大象传媒

O chionn ghoirid bha mi aig Loch Laomainn. Bha mi air eilean anns an loch. Bha mi ag obair ann. Bha mi a鈥� toirt clann le G脿idhlig a-mach a choimhead air an eilean. Bha sin mar ph脿irt de phr貌iseact aig Dualchas N脿dair na h-Alba.

Ann am Beurla 鈥檚 e Inchcailloch an t-ainm air an eilean. 鈥橲 e ainm G脿idhlig a tha ann 鈥� Innis Chailleach no 鈥檚 d貌cha Innis Caillich. Bha cailleachan dubha a鈥� fuireach ann. Nuns. Cailleachan dubha. Bha an Naomh Centigerna ann. Chaochail i anns an eilean ann an seachd ceud, trithead 鈥檚 a ceithir (734).

Tha an t-eilean br猫agha. Tha e le Dualchas N脿dair na h-Alba an-diugh. Tha iadsan ga ruith mar th猫armann n脿dair. Ach bha sluagh a鈥� fuireach ann uaireigin. 鈥橲 e tuathanaich a bha annta. Bha crodh is caoraich aca.

Bha eaglais agus cladh anns an eilean cuideachd. Tha an cladh ann fhathast. Dh鈥檉halbh an sluagh aig deireadh an ochdamh linn deug. Ach an d猫idh sin bha daoine fhathast a鈥� tiodhlacadh an c脿irdean anns an eilean.

Carson a dh鈥檉halbh na daoine? Uill, bha an t-uachdaran ag iarraidh craobhan a chur. Craobhan-daraich. Cha robh e ag iarraidh crodh is caoraich anns an eilean. Bha iad a鈥� cleachdadh r霉sg daraich airson leathar a chartadh. 鈥淔or the tanning of leather鈥� mar a chanas iad ann am Beurla. Airson leathar a chartadh.

Tron naoidheamh linn deug, bha Innis Caillich air a c貌mhdachadh le craobhan daraich. Agus tha fhathast. Tha a鈥� choille an-diugh gu math br猫agha. As t-earrach tha br貌g na cuthaig pailt.

Thug mi an teaghlach agam don eilean cuideachd. Ch霉m mise s霉il air a鈥� bh脿ta. Chaidh iadsan air chuairt. Cha tuirt mi guth ro l脿imh mu bheathach s貌nraichte a tha a鈥� fuireach ann.

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

鈥淪eadh,鈥� fhreagair mi, 鈥渁ch chan e gobhar a bha ann.鈥�

鈥淒猫 bha ann ma-th脿?鈥�

Innsidh mi dhuibh an ath-sheachdain.

Faclan is abairtean: Loch Laomainn: Loch Lomond; bha mi a鈥� toirt clann le G脿idhlig a-mach a choimhead air an eilean: I was taking Gaelic-speaking children

out to look at the island; mar ph脿irt de phr貌iseact aig Dualchas N脿dair na h-Alba: as part of a Scottish Natural Heritage project; cailleachan dubha: nuns; o chionn fhada: a long time ago; Naomh Centigerna: St Kentigerna; chaochail i anns an eilean: she died on the island; tha iadsan ga ruith mar th猫armann n脿dair: they run it as a nature reserve; bha sluagh a鈥� fuireach ann uaireigin: a population lived there at one time; 鈥檚 e tuathanaich a bha annta: they were farmers; crodh is caoraich: cattle and sheep; cladh: cemetery; an d猫idh sin bha daoine fhathast a鈥� tiodhlacadh an c脿irdean anns an eilean: after that people were still burying their relatives on the island; bha an t-uachdaran ag iarraidh craobhan a chur: the landlord wanted to plant trees; craobhan-daraich: oak trees; a鈥� cleachdadh r霉sg daraich airson leathar a chartadh: using oak bark to tan leather; tron naoidheamh linn deug: through the nineteenth Century; air a c貌mhdachadh le: covered in; as t-earrach tha br貌g na cuthaig pailt: in spring the wild hyacinth (English bluebell) is plentiful; thug mi an teaghlach agam: I took my family; ch霉m mise s霉il air a鈥� bh脿ta: I kept an eye on the boat; air chuairt: for a walk; cha tuirt mi guth ro l脿imh mu bheathach s貌nraichte: I didn鈥檛 say anything beforehand about a special animal; nuair a thill iad: when they returned; chunnaic sinn rudeigin m貌r: we saw something big; bha e coltach ri gobhar: it was like a goat; chan e gobhar a bha ann: it wasn鈥檛 a goat.