麻豆约拍

O chionn ghoirid chuir mi seachad beagan 霉ine taobh Loch Laomainn. Bha mi an s脿s ann am pr貌iseact fo sti霉ir Dualchas N脿dair na h-Alba 鈥� no SNH mar as fhe脿rr a dh鈥檃ithnichear e. Bha mi fh矛n is feadhainn eile a鈥� toirt clann aig an robh G脿idhlig a-mach a choimhead air fear de na h-eileanan a tha an-diugh le SNH.

Ann am Beurla 鈥檚 e Inchcailloch a chanas iad ris an eilean. Tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gur e sin Innis Chailleach no 鈥檚 d貌cha Innis Caillich. Agus c貌 i a鈥� chailleach, no c貌 iad na cailleachan, a tha co-cheangailte ris an eilean? Uill, cailleachan eaglaise, a r猫ir choltais, oir bha cailleachan dubha a鈥� fuireach ann. Agus b鈥� i an Naomh Centigerna an t猫 a b鈥� ainmeile dhiubh. A r猫ir beul-aithris, chaochail i anns an eilean ann an seachd ceud, trithead 鈥檚 a ceithir (734).

Tha seann dualchas eaglaiseil l脿idir aig Loch Laomainn. A bharrachd air Centigerna, bha an Naomh Mearain co-cheangailte ris. Bha, agus an Naomh Ceasag a thog manachainn air eilean eile, air a bheil Inchtavannach ann am Beurla 鈥� no Innis Taigh a鈥� Mhanaich. Agus 鈥檚 e ainm a鈥� bhaile bhig air cladach Loch Laomainn, faisg air Innis Caillich, Baile MoThatha. Tha an t-ainm a鈥� cuimhneachadh Naomh MoThatha.

Tha Innis Caillich uabhasach fh猫in br猫agha. Bha sluagh ann fad ceudan bhliadhnaichean agus bha eaglais is cladh ann. Tha an cladh agus tobhta na h-eaglaise fhathast ann. Ged a dh鈥檉halbh an sluagh aig deireadh an ochdamh linn deug, bhathar a鈥� cleachdadh a鈥� chladha fad 霉ine mh貌r 脿s d猫idh sin 鈥� gu goirid 脿s d猫idh an D脿rna Cogaidh.

Chanainn gu bheil an t-eilean meadhanach torrach agus 鈥檚 e obair fearainn a bh鈥� aig na daoine a bha a鈥� fuireach ann. Ach, aig deireadh an ochdamh linn deug, bha an t-uachdaran ag iarraidh rudeigin eile fh脿s ann, seach feur. Craobhan-daraich. Chaidh na m矛ltean dhiubh a chur. Carson? Uill, aig an 脿m sin, bhathar a鈥� cleachdadh leathar airson criosan no bealtaichean tionnsgalach a dh猫anamh. Bha factaraidhean ann an 脿iteachan mar Ghlaschu feumach air t貌rr de a leithid. Agus 鈥檚 e r霉sg nan darach a bhathar a鈥� cleachdadh airson cartadh a dh猫anamh air an leathar. 鈥橲 e cartadh am pr貌iseas anns am bi leathar air a dh猫anamh s霉bailte. Bha na stuthan cartaidh no 鈥渢annins鈥� a鈥� tighinn bho r霉sg na craoibhe-daraich.

Mar sin, tron naoidheamh linn deug, bha Innis Caillich air a c貌mhdachadh le coille daraich. Agus tha fhathast. Tha a鈥� choille air a dhol rudeigin n脿darrach bhon uair sin agus an-diugh tha i gu math br猫agha. As t-earrach tha br貌g na cuthaig 鈥� no am fuath-mhuc 鈥� uabhasach fh猫in pailt. Ma chromas tu s矛os air latha br猫agha earraich, mus nochd an raineach, agus br貌g na cuthaig fo bhl脿th, chan eil dad nas br猫agha ann. Tha e mar gun robh ce貌 purpaidh air a sgaoileadh air 霉rlar na coille.

Th脿inig an teaghlach agam cuide rium don eilean air an deireadh-sheachdain, 脿s d猫idh gun robh m鈥� obair seachad. Fhad 鈥檚 a bha mise a鈥� cumail s霉il air a鈥� bh脿ta, chaidh iadsan air

chuairt air feadh an eilein. Cha tuirt mi guth ro l脿imh mu bheathach s貌nraichte a tha a鈥� fuireach ann. Uill, nach t脿inig iad air ais thugam le sgeul mu dheidhinn.

鈥淐hunnaic sinn rudeigin m貌r b脿n. Bha e coltach ri gobhar,鈥� thuirt iad.

鈥淪eadh,鈥� fhreagair mi, 鈥淏ha mi an d霉il gum faiceadh, ach chan e gobhar a bh鈥� ann.鈥�

鈥淒猫 bh鈥� ann ma-th脿?鈥�

Innsidh mi dhuibh uile an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Loch Laomainn: Loch Lomond; cailleachan dubha: nuns; chaochail: died; Baile MoThatha: Balmhaha; obair fearainn: agricultural work; craobhan-daraich: oak trees; factaraidhean: factories; cartadh: tanning.

Abairtean na Litreach: a tha an-diugh le SNH: which is today owned by SNH; tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth: I reckon; b鈥� i an Naomh Centigerna an t猫 a b鈥� ainmeile dhiubh: St Kentigerna was the best-known of them; bha an Naomh Mearain co-cheangailte ris: St Mirren was connected to it; bha, agus an Naomh Ceasag a thog manachainn air eilean eile: so was St Kessog (Kessock) who built a monastery on another island; bha sluagh ann fad ceudan bhliadhnaichean: there was a population there for centuries; tha an cladh agus tobhta na h-eaglaise fhathast ann: the cemetery and the ruins (bases of the walls) of the church are still there; bhathar a鈥� cleachdadh a鈥� chladha fad 霉ine mh貌r 脿s d猫idh sin: the cemetery was used for a long time after that; chanainn gu bheil an t-eilean meadhanach torrach: I鈥檇 say the island is relatively fertile; airson criosan no bealtaichean tionnsgalach a dh猫anamh: for making industrial belts; bha X feumach air t貌rr de a leithid: X required much of the sort (ie leather); r霉sg nan darach: oak bark; am pr貌iseas anns am bi leathar air a dh猫anamh s霉bailte: the process in which leather is made supple; br貌g na cuthaig 鈥� no am fuath-mhuc: these are both Gaelic names for the wild hyacinth (English bluebell); ma chromas tu s矛os: if you bend down; coltach ri gobhar: like a goat; bha mi an d霉il gum faiceadh: I expected you would [see].

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: SNH. You will notice that Gaels, being bilingual, tend to use English acronyms for official organisations (see also Litir 104 25.05.01). This is quite natural, so don鈥檛 feel you have to invent a Gaelic acronym. With SNH, the Gaelic equivalent (Dualchas N脿dair na h-Alba) comes out as DNA 鈥� which is already a well recognised acronym for something else! However, as Gaelic comes more into public life thanks to the Gaelic Language Act, the use of Gaelic acronyms is increasing. Many people refer to Sabhal M貌r Ostaig as SMO (it has no English equivalent), and Oilthigh na G脿idhealtachd 鈥檚 nan Eilean is commonly called OGE, as well as UHI (University of the Highlands and Islands).

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: mar as fhe脿rr a dh鈥檃ithnichear e: as it is better known (lit. as better it is recognised). I last highlighted this idiom in Litir 66 (25.08.00) 鈥� but it was then in relation to a person. It can also be used in relation to names of things other than people.