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01/03/2010

Tha litir bheag na seachdain-sa aig Ruaraidh MacIllEathain. This week's short letter for learners is introduced by Ruaraidh MacLean.

5 minutes

Last on

Mon 1 Mar 2010 19:00

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An Litir Bheag 251

Tha Creag nam Ban faisg air Both Mhoireil. Tha sin ann an Siorrachd Obar Dheathain. Tha e ri taobh Uisge Dè. Agus tha e os cionn Caisteal Obar Gheallaidh, no Abergeldie Castle. Tha Creag nam Ban a’ ciallachadh the rocky hill of the women. Tha daoine ag ràdh gun robh bana-bhuidsichean air an losgadh gu bàs ann. Tha daoine fhathast a’ cuimhneachadh ainm tè de na bana-bhuidsichean – Ciotaidh NicFhraing. Bha an dà-shealladh aig màthair Ciotaidh. Bha an dà-shealladh aig Ciotaidh cuideachd. Fhuair i obair anns a’ chaisteal. Bha i ag obair don bhean-uasal. Bha an t-uachdaran – an duine aig a’ bhean-uasal – air falbh thall thairis. Latha a bha seo, thuirt a’ bhean-uasal ri Ciotaidh, “Tha mi a’ cluinntinn gu bheil an dà-shealladh agad. Innis dhomh dè tha an duine agam a’ dèanamh.” Fhuair Ciotaidh mias de dh’uisge. Choimhead i anns an uisge. Chunnaic i an t-uachdaran a’ sùgradh ri boireannaich eile thall thairis. Dh’innis i sin don bhean-uasal. Bha a’ bhean-uasal feargach. Dh’iarr i air Ciotaidh stoirm mhòr a thòiseachadh aig muir – far an robh an duine aice a’ tilleadh air bòrd long. Ach cha robh cumhachdan mar sin aig Ciotaidh. Bha dìreach an dà-shealladh aice. Ach, mar a thachair e, dh’èirich stoirm le tuiteamas. Bha long an uachdarain aig muir. Chaidh an long fodha. Bha an t-uachdaran air a bhàthadh. Nuair a chuala a’ bhean-uasal an naidheachd, cha robh i toilichte. Bha i feargach. Thuirt i gur e bana-bhuidseach a bha ann an Ciotaidh. Thuirt i gun do mharbh Ciotaidh an duine aice. Bha Ciotaidh air a losgadh gu bàs air Creag nam Ban. Chan eil Creag nam Ban uabhasach àrd. Tha i dìreach beagan is còig ceud meatair. Ach a’ ghaoth a shèideas air a mullach, tha i garbh is làidir – agus fuaimneach. Tha cuid ag ràdh nach e a’ ghaoth a thathar a’ cluinntinn, ge-tà. Tha iad ag ràdh gur e sin an sgreuchail aig Ciotaidh NicFhraing. Tha an taibhs aice fhathast a’ fuireach air mullach Creag nam Ban.

The Little Letter 251

Creag nam Ban is near Balmoral. That’s in Aberdeenshire. It’s beside the River Dee. And it’s above Abergeldie Castle. Creag nam Ban means “the rocky hill of the women”. People say that witches were burned to death there. People still remember the name of one of the witches – Kitty Rankine. Kitty’s mother had the second-sight. Kitty also had the second-sight. She got work in the castle. She was working for the lady [of the house]. The laird – the lady’s husband – was away overseas. One day the lady said to Kitty, “I hear that you have the second-sight. Tell me what my husband is doing.” Kitty got a basin of water. She looked in the water. She saw the laird sporting with other women overseas. She told the lady that. The lady was angry. She asked Kitty to raise a big storm at sea – where her husband was returning on board a ship. But Kitty didn’t have powers like that. She only had the second-sight. But, as it happened, a storm arose by chance. The laird’s ship was at sea. The ship sank. The laird was drowned. When the lady heard the news she was not pleased. She was angry. She said that Kitty was a witch. She said that Kitty killed her husband. Kitty was burned to death on Creag nam Ban. Creag nam Ban is not particularly high. It’s just a little over five hundred metres. But the wind that blows at her summit, it’s rough and strong – and noisy. Some people say that it’s not the wind that is heard, however. They said that is Kitty Rankine’s screaming. Her ghost still lives at the summit of Creag nam Ban.

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  • Mon 1 Mar 2010 19:00

All the letters

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

Podcast: An Litir Bheag

The Little Letter for Gaelic Learners

An Litir Bheag air LearnGaelic

An Litir Bheag is also on LearnGaelic (with PDFs)

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