Tha Iain a’ gluasad mar taibhse tron eachdraidh Loch Abar anns an 17mh linn. Tha e coltach gun robh e an sàs anns a h-uile tachartas cudromach aig an àm sin ach chan eil cinnte againne air cus mu dheidhinn a bheatha.

Thathar a’ creidsinn gun d’ ruigeadh e mu 1624 cionns gu robh e an lathair, mar fear òg, aig Blàr Inbhir Lochaidh ann an 1645. Thathar  a’ smaoineachadh gur e “Oran an Aghaidh an Aonaidh” an obair mu dheireidh aige, a’ ciallachadh gun do chaochail e beagan às dèidh 1707.

Tha cuid a’ cumail a-mach gun e fear crùbach a bh’ann ach, air an taobh eile, thathar ag radh gun d’ thug e arm Montrois thar mòinteach Glinne Ruaidhe ann am meadhan a’ ghreamhraidh gus na Caimbeulaich a spadadh aig Inbhir Lochaidh. Chaidh claidheamh aà tabhainn dha ach dhuilt e a shabaid, ag ràdh "Cathaichibh sibhse 's innse mise". Bha rudan nas cudromaiche aige ri dhèanamh na sabaid! Thathar a’ creidsinn gun do mharbh e am brathair aige fhein gun fhiosda dha ann am blàr bheag ri taobh Loch Tatha agus gun do chuir e claidheamhan dhan dàrna taobh an uair sin ach sgrìobh e “Latha Inbhir Lochaidh”, ag innse dhuinn an sgeulachd air an là fuilteach a bha sin, làn gràin nan Dòmhnallaich airson nan Caimbeulaich.

Sgrios oirbh mas truagh leam bhur càramh

‘G eisteach anshocair bhur pàisdean

Caoidh a’ phanail anns bh’ann an àraich

Donnalaich bhan Earra-Ghàidheal.

Bha Iain am measg a’ chiad bhàird a’ sgrìobh anns a’ chainnt dhùthchasach an àite an seann chànan clasaigeach na h-Èireann, a chaidh a cleachdadh gus na cinn-cinnidh a’ mholadh anns an t-seann bhàrdachd.

Tha bata-làimhe againn ann an Taigh Tasgaidh na Gàidhealtachd an Iar  a bh’aig Iain air an rathad gu ruige Inbhir Lòchaidh arèir beul athris. ‘S e bata garbh, cnapach air a dhèanamh le droigheann-dubh a th’ann ach, saoil, carson a bhiodh feum aig fear òg air bata? ‘S dòcha gun robh e caran crùbach ceart gu leòr.

Tha clach-chuimhne no dha ann do dh’Iain. Chì sibh Tobar nan Ceann ri taobh Loch Obhaich far an do nigh Iain cinn murtairean an ceann-cinnidh òg na Ceapaich agus a bhrathair. Cha do mharbh Iain fhèin na murtairean ach ghèarr e dheth na cinn aca le sgian a chleachd iad gus na balaich a mhurt. Chuir Iain seachad iomadh bhliadhna a’ sabaid airson ceartas airson nan braithrean òg aig cosgais mhòr dha fhein.

Tha sinn gu ìre mhath cinnteach gun deach a thiodhlagadh aig Cille Choirill faisg air a dhachaidh aig Allt a’ Chaorainn far a bheil Dam Lagan an-diugh, far a bheil tobhta air am bheil “taigh Iain Luim” fhathast ri fhaicinn. Chan eil fios againne far a bheil an uaigh aige ach thog Teàrlach Friseil Mac an Tòisich clach-chuimhne ealanta dha aig deireadh linn Bhictoria.

Iain Lom : the Keppoch Bard

Iain Lom moves like a ghost through the 17^th century history of Lochaber.

Although he seems to have featured in every important event at that time we know remarkably little about him with any certainty.

It is thought that he was born about 1624 since he was present, as a young man, at the Battle of Inverlochy in 1645. It is thought that “Oran an Aghaidh an Aonaidh” (Song Against the Union) was probably his last work and that he died soon after 1707.

Some maintain that he was a cripple but this may be at odds with the belief that he guided Montrose’s army across hills of Glen Roy in the middle of winter to destroy the Campbells at Inverlochy. He was offered a sword for the battle but declined saying “You fight. I’ll tell the story” He had more important duties to perform than fighting! It is believed that he had killed his own brother by accident in a skirmish by Loch Tay after which he refused to use a sword. His poem “Latha Inbhir Lochaidh”, (The Day of Inverlochy) tells us the story of that bloody day and is a hymn of hate against the Campbells.

“Damnation to you if I pity your plight

As I listen to the distress of your children

Lamenting the company that was in the battle

The wailing of the Argyll women.”

Iain was among the first bards to write in the vernacular, the daily language of his people, instead of the classical Gaelic that came from old Ireland and which was used to write panegyrics, praise poems for the clan chiefs.

In the West Highland Museum we are fortunate to have a rough, knobbly, blackthorn walking stick said to have been used by Iain Lom as he let the Royalist army to Inverlochy. This raises the question as to why a young man needed a stick. Perhaps he did walk with a limp.

A couple of memorials exist to the bard. You can see The Well of the Heads beside Loch Oich. Here Iain is said to have washed the heads of the murderers of the young Keppoch chief and his brother. Iain didn’t kill the murderers himself but he cut their heads off with the knife they had used in the murder. He had spent many years in pursuit of justice for the young brothers at great cost to himself.

We are more or less certain that he is buried at Cille Choirill, close to his home at Allt a’ Chaorainn, beside Laggan Dam today and where there is a ruin known locally as Iain Lom’s house. We don’t know exactly where his grave is but Charles Fraser MacKintosh, M.P., erected an elegant memorial to him in the cemetery at the end of the 19^th century.

Ron Cameron