大象传媒

Ann an Litir ceud, trithead 鈥檚 a c貌ig (135) anns an Fhaoilleach d脿 mh矛le 鈥檚 a dh脿 (2002), bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun r猫isimeid Gh脿idhealaich, na 78th Highlanders, agus mar a bha iad ann an D霉n 脠ideann greis. Bha sin anns a鈥� bhliadhna seachd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1778). Uill, tha ceangal eadar sin agus an Litir an t-seachdain sa chaidh, anns an do dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh mu ainm-脿ite ann an D霉n 脠ideann 鈥� Piper鈥檚Walk 鈥� air Suidhe Artair. Bhuineadh am p矛obaire don r猫isimeid sin.
Chaidh an r猫isimeid a chruthachadh le Iarla Sh矛ophort, ceann-cinnidh Clann 鈥檌cCoinnich. Bha timcheall air m矛le duine innte. Bha iad nan G脿idheil, 脿 oighreachd Iarla Sh矛ophort. Chaidh an cur gu ruige L矛te, port Dh霉n 脠ideann, as t-samhradh seachd ceud deug, seachdad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1778). Bha an riaghaltas ag iarraidh orra dhol air b貌rd soitheach.聽
Aig a鈥� cheann thall, 鈥檚 ann gu ruige Eileanan Chaolas Shasainn a chaidh iad, agus rinn iad obair ghaisgeil ann a bhith a鈥� d矛on nan eilean sin an aghaidh nam Frangach.
Ach bha na saighdearan fh猫in dhen bheachd gu robh e mar ph脿irt dhen ch霉mhnant aca nach biodh aca ri dhol a-null thairis. Agus nuair a bha iad ann an L矛te, chaidh fathann timcheall gun robh iad gu bhith a鈥� falbh chun nan Innseachan. Bha iad gu math feargach. Cha d鈥� fhuair iad gealltanas bho na h-oifigearan aca nach robh na soithichean aca a鈥� dol do na h-Innseachan.

Dh鈥檉halbh mu shia ceud dhiubh. Rinn iad caismeachd, ann an deagh 貌rdugh, a-mach 脿 port L矛te, agus rinn iad air Suidhe Artair. Bha p矛obairean aig an ceann. A r猫ir aithris, chaidh iad suas air a鈥� chnoc agus rinn iad gu math soilleir nach tigeadh iad s矛os gus am faigheadh iad gealltanas nach biodh iad a鈥� dol a-null thairis. No gus an toireadh saighdearan eile s矛os iad le f貌irneart. Bha D霉n 脠ideann air bhoil.

Tha e coltach gun robh co-fhaireachdainn aig m貌ran ann an D霉n 脠ideann do na saighdearan. Thug iad biadh is deoch dhaibh. Cha do rinn na saighdearan cron sam bith聽air a鈥� bhaile. Ch霉m iad smachd gl猫 mhath orra fh猫in. Ach bha iad deimhinne nach robh聽iad a鈥� dol do na h-Innseachan.

Cha robh iad a鈥� campachadh air Suidhe Artair ach airson tr矛 latha. Ach anns na tr矛 latha sin, chaidh ainm a thoirt 鈥� feumaidh 鈥� le muinntir a鈥� bhaile do shlighe air am biodh p矛obaire G脿idhealach a鈥� coiseachd, agus a鈥� seinn na p矛oba. 鈥橲 e sin Piper鈥檚 Walk.

Gu fortanach, th脿inig an gnothach gu cr矛ch gu s矛theil. Ged a bha ceannardan an airm air saighdearan gu le貌r a thoirt a Dh霉n 脠ideann, roghnaich iad gun a bhith a鈥� sabaid. Ch霉m iad c貌mhraidhean leis na G脿idheil, agus th脿inig iad gu aonta. Cha bhiodhan r猫isimeid a鈥� dol do na h-Innseachan idir, ach a dh鈥橢ileanan Chaolas Shasainn. Agus cha bhiodh duine air a pheanasachadh airson an 鈥渁r-a-mach鈥�.

