Matheson Collection > Bardachd Ghaidhlig

294 Bàrdachd Gliàidìilig .
3411 Alexander Robertson of Struan, the poet Chief, who-
had fought at Killiecrankie. "A'Ghivthsach" is
the Black Wood of Rannoch. The Chief had a
residence at Càiridh (Englished Carie), on the
south side of Loch Rannoch— an Slios Garbh,
3421 a' bhuidheann ud thall: "At Auchterarder, 400
Frasers who had arrived at Perth only a few days
before, and 200 of Lord Huntly's Strathdon and
Glenlivet men, left ]\Iarr in a body." — MiL Hist.
of Ferthshirc, 275. The poem, it is to be noted, was
composed at Beldornie, on the Upper Deveron.
È, 3^26 ff. The poetess had no love for the Presbyterians.
-^ 3431 A Dhonnchaidh : Duncan Macpherson of Clunie
"steered his way carefully through the Revolution
troubles. He is very intimate with Lord Dundee ;
signs the address to George I. ; and in his later
years is only known by his hostility to the heir-
« male ; and neither going out himself in 1715,
perhaps incapacitated by age, nor suffering Nuide
to do so." — C. Fraser-Mackintosh, Antiq. Notes
(Second Ser.), 350.
3442 arn fhàistinneachd : the prophecy ascribed to Thomas.
the Rhymer; see 2017 n., 4026.
3453 tarjhndh nan darag as àirdc: the idea is very old.
òf} "Thou seest how the lightning shafts fall ever on
the highest houses and the tallest trees." —
Herodotus vii. 10.
3454 Chaill sinn : Sir Donald Macdonald of Sleat, d. 1718 ;
Sir Donald, his son and successor, d. 1720 ; he was
succeeded by his father's brother, Sir James, who
died in 1720, a few months after his succession.
3457 Mac MhicAilein : see 3386 n.
3457 dh'fhan M.'s a' hliìtjr: a common way of saying that
a man was slain in battle ; compare 3188.
3470 In this somewhat obscure stanza, in which the heroic
Alasdair is compared to Goll mac JMorna (3107 n.),
the reference is probably to the abortive affair of
Glenshiel in 1719, in which Glengari-y took no part.