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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Mhac an t-Srònaich agus mar a theich e a Leòdhas, air dha a phiuthar a mhurt, co-dhiù a rèir beul-aithris. Ghluais e bho àite gu àite agus tha iomadh uamh aithnichte mar Uamh Mac an t-Srònaich. Tha fear dhiubh air a’ Ghearraidh Chruaidh faisg air Caisteal Leòdhais ann an Steòrnabhagh. 

Ciamar a fhuair e biadh? Ciamar a chùm e ceum air thoiseach air na h-ùghdarrasan? Saoilidh mi gun robh feadhainn a’ toirt taic dha ach, a rèir aithris, bha e ri mèirle. Bha e cuideachd ri murt. 

B’ e Ceòs air na Lochan aon de na h-àiteachan anns am biodh e am falach. Thathar ag ràdh gun robh e càirdeach do bhean a’ mhinisteir an sin. Corra uair, bhiodh e a’ cur seachad oidhche sa mhansa. 

Tha e coltach nach do ghabh e eagal ach ro thrì rudan – coin, taibhsean agus fear à Sgìr’ Ùige air an robh Dòmhnall Ruadh Beag mar ainm. Ach bha eagal air muinntir Leòdhais roimhe.

Latha a bha seo, bha e ann an sgìre Nis. Bha na teaghlaichean air an àirigh. Bha aon teaghlach ann am bothan-àirigh, a’ gabhail biadh, nuair a thàinig gnogadh air an doras. Cò bha na sheasamh an sin ach Mac an t-Srònaich. Bha fios aig an teaghlach gur e a bh’ ann, ach cha do nochd iad gun robh iad ga aithneachadh. Thug iad biadh dha, agus thabhann iad cuid na h-oidhche air. Mhothaich an gille aca gun robh sgian aig a’ choigreach falaichte anns an stocainn aige.

Anns a’ mhadainn, thuirt Mac an t-Srònaich ris a’ ghille, ‘Thig cuide rium agus seall dhomh an t-slighe gu ruige Tolastadh.’ Dhiùlt an gille sin a dhèanamh. ‘Tha thu fortanach,’ thuirt Mac an t-Srònaich. ‘Nam biodh tu air a dhol gu cùl a’ chnuic ud cuide rium, cha bhiodh tu air d’ athair no do mhàthair fhaicinn a-rithist.’

Gu tric, bhiodh Mac an t-Srònaich ann an monadh Sgìr’ Ùige. Bhiodh e ri mèirle de chrodh is caoraich. Latha a bha seo, bha nighean òg a’ coimhead airson laogh a bh’ air chall. Bha i a’ coiseachd seachad air uamh nuair a ruith fear a-mach aiste, ag èigheachd, ‘Nam biodh tu na b’ fhaisge orm, cha bhiodh tu a’ dèanamh gàire.’ Dh’èigh an nighean a-mach, ‘Iain, Aonghais, tha Mac an t-Srònaich a’ tighinn gam ionnsaigh! Greasaibh oirbh!’ Cha robh fear eile ann, ach cha robh fios aig Mac an t-Srònaich air sin, agus fhuair an nighean air falbh.

Latha eile, bha gille òg na shuidhe ri taobh lochan, ag ithe feòla, nuair a nochd Mac an t-Srònaich. Bhàth an t-eucoireach an gille. B’ e sin an t-aon bhàs ris an do ghabh Mac an t-Srònaich aithreachas riamh.

Mu dheireadh thall, chaidh a ghlacadh agus a chrochadh. Bha e air naoi duine deug a mhurt. Dh’iarr e air Clarc na Cùirte uisge a thoirt dha. Thug an Clarc siuga uisge dha. Dh’òl Mac an t-Srònaich a leòr agus bhuail e an t-siuga gu cruaidh air ceann a’ Chlairc. Nuair a chaidh e don uaigh, bha e air fichead duine a mhurt. 

Faclan na Litreach: mèirle: theft; Nis: Ness; bothan-àirigh: shieling bothy; gnogadh: knocking; Sgìr’ Ùige: Uig [Parish in the SW of Lewis]; laogh: calf; greasaibh oirbh!: hurry up!

Abairtean na Litreach: iomadh uamh aithnichte mar: many caves known as; air a’ Ghearraidh Chruaidh faisg air Caisteal Leòdhais ann an Steòrnabhagh: in the Castle Grounds near Lews Castle in Stornoway; ciamar a chùm e ceum air thoiseach air na h-ùghdarrasan?: how did he keep a step ahead of the authorities?; saoilidh mi gun robh feadhainn a’ toirt taic dha: I reckon some people were helping him; b’ e Ceòs air na Lochan aon de na h-àiteachan: Keose in Lochs was one of the places; càirdeach do bhean a’ mhinisteir: related to the wife of the minister; corra uair, bhiodh e a’ cur seachad oidhche sa mhansa: occasionally, he would spend a night in the manse; nach do ghabh e eagal ach ro thrì rudan: that we was only scared of three things; coin, taibhsean agus fear à Sgìr’ Ùige air an robh X mar ainm: dogs, ghosts and a man from Uig called X; bha na teaghlaichean air an àirigh: the families were at the shieling; bha fios aig an teaghlach gur e a bh’ ann: the family knew it was him; cha do nochd iad gun robh iad ga aithneachadh: they didn’t let on that they recognised him; thabhann iad cuid na h-oidhche air: they offered him a bed for the night; gun robh sgian aig a’ choigreach falaichte anns an stocainn aige: that the stranger had a knife hidden in his stocking; thig cuide rium agus seall dhomh an t-slighe gu ruige Tolastadh: come with me and show me the way to Tolsta; nam biodh tu air a dhol gu cùl a’ chnuic ud cuide rium: if you had gone behind that hill with me; cha bhiodh tu air d’ athair no do mhàthair fhaicinn a-rithist: you’d never have seen your father or mother again; bhàth an t-eucoireach an gille: the criminal drowned the lad; ris an do ghabh X aithreachas riamh:  which X ever regretted; bhuail e an t-siuga gu cruaidh air ceann a’ Chlairc: he brought down the jug heavily on the Clerk’s head.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: air dha a phiuthar a mhurt: after he had murdered his sister. Air is the old preposition iar ‘after’ in this expression, not air ‘on’. You could replace it with an dèidh ‘after’. Dha is the third person singular masculine prepositional pronoun, based on do ‘to’.Ìý

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: bha eagal air muinntir Leòdhais roimhe: the people of Lewis still have [tell] many anecdotes.