The cautionary tale of Ciotaidh NicFhraing

[neloon]

The fate of Abergeldie Castle has been in the news a lot recently
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-35242529
But did you know that the castle has a ghost? For those of you learning Gaelic, the story of Ciotaidh NicFhraing = Kitty Rankin = French Kate is told in
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00r674h
Kitty was a French serving woman at the castle who informed her mistress that she had seen an image (in a bowl of River Dee water) of the Laird cavorting with other ladies while he was traveling abroad. Impressed by her psychic powers, her Ladyship demanded that Kitty cause a storm to sink his homecoming ship and drown him and all aboard. When this very thing happened, Kitty was accused of witchcraft and burned at the stake opposite the Castle on Creag nam Ban (Hill of the women) where all witches were put to death. French Kate's ghost is said to have been seen in the cellars and in the clock tower of the castle and to this day she can be heard wailing on the top of Creag nam Ban. Let's hope she doesn't drown the Castle as well as the Laird!

(In case you're interested, the name Abergeldie is an interesting p-celtic/q-celtic combination. The Geldie Burn is Allt Geallaidh in (q-celtic) Gaelic = the burn of white/pure water. But Aber is p-celtic/"Pictish" from an earlier era = confluence/mouth of where the Gaelic would be Inbhir (Inver).)

Alan