Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun chabhlach a chuir R矛gh H谩kon a dh鈥橝lba ann an d脿 cheud deug, seasgad 始s a tr矛 (1263). Dh鈥檉heuch an d脿 thaobh ri thighinn gu r猫ite sh矛theil. Ach dh鈥檉h脿ilnich orra. Tha e a鈥� coimhead coltach gum biodh R矛gh na h-Alba, Alasdair III, riaraichte gun a bhith a鈥� faighinn smachd air cuid de na h-eileanan. Ach bha grunn eileanan ro chudromach dha.

D猫 na h-eileanan? Uill, chan e na h-Eileanan Siar co-dhi霉. B鈥� iad na h-eileanan a bha f矛or phr矛seil don d脿 thaobh 鈥� Eilean Bh貌id, Arainn agus na Cumaraidhean 鈥� Cumaradh M貌r agus Cumaradh Beag. Bha iad cudromach a chionn 始s gum biodh e furasta gu le貌r faighinn gu meadhan na h-Alba, nam biodh smachd aca air Linne Chluaidh, far a bheil na h-eileanan sin.

Mar dhearbhadh air sin, chuir H谩kon cabhlach suas Loch Long gu ruige Tairbeart Loch Laomainn. Thug na Lochlannaich an longan tarsainn gu Loch Laomainn fh猫in. 脌s a sin, chaidh iad gu 脿iteachan ann am meadhan t矛r-m貌r na h-Alba, eadhon faisg air Sruighlea.

Bha H谩kon airson sealltainn do mhuinntir na h-Alba cho cumhachdach 始s a bha na Nirribhich. A bharrachd air sin, thug e ionnsaigh air t矛rean nan Sti霉bhartach faisg air Loch Laomainn. Bha na Sti霉bhartaich air a bhith a鈥� toirt ionnsaigh air na h-eileanan 鈥楲ochlannach鈥� agus bha H谩kon a鈥� d猫anamh d矛oghaltas orra.

Bha cuid de luchd-taice H谩kon air a bhith a鈥� toirt rabhadh dha gun do she貌l iad 脿 Bergen ro fhada anns an t-samhradh agus gun do dh鈥檉huirich iad ro fhada ann an Sealtainn. Fhad 始s a bha am feachd aig H谩kon a鈥� d猫anamh sgrios air t矛r-m貌r na h-Alba, bha droch sh矛de an fhoghair air nochdadh. Bha g猫ile ann. Thug i droch bhuaidh air a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha de longan H谩kon a bh鈥� air acair faisg air Arainn. Thathar ag r脿dh gun deach deich longan Lochlannach a sgrios anns an stoirm.

Bha cuid de na longan air an iomain gu t矛r faisg air an Leargaidh Ghallda. Bha boghadairean Albannach a鈥� feitheamh riutha. Bha str矛 is sabaid ann mus deach na Nirribhich air ais don chabhlach aca. B鈥� e sin tachartas air a bheil Bl脿r na Leargaidh Ghallda no 鈥�The Battle of Largs鈥�. Chan e bl脿r m貌r a bh鈥� ann idir agus cha do bhuannaich taobh seach taobh.

Cha robh e ciallach do H谩kon fuireach anns an sg矛re agus f矛or dhroch sh矛de a鈥� gheamhraidh air f脿ire. Math dh鈥檉haodte gun robh e dhen bheachd gun robh e air gu le貌r a dh猫anamh airson dearbhadh gun robh smachd aige fhathast air cuid mhath de thaobh an iar na h-Alba. Thug e an cabhlach aige gu tuath, tro Chaol 脌cain, gu ruige Arcaibh.

Ach cha robh an turas aige gun sgiorradh. Chaidh iad a-steach a Loch Euraboll air a鈥� chosta mu thuath. An sin bha sabaid air t矛r le buidheann de dh鈥橝lbannaich a bha a鈥� cumail s霉il orra. Air an naoidheamh latha fichead dhen D脿mhair, chaidh iad a-null a dh鈥橝rcaibh. Chaill iad aon long eile air an turas-mhara air s脿illibh na droch sh矛de. 脌s Arcaibh, chaidh a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha de na longan dhachaigh a Nirribhidh ach dh鈥檉huirich an r矛gh ann an Arcaibh. Ge-t脿, mar a ch矛 sinn, cha bhiodh e be貌 fada.

Faclan na Litreach: dh鈥檉h脿ilnich orra: they failed; Linne Chluaidh: The Firth of Clyde; g猫ile: gale; Arainn: Arran; An Leargaidh Ghallda: Largs; gun sgiorradh: without unfortunate incident.

Abairtean na Litreach: Dh鈥檉heuch an d脿 thaobh ri thighinn gu r猫ite sh矛theil: the two sides tried to come to a peaceful agreement; riaraichte gun a bhith a鈥� faighinn smachd air cuid de na h-eileanan: satisfied not to gain control of some of the islands; b鈥� iad na h-eileanan a bha f矛or phr矛seil: the islands that were exceptionally precious鈥�; Eilean Bh貌id, Arainn agus na Cumaraidhean 鈥� Cumaradh M貌r agus Cumaradh Beag: Bute, Arran and the Cumbraes 鈥� Great Cumbrae and Little Cumbrae; suas Loch Long gu ruige Tairbeart Loch Laomainn: up Loch Long to Tarbet Loch Lomond; thug na Lochlannaich an longan tarsainn gu Loch Laomainn fh猫in: the Scandinavians took their ships over to Loch Lomond itself; eadhon faisg air Sruighlea: even close to Stirling; thug e ionnsaigh air t矛rean nan Sti霉bhartach: he attacked the lands of the Stuarts; ro fhada anns an t-samhradh: too late in the summer; gun do dh鈥檉huirich iad ro fhada ann an Sealtainn: that they stayed too long in Shetland; thug i droch bhuaidh air a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha de longan H谩kon: it badly affected most of H谩kon鈥檚 ships; gun deach deich longan a sgrios: that ten ships were destroyed; bha boghadairean Albannach a鈥� feitheamh riutha: Scottish archers (bowmen) were waiting for them; cha do bhuannaich taobh seach taobh: neither side was victorious; dearbhadh gun robh smachd aige fhathast air cuid mhath de thaobh an iar na h-Alba: to demonstrate that he still controlled much of western Scotland; chaill iad aon long eile air an turas-mhara air s脿illibh na droch sh矛de: they lost another ship on the sea journey because of the bad weather; mar a ch矛 sinn, cha bhiodh e be貌 fada: as we shall see, he wouldn鈥檛 be alive long.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Fhad 始s a bha am feachd aig H谩kon a鈥� d猫anamh sgrios air t矛r-m貌r: while H谩kon鈥檚 force was causing destruction on the mainland. Are you aware of the 鈥榞ender鈥� rule connected to words that end in -achd? If they have a single syllable, they are masculine e.g. beachd, feachd, sneachd, riochd, uchd, luchd. If they have two or more syllables they are feminine e.g. carachd, naidheachd, feallsanachd, r矛oghachd, tiormachd, G脿idhealtachd, s脿bhailteachd, c霉bhraidheachd, uaisleachd. If you can think of any exceptions, let me know!

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: bha X a鈥� d猫anamh d矛oghaltas orra: X was gaining revenge on them.