WOLF of BADENOCH
The Wolf of Badenoch, is one of the most memorable historical characters of Strathspey.
The son of King Robert II, he was one of the most blackest, most evil character in Scotland's history. Alexander Stewart, Alisdair Mor mac an Righ, was better know as Big Alexander, or the Wolf of Badenoch.
The times in which he lived were barbarous, but even by their standards he stood out, and was feared over a considerable distance.
Throughout his life he was Lord of Badenoch around 1371, Earl of Buchanan and was also his brother's royal deputy in the north of Scotland.
The Wolf ruled the lands of Badenoch in a cruel way, burning the homes of those who crossed or displeased them. Taking labour and goods way beyond any reason.
His wife, Countess of Ross, was deserted by him. His wife appealed to the Bishop of Moray, who unfortunately for him, gave judgement in her favour.
The Wolf was outraged. All out for revenge, he came down from his stronghold, the castle of Lochindorb and ransacked and burned Forres and Elgin. Elgin of course, being the ecclesiastical centre of the Bishopric of Moray. Setting off fires, mainly in the College, the Canon's houses and the Hospital of the Maison Dieu, he terrified the people of Elgin, forcing them to flee with their families into the countryside.
In 1390 he burned Elgin Cathedral, destroying many of its records including family, legal and monastic - irreplaceable. A terrible loss.
The Wolf was called upon by his father to do penance for this heinous crime. This he did under the watchful eye of his father the King, nobles and many dignitaries of the church. The King, believing that his son had learnt his lesson, finally pardoned him, and his was received back into the Church. Unfortunately, his repentance was superficial.
Throughout his reign he extended and reinforced his castles at Loch-an-Eilein and Lochindorb, and yet hardly changed Castle Roy at Nethy Bridge.
Legend has it that The Wolf of Badenoch died in 1394, although others maintain is was in 1406, when it is believed that he played chess with the devil. He had been visited at Ruthven Castle by a man, who was tall, and dressed in black. The man wished to play a game of chess with the Wolf. The game went on for several hours until the tall, darkly dressed man moved one of the chess pieces and called 'check' and then 'checkmate'. The man rose from the table. On calling these words there was a terrible storm of thunder, hail and lightening. The storm continued through the night until silence befell the castle in the morning. In that morning silence, it was then that the Wolf's men were discovered outside the castle walls, dead and blackened as if they had all been struck by the lightening. The Wolf was found in the banqueting hall, and although his body appeared unmarked, the nails in his boots had all been torn out.
The funeral procession was held two days later, led by the Wolf's coffin. Terrible storms started over and over again as the coffins were added to the procession. It was only after the Wolf's coffin was carried to the back of the procession did the storms cease. The storms did not return.
The Wolf of Badenoch was not buried locally, but is buried in Dunkeld Cathedral.
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 d6 4. h3 Bd7 5. O-O Nf6 6. Re1 a6 7. Ba4 Na5 8. Bxd7+
Qxd7 9. c3 b5 10. d4 Nc6 11. Nbd2 Be7 12. Nf1 O-O 13. Ng3 Rad8 14.
Nf5 exd4 15. Nxe7+ Qxe7 16. cxd4 Rfe8 17. d5 Ne5 18. Nh4 Nc4 19. Nf5 Qe5 20. f4
Nxb2 21. Qc2 Qxf5 22. exf5 Rxe1+ 23. Kf2 Rde8 24.Bxb2 R1e2+ 25. Qxe2
Rxe2+ 26. Kxe2 Nxd5 27. Kf3 c5 28. Rd1 Ne7 29. Rxd6 f6 30. Ke4 a5 31. Rb6 b4 32.
Rb5 c4 33. Rxa5 c3 34. Bc1 h5 35. Rc5 Kh7 36. Rc4 h4 37. Rxb4 c2 38. Rc4 Kh6 39.
Rxc2 g6 40. fxg6 Kxg6 41. a4 Nf5 42. a5 Nd6+ 43. Kd5 Ne8 44. a6 Nc7+ 45. Rxc7 kf5
46. a7 Kg6 47. a8=Q Kf5 48. Qc8+ Kg6 49. Qg4+ Kh6 50. Qg7
Hi NB.
I'll be along tomorrow, Burns has asked me to bring a long a prize???
I hope that blonde barmaid with the big Rooks is in Mather's on a Sunday.
Bring your camera, I'll bring my guitar and sing a chess song infront of the
demo board. Someone can move the bits. That will be a good YouTube.
[Event The Wolf of Badenoch
[Date 31/10/09]
[Round 2]
[White Jim Crawford]
[Black Ken Main]
[Result 1-0]
1. e4 c5 2. Bc4 e6 3. Nf3 d6 4.c3 Be7 5. d4 cxd4 6. cxd4 Nf6 7. Nc3 Qc7
8. Qe2 a6 9. e5 dxe5 10. dxe5 Nfd7 11. O-O b5 12. Bd3 Bb7 13. Be4 Nc6
14. Ng5 Qxe5 15. Qf3 Bxg5 16. Bxc6 O-O 17. Bxb7 Rad8 18. Bxg5 Qxg5 19. Bxa6 Ne5
20. Qg3 Qh5 21. Ne4 Rd3 22. Nf6+