大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Robbie is Anne Northway. Bha iad anns an 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽t-Srathan air a鈥� Pharbh. Bha mi ann as t-fhoghar am-bliadhna. Bha mi ann c貌mhla ri caraid. Ach bha sinn ann am bothan eile anns an sg矛re sin cuideachd. 鈥橲 e sin am bothan ann an Srath Chailleach.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tha am bothan sin gu math beag, 矛osal is dorch. Tha e seachd m矛le bho rathad sam bith. Chan eil m貌ran daoine a鈥� dol ann. Ach tha an togalach ann an deagh 貌rdugh. 鈥橲 e Comann Bothain nam Beann a tha ga chumail ann an 貌rdugh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 R脿inig sinn am bothan. 鈥淪eo far an robh e 鈥� an Seann Mhadadh Ruadh,鈥� thuirt mo charaid.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淐貌 bha anns a鈥� Mhadadh Ruadh?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich mi. Dh鈥檌nnis mo charaid dhomh mun turas a th脿inig e don bhothan. Bha fear a鈥� fuireach ann. Cha robh e laghach. 鈥淭halla!鈥� thuirt e. B鈥� e an duine sin Seumas MacRuairidh Mac a鈥� Ghobhainn. Bha e a鈥� fuireach anns a鈥� bhothan sin airson trithead bliadhna.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Bhuineadh Seumas do Dh霉n Bhreatainn. Bha e anns an arm anns a鈥� Ghearmailt an Iar 脿s d猫idh a鈥� chogaidh. Thill e a dh鈥橝lba. Ach cha deach gu math dha. Chaill e a bhean ann an tubaist rathaid.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ghluais Seumas don cheann a tuath. Agus rinn e a dhachaigh anns an t-seann taigh ann an Srath Chailleach. Bha e ochd m矛le air cois eadar an taigh agus a鈥� bh霉th. Ach tha e coltach gun robh Seumas toilichte a bhith a鈥� fuireach leis fh猫in.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Cha robh gnothach aig Comann nam Bothan ris an 脿ite 鈥� aig an 脿m sin. Ach bha stoirm mh貌r ann. Bha sin ann an naoi ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1981). Rinn an stoirm milleadh air an togalach. Dh鈥檃ontaich Comann nam Bothan an togalach a ch脿radh. Ach, airson sin, dh鈥檃ontaich Seumas aon se貌mar aige fh脿gail fosgailte do luchd-coiseachd.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Dh鈥檃ontaich Seumas ach cha do ch霉m e ris a鈥� bhargan. Bha iomadh duine a chaidh ann, nach d鈥� fhuair f脿ilte.

I was telling you about Robbie and Anne Northway. They were in Strathan on Cape Wrath. I was there in autumn this year. I was there with a friend. But we were also in another bothy in the area. That is the bothy in Strathcailleach.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 That bothy is very small, low and dark. It is seven miles from any road. Not many people go there. But the building itself is in good repair. It is the Mountain Bothies Association that keeps it in repair.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 We reached the bothy. 鈥淗ere鈥檚 where he was 鈥� the Old Fox,鈥� said my friend.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲ho was the Old Fox?鈥� I asked. My friend told me about a time he came to the bothy. A man was living there. He wasn鈥檛 nice. 鈥淕o away!鈥� he said. That man was James McRory Smith. He was living in that bothy for thirty years.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 James belonged to Dumb-arton. He was in the army in West Germany after the war. He returned to Scotland. But things didn鈥檛 go well for him. He lost his wife in a road accident.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 James moved to the north. And he made his home in the old house in Strathcailleach. It was eight miles on foot between the house and the shop. But it appears that James was happy living on his own.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The Bothies Association had nothing to do with the place 鈥� at that time. But there was a big storm. That was in 1981. The storm damaged the building. The Bothies Association agreed to repair the building. But, for that, James agreed to leave one of his rooms open to walkers.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 James agreed but he didn鈥檛 keep [his part of] the bargain. There were many people who went there.