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An Litir Bheag 964

Litir Bheag na seachdain sa le Ruairidh MacIlleathain. Litir 脿ireamh 964. This week's short letter for G脿idhlig learners.

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Sun 5 Nov 2023 13:30

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An Litir Bheag 964

An t-seachdain sa chaidh bha sinn a鈥� leantainn H谩kon IV, R矛gh Nirribhidh, an d猫idh Bl脿r na Leargaidh Ghallta. Chaidh e a dh鈥橝rcaibh. 鈥橲 e an treas R矛gh Alasdair a bha air r矛gh-chathair na h-Alba. Cha robh H谩kon air a bhith gu math fad greis. Agus ann an Arcaibh, chaochail e.

An d猫idh a bh脿is, th脿inig a mhac, M脿nus VI, don r矛gh-chathair. Bha esan a鈥� tuigsinn gun robh cumhachd Nirribhidh ann an Alba agus Eilean Mhanainn a-nise lag.

Chaidh teachdairean eadar an d脿 dh霉thaich. Thug Alasdair ionnsaigh air Eilean Mhanainn agus eileanan eile. Bha smachd nan Nirribheach air eileanan eadar 脤le agus Le貌dhas a鈥� f脿s cugallach.聽

Ann an d脿 cheud deug, seasgad 始s a c貌ig (1265) chuir R矛gh M脿nus dithis theachdairean cli霉iteach a dh鈥橝lba. Thuirt iad ri Alasdair gum biodh na Nirribhich riaraichte nam biodh smachd aig Alba air B貌d agus Arainn. Ach bha iad ag iarraidh smachd a chumail air a h-uile eilean eile.

Cha robh Alasdair toilichte le sin. Bha grunn choinneamhan eile ann, ann an Nirribhidh agus Alba. Mu dheireadh, th脿inig iad gu aonta. B鈥� e an t-aonta sin Co-ch貌rdadh Pheairt. Chaidh ainmean riochdairean an d脿 dh霉thaich a chur ris ann am Manachainn nam Manach Dubha ann am Peairt. Bha sin air an d脿rna latha dhen Iuchar, d脿 cheud deug, seasgad 始s a sia (1266).

Fon aonta, leig na Nirribhich seachad an smachd aca air Eilean Mhanainn agus eileanan taobh an iar na h-Alba. Bhiodh na h-eileanan sin fo 霉ghdarras is uachdranachd na h-Alba. Cha bhiodh na h-eileanaich a bha a鈥� taobhadh le Nirribhidh air am peanasachadh. Agus bha iad saor gus falbh nam biodh iad air a shon.

D猫 fhuair na Nirribhich 脿s? Uill, ghl猫idh iad Arcaibh agus Sealtainn. Agus fhuair iad s霉im airgid 鈥� ceud marg gach bliadhna. Bha sin timcheall air seasgad 始s a sia notaichean (拢66) gach bliadhna 鈥� s霉im gl猫 mh貌r aig an 脿m.

Eadar Co-ch貌rdadh York agus Co-ch貌rdadh Pheairt, choisinn Alba an 矛re mhath an cumadh a tha aice an-diugh, ach gu bheil Arcaibh agus Sealtainn a-nise mar ph脿irt dhith. Eatarra, dhearbh an d脿rna agus treas Alasdair gur e r矛ghrean buadhach a bha annta.聽

The Little Letter 964

Last week we were following H谩kon IV, King of Norway, after the Battle of Largs. He went to Orkney. It鈥檚 Alexander III that was on the throne of Scotland. H谩kon had not been well for a while. And in Orkney, he died.

After his death, his son, Magnus VI, came to the throne. He was understanding that Norway鈥檚 power in Scotland and the Isle of Man was now weak.

Envoys went between the two countries. Alexander attacked the Isle of Man and other islands. The Norwegians鈥� control of islands between Islay and Lewis was becoming shaky.

In 1265 Magnus sent two well-regarded envoys to Scotland. They said to Alexander that the Norwegians would satisfied if Scotland controlled Bute and Arran. But they were wanting to retain control of every other island.

Alexander wasn鈥檛 pleased with that. There were a few other meetings, in Norway and Scotland. Finally, they reached agreement. That agreement was the Treaty of Perth. Representatives of the two countries signed it in the Blackfriars鈥� Monastery in Perth. That was on the second of July 1266.

Under the agreement, the Norwegians relinquished their control of the Isle of Man and the islands of western Scotland. Those islands would be under the authority and sovereignty of Scotland. The islanders who were siding with Norway would not be punished. And they were free to leave if they wished.

What did the Norwegians get out of it? Well, they retained Orkney and Shetland. And they received a sum of money 鈥� a hundred merks every year. That was around 拢66 annually 鈥� a significant sum at the time.

Between the Treaty of York and the Treaty of Perth, Scotland achieved pretty much the shape it has today, except that Orkney and Shetland are now part of it. Between them, the second and third Alasdairs proved that they were successful kings.

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