麻豆约拍

A bheil sibh e貌lach air an ainm-脿ite 鈥� Auchenshuggle 鈥� ann an Glaschu? Tha sin a鈥� tighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig Achadh an t-Seagail 鈥� the field of the rye. Uill, tha cnoc ann an 脌ird Chlach, eadar Inbhir Narann is Baile nan Granndach, air a bheil Tomashoggle (ann am Beurla). Ann an G脿idhlig 鈥檚 e sin Tom an t-Seagail 鈥� the hillock of the rye. 鈥橲 e seagal an aon rud a dh鈥檉h脿sadh ann, a r猫ir choltais, oir bha an talamh cho bochd.

Ach fon tom bha s矛thichean a鈥� fuireach. Oidhche a bha seo nochd s矛thiche air beulaibh a鈥� chroiteir a bha ag obrachadh na talmhainn an sin. Dh鈥檌arr e air a鈥� chroitear min a thoirt dhaoir bha e gann de bhiadh. Thug an croitear min dha.

Beagan oidhcheannan 脿s d猫idh sin thill an s矛thiche. Thug e min sh貌nraichte seachad 鈥搉ach fh脿sadh gann fhad 鈥檚 a chumadh an croitear is a鈥� bhean aige an gnothach d矛omhair. Achair Oidhche Shamhna, thuirt bean a鈥� chroiteir rudeigin mu 鈥渕hin nan s矛thichean鈥� nuair a bha daoine eile a-staigh aca agus, anns a鈥� mhadainn, bha ciste na mine falamh agus cha robh sgeul聽tuilleadh air min nan s矛thichean.

Ann an 脌ird Chlach tha togalach beag annasach ris an canar T霉r-cluig 脌ird Chlach no Ardclach Bell Tower. Tha e air cnoc os cionn seann eaglais na sg矛re, a tha ri taobh Uisge 脠ireann. 鈥橲 e sg矛re thorrach a th鈥� ann agus bhiodh na fineachan 脿 taobh an iar naG脿idhealtachd gu tric a鈥� togail creach innte 鈥� a鈥� goid crodh bho mhuinntir an 脿ite.

Chaidh an t霉r a thogail ann an sia ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1655). Ged a tha e sean,tha e fhathast ann an deagh 貌rdugh agus 鈥檚 fhiach a dhol ga fhaicinn. Air mullach an togalaichbha an clag. Bhiodh daoine ga sheinn nuair a thigeadh na creachadairean. Bha sin airsonrabhadh a thoirt do mhuinntir an 脿ite gun robh cunnart ann. Aig bonn an togalaich, bha cealladhorch anns am biodh eucoirich 鈥� no daoine a bha a鈥� togail creach 鈥� air an cur.

Ged a tha an togalach ann an deagh 貌rdugh, chan eil an clag ann an-diugh. A r猫ir beul-aithris,dh鈥檉h脿s na fineachan bhon taobh an iar cho seachd searbh sg矛th dheth, 鈥檚 gun do ghoid feadhainn aca e. 脌s aonais a鈥� chluig, cha bhiodh d貌igh mhath aig muinntir 脌ird Chlach airsonfios a sgaoileadh gu robh na creachadairean ann.

Chaidh buidheann bheag de chreachadairean ann oidhche dhorch a bha seo. Choisich iad san abhainn an toiseach. Nuair a r脿inig iad n脿baidheachd an t霉ir-chluig, chaidh iad a-mach 脿s an abhainn is chaidh iad suas am bruthach. R脿inig iad an t霉r. Gu sgiobalta, shaoraich iad an聽clag bhon uidheamachd a bha ceangailte ris. Thuit an clag don l脿r. Is iongantach mura rinn e聽fuaim m貌r!

Co-dhi霉, lean iad orra agus chuir iad teine ris an togalach. Feumaidh gu robh an t霉r air a dheagh thogail oir, mar a bha mi ag r脿dh, tha e fhathast na sheasamh. Fhad 鈥檚 a bha antogalach a鈥� losgadh, agus na lasairean a鈥� soilleireachadh na h-oidhche, roilig na creachadairean an clag s矛os am bruthach a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-aibhne. Chaidh e a-steach don uisge ann an linne dhorch aig bonn creige.Bha e ann an sin airson 霉ine mh貌ir agus c貌 aige tha fios nach eil e san abhainn fhathast. Oir, a r猫ir beul-aithris, aig toiseach an fhicheadamh linn, nuair a bhiodh an abhainn a鈥� sruthadh gu l脿idir, bhiodh muinntir an 脿ite a鈥� cluinntinn fuaim car coltach ri clag a鈥� tighinnbhon uisge.

脌ird Chlach: Ardclach; Inbhir Narann: Nairn; Baile nan Granndach: Grantown on Spey; min: meal; Oidhche Shamhna: Halloween; t霉r-cluig: bell-tower; Uisge 脠ireann: Findhorn River; clag: bell; creachadairean: plunderers.

a bheil sibh e貌lach air?: do you know/ recognise?; an aon rud a dh鈥檉h脿sadh ann: the one thing that would grow there; fon tom bha s矛thichean a鈥� fuireach:under the hill lived fairies; air beulaibh a鈥� chroiteir: in front of the crofter; ag obrachadh na talmhainn: working the land; nach fh脿sadh gann: that wouldn鈥檛 go scarce (ie that wouldn鈥檛 be used up); fhad 鈥檚 a chumadh X an gnothach d矛omhair: as long as X kept the matter a secret; nuair a bha daoine eile a-staigh aca: when they had visitors; bha ciste na mine falamh: the meal chest was empty; bhiodh na fineachan 脿 taobh an iar na G脿idhealtachd gu tric a鈥� togail creach innte: the clans from the West Highlands would often plunder there; ann an deagh 貌rdugh: in good repair; 鈥檚 fhiach a dhol ga fhaicinn: it鈥檚 worth going to see; bhiodh daoine ga sheinn: people would ring it; cealla dhorch anns am biodh eucoirich air an cur: a dark cell in which criminals would be put; cho seachd searbh sg矛th dheth: so sick of it; 鈥檚 gun do ghoid feadhainn aca e: that some of them stole it; 脿s aonais a鈥� chluig: without the bell; shaoraich iadan clag bhon uidheamachd a bha ceangailte ris: they freed the bell from the equipment connected to it; is iongantach mura rinn e fuaim m貌r: I reckon it made a big noise (it issurprising if it did not make a big noise); lean iad orra: they continued; agus na lasairean a鈥� soilleireachadh na h-oidhche: with the flames lighting up the night; roilig X an clag s矛os am bruthach: X rolled the bell down the hillside; a dh鈥檌onnsaigh na h-aibhne: towards the river; bhiodh muinntir an 脿ite a鈥� cluinntinn fuaim car coltach ri clag: the local people would hear a noise rather like a bell.

Achadh an t-Seagail: the field of the rye. Most of our names forcrop plants appear to be of Celtic origin eg coirce (oats), e貌rna (barley) and cruithneachd(wheat), although the first may be related to the Latin ceres (grain), from which is derived theEnglish cereal. But seagal (rye) has a different pedigree 鈥� it comes from the Latin secale.Cabbage appears to have been introduced to Britain by the Romans and the Latin word caulisbecame c脿l in Gaelic. However, it appears that the Celts of Britain were growing rye in pre-Roman times so I cannot explain why our ancestors adopted (and adapted) the Latin name.Do any of you have an explanation?

c貌 aige tha fios (nach eil e san abhainn fhathast): who knows (that it鈥檚 not still in the river).