Robert the Bruce in Inverness (1)
In Litir 567, I was telling you about the Treaty of Perth. The treaty
brought to an end the Scandinavian control of the west of Scotland –
and the north-west, the islands and the Isle of Man as well. The
agreement was drawn up by Norwegian and Scottish representatives in
Perth. That was in the year 1266.
The treaty was between Alexander III, the King of Scotland, and the
King of Norway, Magnus IV. According to the agreement, Scotland was
paying four thousand merks and then a hundred merks every year.
Scotland got control of the lands I named, except Orkney and Shetland.
That wasn’t the end of the story for the Treaty of Perth. It was
ratified in Inverness when Robert the Bruce was king. He was present to
put his name to the document.
A form of the agreement – translated to English – is in the book
Invernessiana
. The book was put together by Charles Fraser-Mackintosh. The two teams
came together on the last day of October in 1312. In Scotland’s team,
in addition to the king, there were at least four bishops and three
earls. They all put their personal seals to the document.
The King of Norway,
H
åkon
V,
was not present. He was represented by an archbishop, two bishops, and
earl and two barons.
The agreement was not changed. Bruce confirmed that Scotland would meet
its obligations. It would send a hundred merks every year forever to
the King of Norway and his heirs. The money would be handed over at the
Feast of St John in St Magnus’s Church [Cathedral]. The old church is
still there – in Kirkwall in Orkney. Why would it happen there? Well,
Orkney still belonged to the King of Norway.
Does that mean that Scotland still sends a sum equivalent to a hundred
merks to Norway every year? We’ll look at that next week.
Am Brusach ann an Inbhir Nis (1)
Ann an Litir còig ceud, seasgad ’s a seachd (567), bha mi ag innse dhuibh
mu Cho-chòrdadh Pheairt. Thug an co-chòrdadh gu crìch an smachd aig na
Lochlannaich air taobh an iar na h-Alba – agus an iar-thuath, na h-eileanan
agus Eilean Mhanainn cuideachd. Chaidh an t-aonta a tharraing ri chèile le
riochdairean aig Nirribhidh agus Alba ann am Peairt. Bha sin anns a’
bhliadhna dà cheud deug, seasgad ’s a sia (1266).
Bha an co-chòrdadh eadar Alasdair III, Rìgh na h-Alba, agus Rìgh
Nirribhidh, Mànas IV. A rèir an aonta, bha Alba a’ pàigheadh ceithir mìle
marg agus an uair sin ceud marg gach bliadhna. Fhuair Alba smachd air na
tìrean a dh’ainmich mi, ach Arcaibh is Sealtainn.
Cha b’ e sin deireadh an sgeòil airson Co-chòrdadh Pheairt. Chaidh a
dhaingneachadh ann an Inbhir Nis nuair a bha Raibeart am Brusach na rìgh.
Bha esan an làthair airson ainm a chur ris an sgrìobhainn.
Tha dreach dhen aonta – air eadar-theangachadh gu Beurla – anns an leabhar Invernessiana. Chaidh an leabhar a chur ri chèile le Teàrlach
Friseal Mac an Tòisich. Thàinig an dà sgioba còmhla air an latha mu
dheireadh dhen Dàmhair ann an trì cheud deug ʼs a dhà-dheug (1312). Ann an
sgioba na h-Alba, a bharrachd air an rìgh, bha co-dhiù ceathrar easbaigean
agus triùir iarlan. Chuir iad uile an seulachan pearsanta ris an
sgrìobhainn.
Cha robh Rìgh Nirribhidh, Håkon V, an làthair. Bha esan air a riochdachadh
le àrd-easbaig, dithis easbaigean, iarla agus dithis bharan.
Cha deach an t-aonta atharrachadh. Dhearbh am Brusach gun cumadh Alba ris
na dleastanasan aice. Bhiodh i a’ cur ceud marg a h-uile bliadhna gu
sìorraidh gu Rìgh Nirribhidh agus oighrean. Bhiodh an t-airgead air a
thoirt seachad air Fèill Eòin ann an Eaglais an Naoimh Mhànais. Tha an
t-seann eaglais sin fhathast ann – ann am Baile na h-Eaglaise ann an
Arcaibh. Carson a thachradh e an sin? Uill, bhuineadh Arcaibh fhathast do
Rìgh Nirribhidh.
A bheil sin a’ ciallachadh gu bheil Alba fhathast a’ cur sùim co-ionann ri
ceud marg gu Nirribhidh gach bliadhna? Bheir sinn sùil air sin an
ath-sheachdain.
