大象传媒

Cha b鈥� ann le de貌in no fathann taitneis聽

Chuir sinn c霉l ri fearann 鈥檚 acfhuinn,聽

Treud chrodh-laoigh is chaora thapaidh,聽

Corca 鈥檚 e貌rna crom nam pailteas,

Siud a thug ar cuimhne leinn.

Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 a bheil sibh ag aithneachadh na b脿rdachd sin no c貌 air a tha am b脿rd a-mach. 鈥橲 e am b脿rd Aonghas Dubh MacNeacail agus tha e a-mach air daoine a thr猫ig an cuid fearainn airson beatha 霉r co-cheangailte ri tionnsgalachd an ochdamh linn deug. Seo p矛os eile bhon d脿n:

Aig deireadh latha na mo shuaimhneas,聽

Fuaim an uisge ruith trom smuaintean聽

鈥橲 a鈥� pasgadh fearsaid l脿n a chadail,聽

Sn脿th mo shaothair grinn na thlachd dhomh,聽

Neart na sp猫is a thug sinn leinn.

鈥橲 d貌cha gun do dh鈥檕braich sibh a-mach gun robh na daoine anns an d脿n ag obair ann am muileann-cotain. Bha am muileann ann an Stanley ann an Siorrachd Pheairt agus, ma tha sibh airson an c貌rr dhen d脿n aig Aonghas Dubh a leughadh, feumaidh sibh a dhol ann. Tha a鈥� bhuidheann Alba Eachdraidheil air ionad turasachd fhosgladh ann. Agus dh鈥檌arr iad air Aonghas p矛os de bh脿rdachd Gh脿idhlig a sgr矛obhadh airson an taisbeanaidh. Tha b脿rdachd ann cuideachd ann am Beurla is Albais.

Tha Stanley air bruach Abhainn Tatha, beagan mh矛ltean shuas an abhainn bho bhaile m貌r Pheairt. Tha ainm a鈥� tighinn bho theaghlach Iarla Derby, oir rinn iadsan ceangal tro ph貌sadh le teaghlach Di霉c Athall anns an t-seachdamh linn deug. B鈥� e Di霉c Athall uachdaran na sg矛re. Cha robh m貌ran ann an Stanley airson ceud bliadhna. Ach ann an seachd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a sia (1786) chaidh baile 霉r a st猫idheachadh ann, le muilnean-cotain m貌ra na chois. Bha na muilnean st猫idhichte air an inneal a rinn Ridseard Arkwright, an t-innleachdair Sasannach.

Dh鈥檉h脿s muilnean Stanley gu math m貌r. 鈥橲 ann d矛reach ann an naoi ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a naoi (1989) a sguir iad. Agus aig an toiseach bha an t-uabhas de Gh脿idheil ag obair ann 鈥� daoine 脿s na glinn ann an Siorrachd Pheairt fh猫in. Chualas G脿idhlig gu le貌r am measg bragadaich na h-uidheamachd.

Sin Stanley ann an nuadh-eachdraidh na h-Alba. Ach tha an t-脿ite ainmeil, co-dhi霉 a r猫ir beul-aithris, ann an seann eachdraidh na h-Alba. Tha e co-cheangailte ris a鈥� chluaran no f貌ghnan. Agus mar a tha an lus sin na shuaicheantas n脿iseanta do dh鈥橝lba.

Faisg air Stanley tha eileach, no cairidh, anns an abhainn. Aig aon 脿m bha e a鈥� dol tarsainn na h-aibhne bho bhruach gu bruach. Chaidh a bhriseadh sa mheadhan san naoidheamh linn deug airson leigeil le bradain faighinn suas an abhainn. Faisg air an eileach bha arm na h-Alba a鈥� campachadh. Bha arm Lochlannach anns an n脿baidheachd, ach air taobh eile na h-aibhne.

Air an oidhche chaidh na Lochlannaich tarsainn na h-aibhne air an eileach. Bha iad airson ionnsaigh a thoirt air na h-Albannaich gun fhiosta dhaibh. Mar sin, bha iad casruisgte. Ach nuair a r脿inig iad am bruach thall, sheas fear de na Lochlannaich air cluaran. Dh鈥櫭╥gh e le pian. Dh霉isg na h-Albannaich agus rinn iad a鈥� ch霉is air na Lochlannaich.

Agus 鈥檚 e sin as coireach gur e an cluaran lus n脿iseanta na h-Alba. Ann an Albais, 鈥檚 e Thistle Brig a chanar ris an eileach. Bhiodh e inntinneach faighinn a-mach d猫 chanadh na G脿idheil ris, an d脿 chuid anns an t-seann aimsir nuair a b鈥� i a鈥� Gh脿idhlig c脿nan na sg矛re, agus anns an ochdamh is naoidheamh linn deug nuair a bha na h-uibhir aig an robh G脿idhlig ag obair anns na muilnean ann an Stanley.

Faclan na Litreach: tionnsgalachd: industrialisation; Siorrachd Pheairt: Perthshire; innleachdair: inventor; nuadh-eachdraidh: modern history; cluaran, f貌ghnan: thistle; suaicheantas: symbol, emblem; eileach, cairidh: weir; bradain: salmon (pl); n脿baidheachd: vicinity; casruisgte: bare-footed; sheas: stood; dh鈥櫭╥gh: shouted.

Abairtean na Litreach: cha b鈥� ann le de貌in no fathann taitneis: it鈥檚 not with willingness nor hint of pleasure; chuir sinn c霉l ri fearann 鈥檚 acfhuinn: we turned away from land and equipment; treud chrodh-laoigh is chaora thapaidh: herds of cattle or spirited sheep; corca 鈥檚 e貌rna crom nam pailteas: oats and barley heavy with ripeness; siud a thug ar cuimhne leinn: that鈥檚 what our memory brought with us; daoine a thr猫ig an cuid fearainn: people that forsook their land; aig deireadh latha na mo shuaimhneas: at day鈥檚 end in my repose; 鈥檚 a鈥� pasgadh fearsaid l脿n a chadail: wrapping the full spindle of sleep: sn脿th mo shaothair grinn na thlachd dhomh: my neat labour鈥檚 threads a satisfaction; neart na sp猫is a thug sinn leinn: strength of the respect we brought with us; tha Alba Eachdraidheil air ionad turasachd fhosgladh ann: Historic Scotland have opened a visitor centre there; Abhainn Tatha: River Tay; beagan mh矛ltean shuas an abhainn: a few miles up the river; le muilnean-cotain na chois: with cotton mills along with it; chualas X am measg bragadaich na h-uidheamachd: X was heard amongst the clattering of the machinery; gun fhiosta dhaibh: without their knowledge.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: muileann-cotain: cotton mill. A few words carry different genders in different parts of the country and muileann is a good example. In Lewis and Harris it is feminine and pronounced (and written) muilinn (鈥渢he mill鈥� is a鈥� mhuilinn). This might be derived from the genitive form of the more standard muileann, which is masculine (鈥渢he mill鈥� is am muileann). In most dialects 鈥渢he mill-stream鈥� is Allt a鈥� Mhuilinn, whereas in Lewis and Harris it would be Allt na Muilne. Don鈥檛 be fazed by such differences 鈥� follow local example or that of your teacher. I have given a cotton mill as muileann-cotain (in the nominative). But for those for whom the word is feminine would likely call it muilinn-chotain with the second element lenited in agreement with the noun. The plural of both is muilnean-cotain.

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: 脿s na glinn: from the glens.