³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Tha mi a’ dol a dh’innse dhuibh mu mhinistear ainmeil aig an robh an dà-shealladh - an t-Urramach Iain Moireasdan. Bha e na mhinistear ann am Peitidh, faisg air Inbhir Nis. Bha e beò anns an ochdamh linn deug.

            Mus deach e gu Peitidh, bha e ann an Siorrachd Pheairt. Tha cunntas annasach ann mun dòigh san do ghluais e gu bhith na mhinistear ann am Peitidh.

            Bha fear de Chloinn ’ic Shimidh a’ fuireach faisg air a’ Mhanachainn. Bha e ann am fiachan do mharsantach ann an Inbhir Nis. Bha am marsantach ag iarraidh airgid. Ach cha robh neach-lagha ann an Inbhir Nis deònach fhaighinn dha. Bha Clann ’ic Shimidh – na Frisealaich – cumhachdach.

            Fhuair am marsantach grèim air fear MacCoinnich ann an Dùn Èideann. Bha esan deònach an t-airgead fhaighinn. Bha am MacCoinnich seo na bhàillidh do chuid de dh’uachdarain air a’ Ghàidhealtachd. Fhuair e an t-airgead. Bha am marsantach toilichte. Ach bha na Frisealaich feargach. Chuir iad romhpa dìoghaltas fhaighinn air MacCoinnich.

            Bhiodh MacCoinnich a’ dol don cheann a tuath gu tric. Chuir na Frisealaich romhpa a mharbhadh ann an Sloc Muice deas air Inbhir Nis. Bha iad a’ bruidhinn mun phlana. Agus chuala ministear Cill Tharghlain, Mgr MacNeacail, an còmhradh.

            Bha MacNeacail airson rabhadh a thoirt do MhacCoinnich. Airson a chumail dìomhair, sgrìobh e gu Iain Moireasdan. Dh’iarr e air thighinn chun h-Àirde air gnothach cudromach. Nuair a thàinig e, dh’inns MacNeacail dha mun phlana. Agus thug Iain Moireasdan rabhadh do MhacCoinnich.

            An ath thuras a thàinig MacCoinnich don cheann a tuath, thug e luchd-taice leis. Bha e sàbhailte mar sin. Thug MacCoinnich duais don Mhoireasdanach. Thug e air ministear Pheitidh falbh. Agus thàinig Iain Moireasdan na àite.

            Bha am Moireasdanach tàlantach. Agus bha an dà-shealladh aige. Faisg air Eaglais Pheitidh bha clach mhòr air a’ chladach air an robh ‘Clach an Àbain’. Bha ochd tonna de chuideam innte. Latha a a bha seo, nuair a bha e a’ searmonachadh, thuirt Mgr Moireasdan gun robh a’ chlach a’ dol a ghluasad pìos mòr, gun duine a làmh a chur oirre. Agus ghluais! Innsidh mi dhuibh mu dheidhinn anns an ath Litir.

I’m going to tell you about a famous minister who had the second sight – the Rev. John Morrison. He was a minister at Petty, near Inverness. He was alive in the eighteenth century.

        Before he went to Petty, he was in Perthshire. There is a strange account of the way in which he moved to be minister at Petty.

        One of the Frasers of Lovat was living near Beauly. He was in debt to a merchant in Inverness. The merchant was wanting his money. But no lawyer in Inverness was willing to get it for him. The Lovats – the Frasers – were powerful.

        The merchant got hold of a certain Mackenzie in Edinburgh. He was willing to get the money. This particular Mackenzie was a factor to some of the lairds in the Highlands. He got the money. The merchant was pleased. But the Frasers were angry. They decided to exact revenge on Mackenzie.

        Mackenzie would often be going to the north. The Frasers decided to kill him at the Slochd south of Inverness. They were talking about the plan. And the minister at Kiltarlity, Mr Nicolson, heard the conversation.

        Nicolson wanted to warn Mackenzie. To keep it secret, he wrote to John Morrison. He asked him to come to the Aird on an important matter. When he came, Nicolson told him about the plan. And John Morrison warned Mackenzie.

        The next time Mackenzie came to the north, he brought supporters with him. He was safe like that. Mackenzie gave Morrison a reward. He forced the Petty minister to leave. And John Morrison came in his stead.

        Morrison was talented. And he had the second sight. Near Petty Church, there was a stone on the shore called ‘Clach an Àbain’. It weighed eight tons. One day, when he was preaching, Mr Morrison said that the stone was going to move a good distance, without anyone touching it. And it did! I’ll tell you about it in the next Litir.