大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu dh脿 bheathach annasach anns an Litir mu dheireadh. Chan e gu bheil na h-ainmhidhean annasach annta fh猫in, ach gu bheil iad car neo-脿bhaisteach far a bheil iad 鈥� air eileanan Loch Laomainn. B鈥� iad an dathas agus se貌rsa de ualabai.

Mus fh脿g sinn Loch Laomainn agus a chuid bheathaichean, tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu chreutair eile 鈥� eun 鈥� a tha a鈥� fuireach ann. Cha chanadh tu gu bheil e annasach ach, gu dearbh, chan eil e pailt ann an Alba. 鈥橲 e sin an capall-coille.

Bha mi a鈥� leughadh leabhar an latha eile anns an robh iomradh air Loch Laomainn. 鈥橲 e an leabhar 鈥淗ighways and Byways in the West Highlands鈥� leis an e貌laiche-n脿dair, Seton G貌rdan nach maireann. Chaidh fhoillseachadh an toiseach ann an naoi ceud deug, trithead 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1935). Uaireigin roimhe sin, chaidh an t-霉ghdar gu ruige Innis Caillich ann an Loch Laomainn. Bha e air cluinntinn gum biodh grunn chapall-coille a鈥� cur seachad na h-oidhche air na craobhan-giuthais anns an eilean. Gach oidhche bhiodh iad a鈥� falbh o th矛r-m貌r, agus a鈥� d猫anamh air an eilean.

Ro dhol fodha na gr猫ine, chaidh G貌rdan agus a chompanaich a-mach don eilean. Dh矛rich iad don choille far a bheil na craobhan-giuthais. Dh鈥檉huirich iad an sin gu s脿mhach, a鈥� feitheamh gus an nochdadh na h-e貌in. Dh鈥檉h脿s a鈥� ghealach agus na rionnagan soilleir anns na speuran. Dh鈥檉h脿s an t-adhar dorch. Ach cha do nochd na capaill-choille.

Nuair a bha mise ann an Loch Laomainn cha do dh鈥檉heuch mi ri capall-coille a lorg. Ach, a r猫ir choltais, tha iad fhathast ann. Tha co-dhi霉 aon eilean ann far am bi iad a鈥� nochdadh. Eadar naoi ceud deug naochad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1995) agus naochad 鈥檚 a naoi (1999), lorgadh 鈥� sa chuibheas 鈥� naoi capaill-choille anns an eilean sin aig 脿m a鈥� chunntaidh gach bliadhna. Tha sin a鈥� riochdachadh trithead 鈥檚 a seachd e貌in anns gach cileameatair ce脿rnagach 鈥� an tricead as 脿irde ann an Alba.

Bha mi a鈥� fuireach ann an Innis Mhearain 鈥� an t-eilean as motha anns an loch. Bidh fios aig cuid agaibh, 鈥檚 d貌cha, gu bheil 脿ite san eilean airson r霉isgtearan. Uill, tha mi airson a r脿dh gun robh mo chuid aodaich orm fad na h-霉ine! Agus chan fhaca mi duine a bh鈥� air a chaochladh!

Tha Innis Mhearain 鈥� no Inchmurrin 鈥� a鈥� faighinn ainm bhon Naomh Mearain aig an robh caibeal anns an eilean. 鈥橲 e an naomh a tha gu m貌r co-cheangailte ri P脿islig 鈥� Saint Mirren ann am Beurla. Tha sgioba ball-coise ann am P脿islig a tha a鈥� gi霉lain ainm.

鈥橲 e 脿ite laghach a th鈥� ann an Innis Mhearain, agus bidh m貌ran aig a bheil b脿taichean a鈥� tadhal air oir tha taigh-貌sta ann. Tha feadhainn a tha a鈥� fuireach ann an s脿s ann an sgitheadh-uisge. Uill, carson nach bitheadh, agus 脿ite freagarrach taobh a-muigh an taigh aca.

Bha seann charaid dhomh a bhuineadh don Chomraich, nach eil be貌 tuilleadh, na phoileas ann an Lus air bruach Loch Laomainn an d猫idh a鈥� Chogaidh. Abair na st貌iridhean a dh鈥檌nnis e dhomh mu bhith a鈥� coimhead airson daoine a bh鈥� air a dhol a dh矛th anns an loch. Uaireannan cha d鈥� fhuair iad lorg idir air na cuirp aca. B鈥� fhe脿rr leam gun robh mi air na st貌iridhean aige a chl脿radh oir is beag a鈥� chuimhne a th鈥� agam orra a-nise.

Faclan na Litreach: neo-脿bhaisteach: unusual; dathas: fallow deer; ualabai: wallaby; pailt: plentiful; capall-coille: capercaillie; dh矛rich: ascended, climbed; tricead: frequency; Innis Mhearain: Inchmurrin; r霉isgtearan: nudists, naturists; Naomh Mearain: St Mirren; caibeal: chapel; sgitheadh-uisge: water-skiing: Lus: Luss; cl脿radh: record[ing].

Abairtean na Litreach: agus a chuid bheathaichean; and its animals; anns an robh iomradh air Loch Laomainn: in which there was a mention of Loch Lomond; leis an e貌laiche-n脿dair, Seton G貌rdan nach maireann: by the naturalist, Seton Gordon, deceased; uaireigin roimhe sin: sometime before that; a鈥� cur seachad na h-oidhche air na craobhan-giuthais: spending the night on the pine trees; bhiodh iad a鈥� falbh o th矛r-m貌r, agus a鈥� d猫anamh air an eilean: they would leave the mainland and make for the island; ro dhol fodha na gr猫ine: before sunset; a鈥� feitheamh gus an nochdadh na h-e貌in: waiting until the birds would appear; dh鈥檉h脿s a鈥� ghealach agus na rionnagan soilleir anns na speuran: the moon and the stars grew bright in the heavens; far am bi iad a鈥� nochdadh: where they appear; a鈥� riochdachadh trithead 鈥檚 a seachd e貌in anns gach cileameatair ce脿rnagach: representing 37 birds per square kilometre; tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth: I reckon; gun robh mo chuid aodaich orm: that my clothes were on me; duine a bh鈥� air a chaochladh: [any] person that was otherwise; tha sgioba ball-coise ann am P脿islig a tha a鈥� gi霉lain ainm: there is a football team in Paisley which carries his name; carson nach bitheadh?: why wouldn鈥檛 [they] be?; a bhuineadh don Chomraich: who belonged to Applecross; abair na st貌iridhean a dh鈥檌nnis e dhomh: what stories he told me; daoine a bh鈥� air a dhol a dh矛th: people who had gone missing; is beag a鈥� chuimhne a th鈥� agam orra: I remember little of them.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: lorgadh 鈥� sa chuibheas 鈥� naoi capaill-choille: nine capercaillie 鈥� on average 鈥� were found. If you find mathematical terminology difficult in Gaelic, St貌rlann N脿iseanta na G脿idhlig produced a Faclair Matamataig/Maths Glossary last year 鈥� it鈥檚 very useful. In the schools, cuibheas is the noun used for 鈥渁verage鈥� or 鈥渕ean鈥�; cuibheasach is its equivalent adjective. Median is meadhan (noun) or meadhanach (adjective).

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: Chan e gu bheil na h-ainmhidhean annasach annta fh猫in: it鈥檚 not that the animals are unusual in themselves.