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28/04/2008

Tha litir bheag na seachdain-sa aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain.

5 minutes

Last on

Mon 28 Apr 2008 19:00

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An Litir Bheag 155

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Phàdraig Grannd no “Dubrach”, am fear mu dheireadh a chaochail a bha aig Blàr Chùil Lodair. Thogadh e ann an Dubrach, no an Dubh-bhruach, ann am Bràigh Mhàrr. Bha mòran anns an sgìre sin fhathast nan Seumasaich, eadhon an dèidh Blàr Chùil Lodair. Chuir an Riaghaltas saighdearan dearga don sgìre. Agus thachair rud iongantach ann. Rudeigin anns an robh taibhse an sàs. 

Bha saighdear dearg ann air an robh Artair Davies mar ainm. Bha an Sàirdseant Davies os cionn buidheann de dh’ochdnar shaighdearan. ’S e duine gasta a bha ann. Bha muinntir an àite measail air. Ach bha e gu math beartach. Agus bha feadhainn ag iarraidh a chuid airgid. 

Bha dà sporan aige. Ann am fear de na sporain, bha òr luach còig-deug gu leth gini. ’S e fortan a bha ann. As t-Sultain, seachd ceud deug, ceathrad ’s a naoi (1749), dh’fhàg an Sàirdseant Davies an t-àite anns an robh e a’ fuireach air an Dubh-bhruach. Bha e a’ dol a shealg. Ach cha do thill e dhachaigh. 

Chaidh naoi mìosan seachad. Anns an Ògmhios seachd ceud deug is leth-cheud (1750), bha cìobair faisg air làimh. B’ esan Alasdair Mac a’ Phearsain. Bha e a’ fuireach ann am bothan-àirigh. Ann am meadhan na h-oidhche, nochd taibhse anns a’ bhothan. Dh’iarr an taibhse air Alasdair falbh a-mach. 

Nuair a bha iad a-muigh, thuirt an taibhse gum b’ esan Artair Davies. Thuirt e gun robh e ag iarraidh a bhith air a thiodhlacadh gu dòigheil. Dh’fhaighnich an cìobair dheth cò mhuirt e. Ach dhiùlt an taibhse dad a ràdh mu dheidhinn sin. Sheall e do dh’Alasdair cà’ robh a chnàimhneach anns a’ mhonadh. 

Nuair a bha solas an latha ann, chaidh an cìobair don àite sin. Lorg e cnàimhneach an t-saighdeir. Bha falt fhathast air, agus aodach. ’S e Davies a bha ann, gu cinnteach. Dè bha Alasdair a’ dol a dhèanamh? Innsidh mi dhuibh dè rinn e an ath-sheachdain

The Little Letter 155

I was telling you about Peter Grant, or Dubrach, the last man to die who was [had been] at the Battle of Culloden. He was brought up in Dubrach, or an Dubh-bhruach, in the upland of Mar. Many people in that area were still Jacobites, even after Culloden. The government sent redcoat soldiers to the area. And an amazing thing happened there. Something in which a ghost was involved. 

          There was a redcoat soldier there named Arthur Davies. Sergeant Davies was in charge of a group of eight soldiers. He was a nice man. The local people liked him. But he was very wealthy. And some people wanted his money. 

        He had two purses. In one of the purses, there was gold worth fifteen and a half guineas. That was a fortune. In September, seventeen hundred and forty nine (1749), Sergeant Davies left the place in which he was staying at Dubrach. He was going hunting. But he did not return home. 

       Nine months elapsed. In June seventeen hundred and fifty (1750), there was a shepherd in the vicinity. He was Alasdair MacPherson. He was staying in a shieling hut. In the middle of the night, a ghost appeared in the hut. The ghost asked Alasdair to go outside. 

        When they were outside, the ghost said he was Arthur Davies. He said he was wanting to be buried properly. The shepherd asked him who murdered him. But the ghost refused to say anything about that. He showed to Alasdair where his skeleton was [situated] on the hill. 

        When there was daylight, the shepherd went to that place. He found the soldier’s skeleton. There was still hair on it, and clothes. It was Davies, for sure. What was Alasdair going to do? I’ll tell you what he did next week

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  • Mon 28 Apr 2008 19:00

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Tha gach Litir Bheag an seo / All the Little Letters are here.

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