The dam on Loch Moy
There was a time when the Cummings and the Mackintoshes were deadly
enemies of each other. The Cummings put together a military force. They
went to Moy, south of Inverness, an abode of the Mackintosh clan chief.
But there was no sign of Mackintosh or his followers. They had gone to
an island on Loch Moy. There were four hundred people gathered together
on the island. They were safe there, for a while anyway.
According to tradition, the Cummings created an unusual plan. The
Funtack Burn flows out of Loch Moy. The Cummings built a dam on the
burn. On the loch side of the dam were wooden planks. When the level of
Loch Moy rose, the island would become covered with water.
Even before the loch rose too much, it was obvious to the Mackintoshes
that their food was getting scant. One of them came forward with a
plan. He received permission to go ahead with it.
He built a raft – I imagine, with logs. He made bungs of wood. He took
with him string, rope and an auger, to make holes in the planks.
He set out in the darkness of the night. He reached the dam. The
Cummings didn’t see him. He made holes in the planks. He put a bung in
each hole, and he tied strings and rope to the bungs. He pulled on the
rope, and the bungs all came out at the same time. Water ran through
the holes with force. It swept the dam away. There was a great flood.
Unfortunately for the Cummings, they had no watchmen. They were camped
directly below the dam. Many of them were killed in the flood. The hero
of Moy was not quick enough in paddling his raft away. He was also
drowned in the flood. Or the Cummings killed him. He didn’t survive,
anyway.
Is there any truth in the story? I don’t know. If I’m telling a lie, it’s
because I heard it as a lie.
An dàm air Loch na Maighe
Bha linn ann, agus na Cuimeanaich agus Clann ʼic an Tòisich nan dearg
nàimhdean do chèile. Chuir na Cuimeanaich armailt mhòr ri chèile. Chaidh
iad gu ruige A’ Mhuigh, deas air Inbhir Nis, àros aig ceann-cinnidh Clann
ʼic an Tòisich. Ach cha robh sgeul air Mac an Tòisich no a luchd-leantainn.
Bha iad air a dhol gu eilean ann an Loch na Maighe. Bha ceithir cheud duine
cruinn còmhla air an eilean. Bha iad sàbhailte an sin, airson greis
co-dhiù.
A rèir beul-aithris, chruthaich na Cuimeanaich plana car annasach. Tha Allt
Fionntaig a’ sruthadh a-mach à Loch na Maighe. Thog na Cuimeanaich dàm air
an allt. Air taobh an locha dhen dàm, bha dèileachan fiodha. Nuair a
dh’èireadh Loch na Maighe, bhiodh an t-eilean air a chòmhdachadh le uisge.
Eadhon mus do dh’èirich an loch ro fhada, bha e follaiseach do Chloinn ʼic
an Tòisich gun robh am biadh aca a’ fàs gann. Thàinig fear dhiubh air
adhart le plana. Fhuair e cead a dhol air adhart leis.
Thog e ràth – tha mi an dùil, le logaichean. Rinn e fàsagan – no bungs – de dh’fhiodh. Thug e leis sreang, ròp agus tora, no auger, airson tuill a dhèanamh anns na dèileachan.
Dh’fhalbh e a-mach ann an dorchadas na h-oidhche. Ràinig e an dàm. Chan
fhaca na Cuimeanaich e. Rinn e tuill anns na dèileachan. Chuir e fàsag anns
gach toll, agus cheangail e sreangan is ròp ris na fàsagan. Tharraing e air
an ròp, agus thàinig na fàsagan uile a-mach aig an aon àm. Ruith uisge tro
na tuill le neart. Sguabaich e an dàm air falbh. Bha tuil mhòr ann.
Gu mì-fhortanach do na Cuimeanaich, cha robh luchd-faire aca. Bha iad a’
campachadh dìreach fon dàm. Chaidh tòrr dhiubh a mharbhadh anns an tuil.
Cha robh gaisgeach na Maighe luath gu leòr ann a bhith a’ pleadhagaich an
ràtha aige air falbh. Chaidh a bhàthadh-san anns an tuil cuideachd. No
mharbh na Cuimeanaich e. Cha do mhair e beò, co-dhiù.
A bheil fìrinn sam bith anns an stòiridh? Chan eil fhios a’m. Mas breug
bhuam e, is breug thugam e.
