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O chionn ghoirid bha mi anns a’ Mhòigh, faisg air Inbhir Nis. ’S e àite sàmhach a th’ ann, le loch àlainn air a chuairteachadh le coille. Ach cha robh e sàmhach air an t-siathamh latha deug dhen Ghearran, seachd ceud deug, ceathrad ’s a sia (1746). Bha Teàrlach Òg Stiùbhart ann – dà mhìos ro Bhlàr Chùil Lodair. 

Thig mi gu sin an ceartuair. Ach an toiseach, tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu bhean-uasal na Mòighe, Anna Nic an Tòisich. B’ e a h-athair Iain MacFhearchair à Inbhir Call. Bha esan na Sheumasach gu a smior. Bha, agus Anna fhèin.

Bha Anna bòidheach. Nuair a bha i gu bhith ochd bliadhn’ deug a dh’aois, phòs i fear a bha mòran na bu shine na i. B’ esan Aonghas, ceann-cinnidh Clann ’ic an Tòisich. Cha robh esan na Sheumasach. ’S ann air taobh nan Hanoibhèirianach a bha e. Bha e ann an rèisimeid a’ Mhorair Loudon.

Bha Anna, ge-tà, a’ tàladh shaighdearan do dh’arm a’ Phrionnsa. Air an t-siathamh latha deug dhen Ghearran seachd ceud deug, ceathrad ’s a sia (1746), bha Aonghas ann an Inbhir Nis cuide ri rèisimeid a’ Mhorair Loudon. Air an dearbh latha sin, thàinig am Prionnsa Òg a dh’fhuireach anns a’ Mhòigh còmhla ri Anna. Fhuair Loudon fios gun robh Teàrlach Òg anns a’ Mhòigh, gun ach feachd beag de Chamshronaich ga dhìon.

Bha am Prionnsa ann am fìor chunnart. Rinn am Morair Loudon agus mìle gu leth saighdear air a’ Mhòigh. Ach bha gille air a dhol na dheann à Inbhir Nis gu ruige a’ Mhòigh airson rabhadh a thoirt don Phrionnsa. 

Sa mhionaid a fhuair i an naidheachd, chuir Anna gobha na Mòighe, Dòmhnall Friseal, agus ceathrar luchd-taice gu àite eadar Inbhir Nis agus a’ Mhòigh. Bha an còignear fhear sgapte sa mhonadh eadar cruachan mònach. Bha iad ann an àite far am biodh muinntir na Mòighe a’ buain na mònach.

Nuair a chunnaic iad na saighdearan Hanoibhèirianach a’ tighinn, thòisich Dòmhnall agus an ceathrar eile air fuaim a dhèanamh agus an cuid ghunnaichean a losgadh. Agus dè rinn rèisimeid Loudon? Innsibh mi dhuibh an-ath-sheachdain!

Recently I was in Moy, near Inverness. It’s a quiet place, with a beautiful loch surrounded by forest. But it wasn’t quiet on the sixteenth of February 1746. Bonnie Prince Charlie was there – two months before the Battle of Culloden.

I’ll come to that presently. But to begin with, I want to tell you about the lady of Moy, Anne Mackintosh. Her father was John Farquharson of Invercauld. He was a Jacobite to his core. So was Anne.

Anne was beautiful. When she was nearly eighteen years old, she married a man who was much older than her. He was Angus, the clan chief of the Mackintoshes. He wasn’t a Jacobite. He was on the Hanoverian side. He was in Lord Loudon’s regiment.

However, Anne was recruiting soldiers for the Prince’s army. On the sixteenth of February 1746, Angus was in Inverness along with Lord Loudon’s regiment. On the very same day, Bonnie Prince Charlie came to stay with Anna at Moy. Loudon got intelligence that Prince Charles was in Moy, protected only by a small force of Camerons.

The Prince was in real danger. Lord Loudon and fifteen hundred soldiers headed for Moy. But a lad had hurried from Inverness to Moy to warn the Prince.

As soon as she got the news, Anne sent the smith of Moy, Donald Fraser, and four assistants to a place between Inverness and Moy. The five men were scattered on the hill between peat stacks. They were in a place where the folk of Moy would cut peat.

When they saw the Hanoverian soldiers coming, Donald and the four others started to make a noise and fire their guns. And what did Loudon’s regiment do? I’ll tell you next week!