Lady Lindsay
Do you know Glen Ericht in Perthshire? The River Ericht flows through
it. That’s the river that goes through Blairgowrie.
The River Ericht starts at Bridge of Cally, where the River Ardle and
the Black Water come together. South of Bridge of Cally, the river
flows through a ravine. There, there is ‘the raven’s crag’. On the
maps, this is written where the crag is: ‘Lady Lindsay’s Castle
(remains of)’.
Who was Lady Lindsay? Well, here is her story. Around the year 1489,
two brothers were in a castle in Strathardle. They were Alexander
Lindsay, the eldest son of the clan chief – the Earl of Crawford – and
his brother, John.
The brothers fell out with each other. They wielded weapons against
each other. Alexander was wounded. He was lying in his bed afterwards.
His wife put a pillow on his face to suffocate him.
His wife was Janet Gordon, a daughter of the Earl of Huntly. Her mother
was a daughter of King James I. As soon as Alexander Lindsay was out of
the way, Janet married another man. He wasn’t alive long. Shortly after
that, she had a third marriage.
She was free from accusations of crime for more than ten years. But in
the year 1500, she was convicted of Alexander’s murder. Her punishment
was to be locked in a tower on the top of the raven’s crag, three
hundred feet above the river.
Lady Lindsay was in prison for the rest of her life. Every day, she was
spinning a thread. When the thread reached [would reach] the river, the
lady would receive food.
She continued like that, day after day, week after week, year after year,
until she was more than a hundred years old. In the end, she died. But, as
we’ll see next week, she appeared again as a ghost, and she did something
good.
A’ Bhaintighearna Liondsaidh
A bheil sibh eòlach air Gleann Eireachd ann an Siorrachd Pheairt? Tha Uisge
Eireachd a’ sruthadh troimhe. Sin an abhainn a tha a’ dol tro Bhlàr
Ghobharaidh.
Tha Uisge Eireachd a’ tòiseachadh aig Drochaid Challaidh, far a bheil Uisge
Àrdail agus an t-Uisge Dubh a’ tighinn còmhla. Deas air Drochaid Challaidh,
tha an abhainn a’ sruthadh tro mhòr-chlais. An sin, tha Creag an Fhithich.
Air na mapaichean, tha seo sgrìobhte far a bheil a’ chreag: Lady Lindsay’s Castle (remains of).
Cò bha ann am Baintighearna Liondsaidh? Uill, seo agaibh a sgeul. Timcheall
na bliadhna ceithir cheud deug, ochdad ʼs a naoi (1489), bha dithis
bhràithrean ann an caisteal ann an Srath Àrdail. B’ iad Alasdair
Liondsaidh, am mac a bu shine aig a’ cheann-chinnidh – Iarla Chrawford –
agus a bhràthair, Iain.
Chaidh na bràithrean a-mach air a chèile. Thog iad buill-airm an aghaidh a
chèile. Bha Alasdair air a leòn. Bha e na laighe san leabaidh an dèidh
làimhe. Chuir a bhean cluasag air aodann airson a mhùchadh.
B’ i a bhean Seònaid Ghòrdan, nighean aig Iarla Hunndaidh. Bha a màthair na
nighinn aig Rìgh Seumas I. Cho luath ʼs a bha Alasdair Liondsaidh a-mach às
an rathad, phòs Seònaid fear eile. Cha robh esan beò fada. Goirid an dèidh
a bhàis, bha treas pòsadh aice.
Bha i saor bho chasaidean eucoir airson còrr is deich bliadhna. Ach anns a’
bhliadhna còig ceud deug (1500), bha i air a dìteadh airson murt Alasdair.
B’ e a peanas a bhith air a glasadh ann an tùr air mullach Creag an
Fhithich, trì cheud troigh os cionn na h-aibhne.
Bha a’ Bhaintighearna Liondsaidh sa phrìosan fad a’ chòrr de a beatha. Gach
latha, bha i a’ snìomh snàithlean. Nuair a ruigeadh an snàithlean an
abhainn, gheibheadh a’ bhaintighearna biadh.
Lean i oirre mar sin, latha an dèidh latha, seachdain an dèidh seachdain,
bliadhna an dèidh bliadhna, gus an robh i còrr is ceud bliadhna a dh’aois.
Mu dheireadh, chaochail i. Ach, mar a chì sinn an-ath-sheachdain, nochd i
a-rithist mar thaibhs, agus rinn i rudeigin math.
