麻豆约拍

Air bruach an iar Loch Laomainn, faisg air an rathad A 82, gu deas air baile 脌ird Laoigh, tha clach mh貌r ainmeil ann. Air a鈥� mhap, 鈥檚 e Pulpit Rock a th鈥� oirre. Tuigidh sibh gu robh i air a cur gu feum uaireigin mar ch霉baid.

Bha sin bho ochd-deug, fichead 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1825) a-mach, as d猫idh do mhuinntir an 脿ite gearain don mhinistear aca gu robh aca ri coiseachd ro fhada don eaglais air an t-Sabaid. 鈥淯ill,鈥� thuirt am ministear, an t-Urramach Peadar Proudfoot, 鈥渕a thogas sibh c霉baid is se貌mar-culaidh dhomh ann am badeigin, thig mi a-mach agus searmonachaidh mi dhuibh ann a sin.鈥�

Agus 鈥檚 e sin a thachair. Chleachd na daoine stuth spreadhaidh agus chladhaich iad toll anns a鈥� chloich, a bhiodh m貌r gu le貌r airson a鈥� mhinisteir. Aig a鈥� cheann thall, bha e m貌r gu le貌r airson tri霉ir 鈥� am ministear, eildear agus fear a chuireadh a-mach an loighne nuair a bhathar a鈥� gabhail nan salm.

Chaidh doras a chur air beul an tuill agus, air a ch霉laibh, bha an se貌mar-culaidh. Bha 脿rd-霉rlar air a thogail air aghaidh na cloiche, air beulaibh an dorais. Bhiodh c霉baid air a cur air an 脿rd-霉rlar sin nuair a thigeadh am ministear air an t-S脿baid. Bhiodh muinntir an 脿ite a-muigh ag 猫isteachd ris an t-searmon, ann an deagh sh矛de is droch sh矛de 鈥� cleachdadh a bha cumanta gu le貌r ann an eachdraidh na h-Alba.

鈥橲 ann mar sin a bha e airson seasgad 鈥檚 a c貌ig bliadhna gus an deach eaglais bheag a thogail ann an 脌ird Laoigh aig deireadh an naoidheamh linn deug. Chaidh an t-脿rd-霉rlar agus an d貌ras, a bh鈥� air an d猫anamh le fiodh, a chleachdadh mar chonnadh le luchd-siubhail, agus dh矛ochuimhnich a鈥� chuid mh貌r dhen t-sluagh mu dheidhinn na cloiche. Tha coille mh貌r dhorcha air f脿s suas mu a timcheall.

鈥橲 ann mar sin a bha e gus o chionn ghoirid nuair a chum am ministear, an t-Urramach Dane Shepherd, searmon aig a鈥� chloich. Tha buidheann coimhearsnachd a-nise ag iarraidh na craobhan mu a timcheall a leigeal agus 脿ite-p脿ircidh a thogail ri a taobh. Tha e coltach gum bithear a鈥� brosnachadh cuid de na daoine, a bhios a鈥� tadhal air P脿irce N脿iseanta 霉r Loch Laomainn is nan Tr貌isichean, a dhol a dh鈥檉haicinn na cloiche.

Nise, saoil d猫 a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a th鈥� air Pulpit Rock? Clach na C霉baid, 鈥檚 d貌cha? Uill, chan e, oir bha ainm G脿idhlig oirre fada fada mus robh guth air cleachdadh na cloiche airson searmon. Tha an t-ainm Beurla oirre a鈥� buntainn ri cleachdadh Cr矛osdail, ach tha an t-ainm G脿idhlig a鈥� dol air ais gu dualchas nas sine na sin. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a th鈥� oirre ann an G脿idhlig Clach nan Tarbh.

Tha sgeulachd co-cheangailte ris an ainm, a th鈥� air aithris le M矛cheal Newton anns an leabhar mhath aige, 鈥淏ho Chluaidh gu Calasraid鈥�. Bha tarbh m貌r dearg 脿 Sasainn a th脿inig a dh鈥橝lba airson an d霉thaich a mhaslachadh. 鈥淚s truagh an d霉thaich!鈥� ghlaodh e nuair a bha e gu h-脿rd os cionn Loch Laomainn.

