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Bidh mòran agaibh eòlach air na rathaidean a thog an Seanailear Wade. Tha rann beag ann mun deidhinn:

If you’d seen this road before it was made,

You’d lift up your hands and bless General Wade.

Ge brìth dè ur beachd air Wade, dh’atharraich e a’ Ghàidhealtachd. Thog e rathaidean airm far nach robh dad ann roimhe. Ach cò bha ann an Seòras Wade?

Bhuineadh e do shliochd nan Sasannach ann an Èirinn. Rugadh e ann am meadhan na h-Èireann. Nuair a bha e mu sheachd bliadhn’ deug a dh’aois, fhuair e coimisean ann an Arm Shasainn. Bha e an sàs ann an Cogadh nan Naoi Bliadhna agus Cogadh Co-arbas na Spàinnte.

Dh’èirich e tro na rangan. Chùm e a dol mar shaighdear an dèidh an aonaidh eadar Sasainn agus Alba. Ann an seachd ceud deug ʼs ceithir-deug (1714) fhuair e àrdachadh gu commandair an airm Bhreatannaich ann an Èirinn.

A’ bhliadhna an dèidh sin, dh’èirich na Seumasaich. Bha Wade air a chur a Shasainn airson seasamh nan aghaidh. Goirid an dèidh sin, chaidh e an sàs ann am poilitigs mar bhall-pàrlamaid.

Ann an seachd ceud deug, fichead ʼs a ceithir (1724), chaidh Seòras a chur a dh’Alba airson an dùthaich a mheas. Bha an riaghaltas ann an Lunnainn a’ gabhail dragh mu na Seumasaich air a’ Ghàidhealtachd. Mhol Wade prògram a chur air chois – airson gearastanan, drochaidean agus rathaidean a thogail. Fhuair e dreuchd ùr – Àrd-chomanndair de dh’Fheachdan an Rìgh ann an Ceann a Tuath Bhreatainn.

Thairis air dusan bliadhna, thog Wade dà cheud is ceathrad mìle de rathaidean agus trithead drochaid. B’ i an drochaid a bu mhotha a thog e an tè thar Uisge Tatha ann an Obar Pheallaidh. Bha i air a dealbhachadh gu sònraichte le Uilleam Adam. Chaidh a fosgladh gu trafaig ann an seachd ceud deug, trithead ʼs a còig (1735). Bha i mar charragh-cuimhne do dh’obair Wade air a’ Ghàidhealtachd. Chosg i fortan – ceithir mìle not. Tha i fhathast a’ gabhail charbadan an-diugh. Ach cha robh obair Wade ann an Alba deiseil le drochaid Obar Pheallaidh, mar a chluinneas sinn an-ath-sheachdain.

Many of you will know the roads that General Wade built. There is a wee rhyme about them:

If you’d seen this road before it was made,

You’d lift up your hands and bless General Wade.

Whatever your opinion on Wade, he changed the Highlands. He built military roads where there was nothing before. But who was George Wade?

He belonged to the Anglo-Irish. He was born in the centre of Ireland. When he was about 17 years old, he obtained a commission in the English Army. He was involved in the Nine Years’ War and the War of the Spanish Succession.

He rose through the ranks. He continued as a soldier after the union between England and Scotland. In 1714 he obtained promotion to commander of the British Army in Ireland.

The following year, the Jacobites rose. Wade was sent to England to oppose them. Shortly after that, he got involved in politics as a member of parliament.

In 1724, George was sent to Scotland to assess the country. The government in London was perturbed about the Jacobites in the Highlands. Wade recommended the establishment of a program – to build barracks, bridges and roads. He obtained a new post – Commander in Chief of His Majesty’s forces in North Britain.

Over twelve years, Wade built two hundred and forty miles of roads and thirty bridges. The biggest bridge he built was the one over the River Tay at Aberfeldy. It was specially designed by William Adam. It was opened to traffic in 1735. It was a memorial to Wade’s work in the Highlands. It cost a fortune – four thousand pounds. It still carries traffic today. But Wade’s work in Scotland was not finished with the bridge of Aberfeldy, as we shall hear next week.