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Tha tòrr àiteachan air feadh an t-saoghail far a bheil ‘MacCoinnich’ – no ‘Mackenzie’ – anns an ainm. Seo agaibh feadhainn dhiubh – Mackenzie County, Alberta; McKenzie, Tennessee; Point MacKenzie, Alasga; Mackenzie, Guyana; Mackenzie Basin, Sealan Nuadh; Mackenzie, Queensland agus Mackenzie Bay ann an Graonlann. Gun luaidh air Eilean MhicCoinnich far Port na h-Abhainne ann an Ìle!

Tha mi airson sùil a thoirt air dà àite a tha fada bho chèile far a bheil ‘Mackenzie’ air na mapaichean. ʼS e sin Graonlann agus Tìr na Banrigh ann an Astràilia.

An toiseach gu Graonlann far a bheil Mackenzie Bay – Bàgh MhicCoinnich. Chaidh ainmeachadh an toiseach mar Mackenzie’s Inlet le neach-rannsachaidh Sasannach ann an ochd ceud deug, fichead ʼs a dhà (1822). Faisg air caogad bliadhna an dèidh sin, chaidh ath-ainmeachadh Mackenzie Bay le luchd-rannsachaidh Gearmailteach.

Ach cò am MacCoinnich a bha ann? Fear de dh’uaislean na Gàidhealtachd – Sir Seòras Stiùbhart MacCoinnich, an seachdamh tighearna no baronet dhen ainm. Bhuineadh e don Chùil ann an Cunndainn, faisg air Srath Pheofhair ann an Ros an Ear. 

Rugadh e ann an seachd ceud deug is ochdad (1780). Bha an teaghlach aige beartach. Fhuair e foghlam prìobhaideach. Rinn e ceum ann an saidheans ann an Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann. 

Choisinn e cliù dha fhèin am measg luchd-saidheans nuair a dhearbh e gu bheil daoimeanan air an dèanamh de charbon. A rèir aithris, ʼs ann bho sheudraidh a mhàthar a thàinig na daoimeanan a chleachd e!

'S ann ann an creag-eòlas agus mèinn-eòlas a bu motha a choisinn e cliù. Chaidh e air tursan mara a dh’Innis Tìle agus na h-Eileanan Fàrach. Sgrìobh e earrannan dhen leabhar ‘Travels in Iceland’. Anns an leabhar sin, chuir e air adhart mìneachadh air mar a bhios gìosaran ag obair.

An-ath-sheachdain, bheir mi sùil a bharrachd air an teaghlach seo – Clann ʼic Coinnich na Cùile. Ach tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu dhroch rud a rinn Seòras Stiùbhart MacCoinnich.

Dh’fhuadaich e Inbhir Lathail faisg air Ullapul. Chaidh còrr is caogad teaghlach a chur às an dachannan. Bha e brùideil.

There are many places throughout the world where ‘Mackenzie’ is in the name. Here are some of them – Mackenzie County, Alberta; McKenzie, Tennessee; Point MacKenzie, Alasga; Mackenzie, Guyana; Mackenzie Basin, Sealan Nuadh; Mackenzie, Queensland and Mackenzie Bay in Greenland. [That’s] without mentioning Eilean MhicCoinnich off Portnahaven in Islay!

I want to look at two places that are far apart from each other where ‘Mackenzie’ is on the maps. Those are Greenland and Queensland in Australia.

Firstly to Greenland where there is Mackenzie Bay. It was first named as Mackenzie’s Inlet by an English explorer in 1822. Nearly fifty years later, it was renamed Mackenzie Bay by German explorers.

But who is the Mackenzie there? One of the Highland gentry – Sir George Steuart Mackenzie, the seventh baronet of the name. He belonged to Coul in Contin, near Strathpeffer in Easter Ross.

He was born in 1780. His family was wealthy. He received a private education. He did a degree in science at the University of Edinburgh.

He earned a reputation for himself among scientists when he proved that diamonds are made of carbon. According to report[s], it’s from his mother’s jewellery that the diamonds came that he used!

It’s in geology and mineralogy that he mostly developed a reputation. He went on maritime journeys to Iceland and the Faroes. He wrote sections of the book ‘Travels in Iceland’. In that book, he put forward an explanation on how geysers work.

Next week, I’ll look more at this family – the Mackenzies of Coul. But I want to tell you about a bad thing that George Steuart Mackenzie did.

He cleared Inverlael near Ullapool. More than fifty families were put out of their homes. It was brutal.