大象传媒

Tha sinn a鈥� leantainn slighe Balla Antonine tro mheadhan na h-Alba on cheann an iar don cheann an ear. Tha sinn a鈥� tadhal air na d霉in a thog na R貌manaich. An t-seachdain sa chaidh thug sinn s霉il air a鈥� chiad dh脿 鈥� D霉n Chill Ph脿draig agus D霉n T貌chair 鈥� agus iad le ch猫ile a鈥� gi霉lain ainmean G脿idhlig. 鈥橲 e an treas d霉n Cleddans Fortlet. Chan eil coltas G脿idhlig air sin, a bheil?

Uill, tha cuid dhen bheachd gur e dha-r矛ribh ainm G脿idhlig a th鈥� ann, 鈥檚 gu bheil e a鈥� tighinn bhon fhacal cladhan. A r猫ir Faclair Dwelly tha cladhan a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渃hannel, very shallow stream鈥�. Sgr矛obh Uilleam MacBh脿tair gun robh e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渓ittle ditch鈥� agus gur e Claddens leis an 鈥渟鈥� an riochd iolra ann am Beurla.

Gu sear air Claddens tha Castlehill Fort 鈥� is tha an t-ainm sin soilleir gu le貌r 鈥� agus m矛le gu leth nas fhaide sear air sin tha Bearsden Fort. Chan eil c脿il ri fhaicinn dheth an-diugh ach an taigh-ionnlaid, a tha eadar flataichean 脿rda anns a鈥� bhaile.

Tha an t-ainm Bearsden annasach. Ann an G脿idhlig 鈥檚 e Cill Ph脿draig 脵r a th鈥� air an sg矛re eaglais. Agus 鈥檚 e New Kirk a bh鈥� oirre ann am Beurla. Ach nuair a thogadh rathad-iarainn agus st猫isean ann an ochd ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1863), chaidh ainmeachadh mar Bearsden Station. Tha cuid dhen bheachd gun robh sin an d猫idh taigh faisg air an st猫isean.

Ma leanas sinn oirnn air Balla Antonine, ruigidh sinn Balmuildy Fort a tha ri taobh Abhainn Chealbhainn. Bha an daingneach sin gu math m貌r, agus air a dh猫anamh de chloich, seach sgrathan. Bha e a鈥� c貌mhdachadh ceithir acaire de dh鈥檉hearann. Nise, chanainn gur e Balmuildy ainm G脿idhlig ach chan eil mi cinnteach d猫 is ciall dha.

鈥橲 e an ath dh霉n 鈥� Cadder Fort. 鈥橲 ann 脿 canan nam Breatannach 鈥� seann Chuimris 鈥� a th脿inig Cadder. Tha e a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渄霉n鈥�. 脌s d猫idh sin, Kirkintilloch no Cathair Cheann Tulaich. Tha an t-ainm sin a鈥� tighinn bho fhreumh Breatannach 鈥� Caerpentaloch 鈥� 鈥渇ort at the end of the hill鈥�. Tha a鈥� Gh脿idhlig gu math coltach ri sin agus tha e a鈥� ciallachadh an aon rud.

Gu sear air sin tha Auchendavy Fort. Tha sin a鈥� coimhead coltach ri ainm achaidh ann an G脿idhlig. Fhuair sinn ainm fear de na saighdearan a bha st猫idhichte anns an d霉n sin. B鈥� esan Marcus Cocceius Firmus, centurion a bhuineadh don D脿rna Legion. Chuir esan air d貌igh ceithir altraichean ann, co-cheangailte ri deich diathan p脿ganach. Thathar a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gun do rugadh Marcus ann an taobh sear na h-脤ompaireachd, timcheall ceann sh矛os Abhainn Danube. Mus deach e a Bhreatainn, bha e anns an R貌imh far an robh e na bhall de dh鈥檉heachd-d矛on phearsanta an 脤ompaire fh猫in.

鈥橲 iad an ath dh脿 dhaingneach air a鈥� bhalla Bar Hill Fort agus Croy Hill Fort. Is iongantach mura h-eil Bar ann am Bar Hill a鈥� tighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig b脿rr 鈥� 鈥渢he uppermost part鈥�, is gun deach a鈥� Bheurla hill a chur ris 脿s d猫idh l脿imh. Chithear tobhtaichean an d霉in an sin fhathast 鈥� agus seann tobar R貌manach.

Thathar a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gu bheil Croy a鈥� tighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig cruaidh, agus dh鈥檉haodadh sin a bhith, ceart gu le貌r. 鈥橲 e seo an aon ph矛os de Bhalla Antonine far nach robh d矛g air a chladhach l脿imh ris a鈥� bhalla. 鈥橲 e a bu choireach ri sin gun robh a鈥� chreag 鈥� basalt is dolerite 鈥� d矛reach ro chruaidh. Nach eil an t-ainm ag innse sin dhuinn?

Faclan na Litreach: Balla Antonine: Antonine Wall; R貌manaich: Romans; Uilleam MacBh脿tair: William J Watson [鈥淭he Celtic Place Names of Scotland鈥漖; soilleir: clear; Abhainn Chealbhainn: River Kelvin; daingneach: fort, stronghold; tobar: well [for water].

Abairtean na Litreach: on cheann an iar don cheann an ear: from the western end to the eastern end; a鈥� tadhal air na d霉in: visiting the forts; agus iad le ch猫ile a鈥� gi霉lain ainmean G脿idhlig: which both carry Gaelic names; chan eil c脿il ri fhaicinn dheth ach an taigh-ionnlaid: nothing is to be seen of it but the bath-house; eadar flataichean 脿rda: between high flats; nuair a thogadh rathad-iarainn agus st猫isean: when a railway line and station were built; chaidh ainmeachadh mar: it was named as; air a dh猫anamh de chloich, seach sgrathan: made of stone, rather than turf; ceithir acaire de dh鈥檉hearann: four acres of land; freumh Breatannach: a British [Cumbric] root; ainm achaidh: a field name; a bhuineadh don: who belonged to the; chuir esan air d貌igh ceithir altraichean ann: he erected four altars there; co-cheangailte ri deich diathan p脿ganach: connected to ten pagan gods; thathar a鈥� d猫anamh dheth: it is said [made out]; taobh sear na h-脤ompaireachd: the east of the Empire; timcheall ceann sh矛os Abhainn Danube: around the Lower Danube; far an robh e na bhall de dh鈥檉heachd-d矛on phearsanta an 脤ompaire fh猫in: where he was a member of the Emperor鈥檚 own bodyguard; chithear tobhtaichean an d霉in an sin fhathast: the wall bases of the fort can be seen there still; far nach robh d矛g air a chladhach l脿imh ris a鈥� bhalla: where a ditch was not dug next to the wall; 鈥檚 e a bu choireach ri sin: the thing that was responsible for that was; d矛reach ro chruaidh: simply too hard.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: ainm fear de na saighdearan: the name of one of the soldiers. Note that we use fear [usually] in preference to aon for 鈥渙ne of the鈥� with a masculine noun. The feminine equivalent is t猫. If you鈥檙e not sure of the gender of your noun, however, you can get away with saying [eg] ainm aon de na saighdearan. Note that fear here retains its nominative form. We might say ainm fir 鈥� a man鈥檚 name 鈥� where fear takes the genitive singular form but in a construction like the one above where fear is following by a qualifying [dative] phrase, the nominative form is retained.

Gnathas-cainnt na Litreach: chan eil mi cinnteach d猫 is ciall dha: I鈥檓 not sure what it means.