大象传媒

Anns a鈥� Ghiblean d脿 mh矛le 鈥檚 a h-aon (2001) nochd dithis phoileas agus dithis mhaor-siorraim anns an t-Srathan air a鈥� Pharbh. Bha iad ann airson d猫anamh cinnteach gum biodh Robbie Northway a鈥� gluasad a-mach 脿s a鈥� bhothan anns an robh e air a bhith a鈥� fuireach gun chead. Bha a鈥� bhean aige mu thr脿th air a dhol a dh鈥檉huireach air taobh an ear na G脿idhealtachd. Ach bha Robbie fhathast ann.

Bha Robbie co-obrachail. Thugadh a h-uile ball 脿irneis a-mach 脿s an taigh. Chaidh an doras a ghlasadh. Agus choisich an c貌ignear thar na m貌intich chun an rathaid.

Nuair a r脿inig iad an rathad, chaidh lioft a thabhann do Robbie gu ruige Baile Dhubhthaich far an robh a鈥� bhean aige a-nise a鈥� fuireach. Thuirt e ris na poilis gum biodh e a鈥� tilleadh an ceann latha no dh脿 airson an stuth aige a thoirt air falbh. Gheibhear cunntas dhen 霉ine a chuir na Northways seachad anns an t-Srathan anns an leabhar 鈥淲ilderness Dreams鈥� le Mike Cawthorne. Tha Cawthorne fh猫in a鈥� cur nan ceist 鈥� carson nach deach an stoc aig na Northways a thrusadh? Agus carson nach do chuir an t-貌rdugh-c霉irte stad orra bho bhith a鈥� tilleadh ann? A r猫ir an 貌rduigh, cha robh cead aca dhol a dh鈥檉huireach anns a鈥� bhothan a-rithist. Ge-t脿, cha do chuir e stad air na Northways bho bhith a鈥� fuireach ann an n脿baidheachd a鈥� bhothain.

Agus 鈥檚 e sin, gu dearbh, na thachair. Bha Robbie deimhinne gun robh e ceart ann a bhith ag 脿iteachadh na talmhainn anns an t-Srathan, co-dhi霉 bha am bothan fosgailte dha gus nach robh. Mar sin, thill e don 脿ite agus thog e bruchlag de ph矛osan iarainn aig ceann an taighe. Bha i beag is tais agus b鈥� fheudar do Robbie teine m貌nach a bhith aige fad an t-siubhail airson a鈥� mheanbh-chuileag a chumail a-mach.

Le seann chrann air a cheangal ris a鈥� ghearran aige, rinn Robbie obair treabhaidh. Chuir e todhar is feamainn air an talamh. Th貌isich e air p矛os talmhainn a dh猫anamh r猫idh airson taigh a thogail. Bhuain e m貌ine. Thog e g脿rradh m貌r fada. Chuir e bunt脿ta. Bha a h-uile rud sin iongantach oir bha e a鈥� fulang droch shl脿inte.

Nochd buill Chomann Bothain nam Beann airson obair leasachaidh a dh猫anamh air a鈥� bhothan. Bha iad m矛-thoilichte gun robh Robbie fhathast a鈥� fuireach ri taobh a鈥� bhothain. 鈥淏ha e,鈥� thuirt fear aca, 鈥渕ar gun robh duine a dh鈥檉heuch ri m猫irle a dh猫anamh anns an taigh agad air gluasad an ath dhoras.鈥� Ach fhuair iad air adhart math gu le貌r leis nuair a bha iad ann. Agus, anns an fharsaingeachd, tha e coltach gun robh daoine a鈥� toirt sp猫is dha airson na sp脿irne a rinn e.

Ach feumaidh nach robh a h-uile duine riaraichte. Chan eil luchd-fianais ann a dhearbhas na thachair, ach tha Robbie a鈥� cumail a-mach gun do choisich dithis fhear 貌g don t-Srathan Did貌mhnaich a bha seo anns an L霉nastal d脿 mh矛le 鈥檚 a h-aon (2001). Bha iad tapaidh agus bhruidhinn iad Beurla le blas a bhuineadh do cheann a tuath Shasainn. Rinn iad dochann air Northway agus dh鈥檌nnis iad dha gun robh an t-脿m aige teicheadh.

Agus 鈥檚 e sin a rinn e. Th脿inig caibideil bheag annasach ann an eachdraidh taobh an iar-thuath na G脿idhealtachd gu cr矛ch le fuadachadh is dochann. Aig a鈥� cheann thall, 鈥檚 d貌cha nach robh Robbie Northway cho buileach eadar-dhealaichte bho mh貌ran de na G脿idheil a bha be貌 anns na linntean roimhe.

Faclan na Litreach: An Giblean: April; co-obrachail: co-operative; Baile Dhubhthaich: Tain; 貌rdugh-c霉irte: court order; tais: damp; treabhadh: ploughing; todhar: fertilizer; feamainn: seaweed; r猫idh: level; g脿rradh: stone wall; sp脿irn: exertion; tapaidh: well-built.

Abairtean na Litreach: anns an t-Srathan air a鈥� Pharbh: in Strathan at Cape Wrath; thar na m貌intich chun an rathaid: over the moor to the road; chaidh lioft a thabhann do: a lift was offered to; gheibhear cunntas: an account can be obtained; carson nach deach an stoc aig X a thrusadh?: why was X鈥檚 livestock not gathered?; bho bhith a鈥� fuireach ann an n脿baidheachd a鈥� bhothain: from living in the neighbourhood of the bothy; ag 脿iteachadh na talmhainn: cultivating the land; co-dhi霉 bha am bothan fosgailte dha gus nach robh: whether or not the bothy were open to him; thog e bruchlag de ph矛osan iarainn aig ceann an taighe: he built a hovel from pieces of iron at the end of the house; teine m貌nach: peat fire; airson a鈥� mheanbh-chuileag a chumail a-mach: to keep the midge[s] out; le seann chrann air a cheangal ris a鈥� ghearran aige: with an old plough harnessed to his pony; bhuain e m貌ine: he cut peat; chuir e bunt脿ta: he planted potatoes; buill Chomann Bothain nam Beann: members of the Mountain Bothies Association; a dh鈥檉heuch ri m猫irle a dh猫anamh anns an taigh agad: who tried to burgle your house; luchd-fianais a dhearbhas na thachair: witnesses who can confirm what happened; tha X a鈥� cumail a-mach: X maintains; gun robh an t-脿m aige teicheadh: that it was time for him to leave; th脿inig X gu cr矛ch le fuadachadh is dochann: X came to an end with an eviction and a beating-up.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: dithis phoileas agus dithis mhaor-siorraim: two policemen and two sheriff鈥檚 officers. This is a revision of a point made in one or two previous Litrichean 鈥� that dithis (like other numerical nouns eg tri霉ir, ceathrar) commands a noun in the genitive plural case. Poileas is a policeman. It is pluralised (to poilis) by slenderisation, so its genitive plural form is the same as the nominative singular, except that it is lenited 鈥� thus dithis phoileas. Maor is pluralised in the nominative to maoir, so it behaves in the same way. The lenited genitive plural is mhaor. Note that, as maor is the basic word of the compound maor-siorraim (siorraim is the genitive singular form of siorram and is here acting like an adjective describing maor), it is this word that inflects with case.

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: Thugadh a h-uile ball 脿irneis a-mach 脿s an taigh: every item of furniture was taken out of the house.