Clann Ghriogair air Fogradh - Clan Gregor Exiled

While the narrative below seems to suggest that these words relate to the period 1562-1570, it seems more likely that they refer to the post-Glen Fruin period when the whole of Clan Gregor was proscribed by James VI. The men were hunted to death or forced to take service with another Lord and adopt new names.

Is mi suidhe an seo am ònar
Air Còmhnard an rathaid,

Dh’ fheuch am faic mi fear-fuadain,
Tighinn o Chruachan a’ cheathaich,

A bheir dhomh sgeul air Clann Ghriogair
No fios cia an do ghabh iad.

Cha d’fhuair mi d’ an sgeulaibh
Ach iad bhith ‘n dè air na Sraithibh.

Thall ‘s a bhos mu Loch Fine,
Ma’ s a fior mo luchd bratha.

Ann an Clachan an Dìseirt
Ag òl fion air na maithibh.

Bha Griogair mòr ruadh ann,
Làmh chruaidh air chùl claidhimh;

Agus Griogair mòr meadhnach,
Ceann-feadhna ar luchd-tighe.

Mhic an fhir a Srath h-Ardail,
Bhiodh na bàird ort a’ tathaich.

Is a bheireadh greis air a’ chlàrsaich
Is air an tàileasg gu h-aighear,

Is a sheinneadh an fhidheall,
Chuireadh fiughair fo mhnathaibh.

Is ann a rinn sibh an t-sidheann anmoch
Anns a’ ghleann am bi an ceathach.

Dh’ fhag sibh an t-Eoin bòidheach
Air a’ mhòintich ‘na laighe.

‘Na starsnaich air fèithe
An dèidh a reubadh le claidheamh.

Is ann thog sibh ghreigh dhubhghorm
O Lùban na h-abhann.

Ann am Bothan na Dìge
Ghabh sibh dìon air an rathad.

Far an d’fhàg sibh mo bhiodag,
Agus crios mo bhuilg-shaighead.

Gur i saighead na h-àraich
So thàrmaich am leathar.

Chaidh saighead am shliasaid,
Crann fiar air dhroch shnaidheadh.

Gun seachnadh Righ na Dùl sibh
O fhudar caol neimhe.

O shradagan teine,
O pheileir ‘s o shaighid.

O sgian na rinn caoile,
Is o fhaobhar geur claidhimh.

Is ann bha bhuidheann gun chòmhradh
Di-dòmhnaich am bràighe bhaile.

Is cha dean mi gàir èibhinn
An àm èirigh no laighe.

Is beag an t-iongnadh dhomh fèin sud,
Is mi bhith ‘n dèidh mo luch-taighe.

I am sitting here alone
Next to the road,

I tried to see a fugitive,
coming from the Cruachan of the mist,

Tell me the story of our Clan Gregor
Or knowledge of where they have gone.

I could not find their tales
But they were yesterday in the straths.

Here about Loch Fyne
If my spies tell me the truth.

In Clachan Dìseirt (Dalmally)
Drinking wine on the pardons (?)

Big Red Gregor was there,
With a hard hand on his sword;

And great merry Gregor,
Chief of our house.

Son of the men of Strath Ardle
The bards used to visit you.

Who spent time playing the clarsach
And cheerfully played chess.

And the fiddle was played.
Women were expected.

You made the venison late
The mist will be in the glen.

You left the beautiful bird
Lying on the moor.

The stiffness of muscles
After being damaged by a sword.

You raised a dark-blue herd
From the bends of the river.

In the Bothan of the moat
You defended the road.

Where you left my dirk
And the belt of my arrow-quiver.

That is the arrow of the battle-field
Where the leather came from.

An arrow went into his thigh,
Badly carved oblique shaft.

May the King of the Elements avoid you
Narrow powder of heaven (?)

O sparks of fire,
O bullets and arrows.

O narrow knife
It is from the sharp edge of a sword,

There was a silent group
On Sunday in the centre of the village.

And I won’t find it amusing
At the time of getting up or lying down.

It is little wonder to myself
That I am like a house-mouse.

Tha dòrlach òrain ann, Griogal Cridhe agus Clann Ghriogair air Fogradh& nam measg, a tha co-cheangailte ris an t-strì a bha eadar Clann Ghriogair agus na Caimbeulaich as an t-siathamh agus as an t-seachdamh linn deug.

Bho dheireadh a' cheathramh linn deug bha dùthaich aig Clann Ghriogair ann an Gleann Sreith ach fo smachd nan Caimbeulach, Iarlan Earra-Ghàidheal.

Rè ùine, agus gu h-àraidh às dèidh 1432, ghabh iad fhèin agus Caimbeulaich Ghlinn Urchaidh sealbh air fearann ann an Siorrachd Pheairt agus gu h-àraidh ann am Bràghad Albainn.