Bha tarbh dubh nan Albannach feargach agus thug e an aghaidh air an tarbh dhearg. Bha iad a鈥� str矛 an aghaidh a ch猫ile shuas 脿rd air Beinn Mhurlaig agus phut iad thairis clach mh貌r. Ruith a鈥� chlach s矛os a鈥� bheinn don 脿ite far a bheil i an-diugh ri taobh an locha. Agus rinn an tarbh dubh Albannach a鈥� ch霉is air an tarbh dhearg Shasannach. Tha mi an d貌chas, nuair a dh鈥檌nnseas muinntir na P脿irce N脿iseanta do luchd-turais mu dheidhinn na cloiche, nach d矛ochuimhnich iad an t-ainm G脿idhlig, agus an dualchas a tha co-cheangailte ris.

Faclan na seachdaine: Loch Laomainn: Loch Lomond; 脌ird Laoigh: Ardlui; se貌mar-culaidh: vestry; stuth spreadhaidh: explosive material; eildear: elder; connadh: fuel; coille mh貌r dhorcha: a large dark wood (forest); P脿irce N脿iseanta Loch Laomainn is nan Tr貌isichean: Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park; Clach nan Tarbh: The Stone (rock) of the Bulls; Beinn Mhurlaig: Ben Vorlich.

Abairtean na seachdaine: gu robh i air a cur gu feum uaireigin mar ch霉baid: that it was at one time used as a pulpit; gu robh aca ri coiseachd ro fhada don eaglais air an t-S脿baid: that they had to walk too far to the church on the Sabbath; agus 鈥檚 e sin a thachair: and that鈥檚 what happened; nuair a bhathar a鈥� gabhail nan salm: when the psalms were being sung; bha 脿rd-霉rlar air a thogail air aghaidh na cloiche, air beulaibh an dorais: a platform was built on the face of the rock, in front of the door; cleachdadh a bha cumanta gu le貌r: a practice that was common enough; dh矛ochuimhnich X mu dheidhinn na cloiche: X forgot about the rock; tha Y air f脿s suas mu a timcheall: Y has grown up around it (fem.); gus o chionn ghoirid: until recently; tha X ag iarraidh na craobhan a leigeal agus 脿ite-p脿ircidh a thogail ri a taobh: X wants to fell the trees and build a parking place next to it (fem); tha an t-ainm Beurla a鈥� buntainn ri cleachdadh Cr矛osdail: the English name is associated with a Christian practice; airson an d霉thaich a mhaslachadh: to put the country to shame; is truagh an d霉thaich!: what a pathetic country!; thug e an aghaidh air an tarbh dhearg: he stood up to the red bull; nach d矛ochuimhnich iad X, agus an dualchas a tha co-cheangailte ris: that they won鈥檛 forget X, and the heritage associated with it.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: Did you notice the three uses of the adverb a-mach in this week鈥檚 Litir? It appears first, meaning 鈥渇rom 1825 onwards鈥� in bho 1825 a-mach. Secondly, it occurs in perhaps its most obvious circumstance, meaning simply 鈥渙ut鈥� in thig mi a-mach agus searmonachaidh mi (I will come out and preach). And thirdly it appears in fear a chuireadh a-mach an loighne (lit. a man who would put out the line, meaning the precentor who would lead the psalm-signing). In the early stages of learning Gaelic, you would have been told that a-mach means 鈥渙ut鈥�, usually expressing movement eg leum e a-mach 脿s a鈥� ch脿r (he leaped out of the car), dh鈥檉halbh i a-mach o chionn 5 mionaidean (she went out 5 minutes ago); choimhead mi a-mach air an uinneig (I looked out of the window). But be aware that this adverb is employed in a vast array of expressions and idiom, and that you will often come across it in situations where it cannot be translated simply as 鈥渙ut鈥�. Here are some examples: bha iad a-mach air a ch猫ile (they were having a heated argument, they fell out with each other); abair dol a-mach a bh鈥� aige! (eg what a ridiculous way to behave!); anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach (in the first instance); tha iad a鈥� cumail a-mach gu bheil 鈥� (they maintain that鈥�); bha i a-mach air cho math 鈥檚 a bha a鈥� Ghr猫ig (she was going on about how good Greece was); chuir mi a-mach tr矛 tursan (I vomited three times).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: 鈥橲 ann mar sin a bha e (airson seasgad 鈥檚 a c貌ig bliadhna): that鈥檚 how it was (for 75 years).