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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Dhùghall Bochanan ann an Raineach. Sgrìobh an t-Urr. Iain Mac na Ceàrdaich cunntas air anns an leabhar ‘Schiehallion’. Seo agaibh naidheachd no dhà mu Dhùghall bhon leabhar sin.

Bha bodach a’ fuireach ann an Ceann Loch Raineach. Bha e sean agus lag. Latha a bha seo, anns a’ gheamhradh, bha tòrr sneachda ann. Shaoil gràisg de bhalaich gum biodh e spòrsail sneachd a chàrnadh ri doras agus uinneagan an taigh aige. 

Chaidh iad don mhaighstir-sgoile airson a thaic fhaighinn. Chaidh iad uile ann – Mgr Bochanan agus na balaich – agus chàrn iad sneachd ris an doras agus na h-uinneagan. Nuair a bha an obair dèante, bhruidhinn am maighstir-sgoile ris na gillean. ‘Nise, a bhalachaibh,’ thuirt e, ‘dè rinn sinn? Ghabh sinn brath air bodach bochd. ’S e gnothach suarach a tha ann.’

Thuirt Dùghall gum bu chòir do a leithid a bhith an aghaidh an cogaisean. Agus thuirt e gum biodh Dia mì-thoilichte leotha. Chaidh na balaich air ais don taigh. Chlìoraig iad an sneachd air fad. Fhuair iad leasan an latha sin.

Bha Dùghall a’ teagasg tron t-seachdain agus a’ searmonachadh air an t-Sàbaid. Am measg na bha a’ dol do na seirbheisean aige, bha saighdearan a bhuineadh do ‘Shiorrachd Chataibh’. Chanainn gun robh iad à Dùthaich MhicAoidh. 

Dh’ionnsaich Dùghall dàin spioradail Ghàidhlig bhuapa. Bha iad air an sgrìobhadh le fear Iain MacAoidh. Bhrosnaich sin Dùghall gus a dhàin spioradail fhèin a sgrìobhadh.

A’ chiad turas a chaidh Dùghall a Bhràigh Raineach a shearmonachadh, thàinig sluagh mòr a-mach. Cha robh drochaid ann aig an àm agus thàinig daoine cruinn air gach bruach de dh’Uisge Ghamhair. Agus bha nàimhdeas ann eadar na daoine air gach taobh dhen abhainn, deas agus tuath.

Sheas Dùghall air clach ann am meadhan na h-aibhne. Rinn e searmon cumhachdach. Chaidh daoine bho gach taobh a-steach don abhainn airson a bhith an caidreabh a chèile. Dh’fhalbh an naimhdeas eadar an dà shluagh.

Chaochail Dùghall leis a’ phlàigh ann an seachd ceud deug, seasgad ’s a h-ochd (1768). Dh’fhàg e dìleab mhòr dhuinn – ann an Raineach agus air feadh Alba nan Gàidheal.

I was telling you about Dugald Buchanan in Rannoch. The Rev. John Sinclair wrote an account of him in the book ‘Schiehallion’. Here are a couple of anecdotes about Dugald from that book.

There was an old man living in Kinloch Rannoch. He was old and frail. One day, in winter, there was a lot of snow. A gang of lads reckoned it would be fun to pile snow at the door and windows of his house.

They went to the schoolmaster for his assistance. They all went – Mr. Buchanan and the lads – and they piled snow at the door and windows. When the work was done, the schoolmaster spoke to the lads. ‘Now, boys,’ he said, ‘what did we do? We took advantage of a poor old man. It’s a sorry affair.’

Dugald said that such a thing should be against their consciences. And he said that God would be displeased with them. The lads returned to the house. They cleared all the snow. They got a lesson that day.

Dugald was teaching through the week and preaching on the Sabbath. Among those who were going to his services, were soldiers who belonged to ‘Sutherlandshire’. I’d say they were from the Mackay Country.

Dugald learned Gaelic spiritual songs from them. They were written by a certain John Mackay. That encouraged Dugald to write his own spiritual songs.

The first time that Dugald went to the Braes of Rannoch to preach, a large number of people came out. There was no bridge at that time and people gathered on each bank of the River Gaur. And there was enmity between the people on each side of the river, south and north.

Dugald stood on a stone in the middle of the river. He gave a powerful sermon. People from each side went into the river to embrace each other. The enmity between the two populations disappeared.

Dugald died of the plague in 1768. He left us a great legacy – in Rannoch and throughout Gaelic Scotland.