Eadar 1513 agus 1550 lughdaich ùghdarras Caimbeulaich Ghlinn Urchaidh agus thàinig Clann Ghriogair fo smachd Iain Chaladair, Caimbeulach eile, 's dòcha cho tràth ri 1513, agus lean iad orra a' sgaoileadh an cumhachd cho fada ri Raineach.

Ann an 1550 ghabh Cailean Liath thairis mar cheann-cinnidh Caimbeulaich Ghlinn Urchaidh agus thòisich cumhachd a' chinnidh a' dol am meud mar a rinn e a-rithist fo cheannardas a mhic, Donnchadh Dubh.

B' e daoine cruaidh a bh' annta, nach fhuilingeadh càil a dhol nan aghaidh agus gu dearbha cha robh iad airson gum biodh buidheann làidir eile, leithid Clann Ghriogair, san tìr.

Ghabh Cailean Liath ceannardas a chinnidh san Iuchair 1550. Uaireigin goirid an dèidh sin, chaochail Iain Ruadh, ceann-cinnidh nan Griogarach. Bha a bhràthair, Griogair Ruadh, ro òg airson a dhol na àite agus ghabh Cailean Liath an cothrom smachd fhaighinn air Clann Ghriogair.

Nuair a thàinig Griogair Ruadh gu aois, faisg air deireadh 1562, gheall Cailean Liath Gleann Sreith dha, nan aontaicheadh e ri grunn bhacaidhean laghail a dh'fhàgadh e gun seasamh mar cheann-cinnidh, agus nam brathadh e dithis de chinneadh a bha air searbhant le Cailean Liath a mharbhadh. An iomadh dòigh cha robh roghainn aige ach sabaid.

Air oidhche 7 Dùbhlachd, 1562, le mu 26 de luchd-cinnidh còmhla ris, thug Griogair Ruadh ionnsaidh air taigh-òsta faisg air Coille Chneagaidh far an robh naoinear fhir, ochdnar dhiubh nan Caimbeulaich, a' gabhail tàmh na h-oidhche 's iad air an slighe dhachaidh bho fhèill am Peairt. Chuir na Griogaraich teine ris an taigh-òsta agus mharbh iad ochdnar de na fir.

Lean iad romhpa gu Srath Tatha far na chuir iad teine ri sabhal as an robh buidheann de Chaimbeulaich agus de Chlann 'ic Carmaig ri fasgadh. Thug iad na fir sin an grèim agus mharbh iad aon dhiubh an ceann ùine.

B' e seo toiseach strì fuilteach a mhair gu 1570 agus a dh'fhàg Griogaraich tric fon choill.

There are a handful of songs, including Griogal Cridhe and Clann Ghriogair air Fogradh, which are related to the struggle between the Clan Gregor and the Campbells in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.

From the late fourteenth century the MacGregors had their duthchas in Glenstrae but were legally vassals of the Campbell, Earls of Argyll.

Over time, and especially after 1432, they and the Campbells of Glenorchy took possession of land in Perthshire and especially in Breadalbane.

Between 1513 and 1550 the authority of the Campbells of Glenorchy diminished and the MacGregors came under the control of John Cawdor, another Campbell, probably as early as 1513, and continued to extend their power as far as Rannoch.

In 1550, Cailean Liath [Grey Colin] became chief of the Campbells of Glenorchy and the powers of the Glenorchy Campbells began to increase and further still under the leadership of his son, Donnchadh Dubh [Black Duncan].

The Campbells were greedy people, who could not tolerate opposition and certainly did not tolerate the strength of the MacGregors, on their lands

Cailean Liath took over the leadership of his clan in July 1550. Shortly afterwards, Iain Ruadh, chief of the MacGregors, died. His brother, Griogair Ruadh, was too young to take his place and Cailean Liath took the opportunity to take control of the MacGregors.

When Griogair Ruadh came of age, near the end of 1562, Cailean Liath pomised him his patrimony of Gleann Sreith but only if he would agree to a number of legal restrictions that would leave him effectively without any standing as chief, and also ordered him to hand over two MacGregors for Colin to punish. Griogair had no real choice but to fight.

On the night of December 7, 1562, accompanied by about 26 clansmen, Griogair Ruadh attacked a hostelry near Killiecrankie where nine men, eight of them Campbells, were staying the night and on their way home from the Perth fair. The MacGregors set fire to the hostelry and killed eight of the men.

They continued on to Strath Tay where they set fire to a barn from which a group of Campbells and MacCormicks were sheltering. They arrested these men and eventually killed one of them.

It was the beginning of a bloody struggle that lasted until 1570 and would leave the MacGregors outlawed by the Scottish state.