Callert
I was in Lochaber last week. I was in Lundavra, south of Fort William.
That’s where I still am this week.
On the north shore of Loch Leven is Callert. There is an estate house
there called
Taigh Challaird
or Callert House. West of that, near Onich, is Cuilcheanna. There is an
estate house there also, called
Taigh Chùil Cheanna or Cuilcheanna House.
Those two houses are very old. They were at one time owned by the
Camerons of Callert. I want to tell you about oral tradition connected
to that clan. In addition to Callert and Cuilcheanna, they also owned
the estate house in Lundavra.
It was the custom for Cameron chiefs to send their sons to school in
France. The laird of Lundavra had two legitimate sons. But he also had
an illegitimate son – one Angus. He didn’t receive an education in
France.
While the two legitimate sons were away, Angus grew hopeful that he
would get the estate after his father. One day, the laird got news that
his two sons were returning from France. He sent Angus to pick them up.
But Angus was jealous. He murdered the pair. .He buried the bodies in a
hollow called ‘the hollow of the dead’.
Eventually, people found out that it was Angus who murdered the boys.
But the laird didn’t expel him from the estate. Angus didn’t suffer at
all. The local people were certain that they would all be punished
sometime on account of that.
After years, the laird died. Because he didn’t have a legitimate son, it
was one of his brother’s or daughter’s sons [a nephew] who was the heir.
The new laird had five sons and two daughters. One of the daughters was
very famous. She was called Mary. Because the Camerons originally came from
Callert, people called her Mary of Callert. I’ll tell you more about Mary
in the next Litir.
Camshronaich Challaird
Bha mi ann an Loch Abar an t-seachdain sa chaidh. Bha mi ann an Lunn Dà
Bhrà, deas air a’ Ghearasdan. Sin far a bheil mi fhathast an t-seachdain
seo.
Air cladach a tuath Loch Lìobhainn, tha Callaird. Tha taigh mòr ann air a
bheil Taigh Challaird no Callert House. Gu siar air sin, faisg air
an Omhanaich, tha Cùil Cheanna. Tha taigh mòr an sin cuideachd, air a bheil
Taigh Chùil Cheanna no Cuilcheanna House.
Tha an dà thaigh sin gu math sean. Bha iad uaireigin le Camshronaich
Challaird. Tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu bheul-aithris co-cheangailte ris
a’ chinneadh sin. A bharrachd air Callaird agus Cùil Cheanna, bha an taigh
mòr aca ann an Lunn Dà Bhrà cuideachd.
Bha e na chleachdadh aig cinn-chinnidh nan Camshronach am mic a chur gu
sgoil anns an Fhraing. Bha dithis mhac dligheach aig uachdaran Lunn Dà
Bhrà. Ach bha mac dìolain aige cuideachd – fear Aonghas. Cha d’ fhuair esan
foghlam anns an Fhraing.
Fhad ʼs a bha an dithis mhac dligheach air falbh, dh’fhàs Aonghas dòchasach
gum faigheadh esan an oighreachd an dèidh athar. Latha a bha seo, fhuair an
t-uachdaran naidheachd gun robh a dhithis mhac a’ tilleadh bhon Fhraing.
Chuir e Aonghas gan iarraidh. Ach bha farmad air Aonghas. Mhuirt e an
dithis. Thiodhlaic e an cuirp ann an glac ris an canar Glac nam Marbh.
Tro thìde, fhuair daoine a-mach gur e Aonghas a mhuirt na balaich. Ach cha
do chuir an t-uachdaran às an oighreachd e. Cha do dh’fhuiling Aonghas
idir. Bha muinntir an àite cinnteach gun tigeadh peanas orra uile uair no
uaireigin air sgàth sin.
An dèidh bhliadhnaichean, chaochail an t-uachdaran. Leis nach robh mac
dligheach aige, b’ e fear de mhic a bhràthar no a phiuthar a bha na oighre.
Bha còignear mhac agus dithis nighean aig an uachdaran ùr. Bha tè de na
nigheanan gu math ainmeil. ʼS e Màiri a bha oirre. Leis gun tàinig na
Camshronaich à Callaird bho thùs, ʼs e Màiri Challaird a bha aig na daoine
oirre. Innsidh mi dhuibh tuilleadh mu Mhàiri anns an ath Litir.