Beagan l脿ithean 脿s d猫idh do na saighdearan Suidhe Artair fh脿gail, rinn iad air L矛te a-rithist, le p矛obairean aig an ceann. Bha m貌ran de mhuinntir an 脿ite aig oir an rathaid airson am faicinn. Chaidh iad a dh鈥橢ileanan Chaolas Shasainn agus ann an seachd ceud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a h-aon (1781) dh矛on iad Jersey an aghaidh feachd 脿s an Fhraing.

Bha na saighdearan G脿idhealach onarach. Ach d猫 mu dheidhinn nan 霉ghdarrasan? 脌s d猫idh dhaibh Jersey a dh矛on, chaidh na saighdearan a chur a-null do na聽h-Innseachan. Chaochail m貌ran air an t-slighe, agus 鈥檚 e gl猫 bheag dhiubh a chunnaic聽Alba a-rithist.

r猫isimeid: regiment; soitheach: vessel [ship]; Suidhe Artair:聽Arthur鈥檚 Seat; Iarla Sh矛ophort: The Earl of Seaforth; gaisgeil: heroic; fathann: rumour;聽co-fhaireachdainn: sympathy; cron: damage; aonta: agreement; onarach: honourable.

bhuineadh am p矛obaire don r猫isimeid sin: the piper belonged to that regiment; ceann-cinnidh Clann 鈥檌c Coinnich: the chief of the Clan Mackenzie; chaidh an cur gu ruige L矛te: they were sent to Leith; a鈥� d矛on nan eilean sin an aghaidh nam Frangach: defending those islands against the French; gu robh e mar ph脿irt dhen ch霉mhnant aca: that it was part of their contract; nach biodh aca ri dhol a-null thairis: that they wouldn鈥檛 have to go overseas; a鈥� falbh chun nan Innseachan: going to India;cha d鈥� fhuair iad gealltanas bho na h-oifigearan aca: they didn鈥檛 receive a promise from their officers; nach robh na soithichean aca a鈥� dol do na h-Innseachan: that their vessels weren鈥檛 going to India; ann an deagh 貌rdugh: in good order; bha p矛obairean aig an ceann: there were pipers at their head; nach tigeadh iad s矛os gus am faigheadh iad gealltanas: they wouldn鈥檛 come down until they got a promise; no gus an toireadh saighdearan eile s矛os iad le f貌irneart: or until other soldiers brought them down by force; air bhoil: in a state of frenzy; ch霉m iad smachd gl猫 mhath orra fh猫in: they maintained good discipline; chaidh ainm a thoirt 鈥� feumaidh: the [a] name was given 鈥搃t must have been; th脿inig an gnothach gu cr矛ch gu s矛theil: the matter came to an end peacefully; cha bhiodh duine air a pheanasachadh airson an 鈥渁r-a-mach鈥�: nobody would be punished for the 鈥渕utiny鈥�; chaochail m貌ran air an t-slighe: many died on the way.

鈥檚 ann gu ruige Eileanan Chaolas Shasainn a chaidh聽iad: it was to the Channel Islands that they went. I could have said chaidh iad gu ruige聽... but I put the 鈥檚 ann first. This was in order to emphasize the Channel Islands,聽because I was about to tell you that they thought they were going to a different聽destination 鈥� India. Try using that phraseology in your everyday Gaelic if you can. You聽might say things like 鈥檚 ann 脿 Glaschu a tha mi (to emphasize Glasgow rather than any聽other place), 鈥檚 ann dha-r矛reabh a tha mi (I鈥檓 deadly serious), 鈥檚 ann tric a bhithinn a鈥櫬爁aicinn iolairean sna l脿ithean ud (it鈥檚 often I would see eagles in those days), 鈥檚聽ainneamh a thachras sin (it鈥檚 rarely that happens).

roghnaich iad gun a bhith a鈥� sabaid: they chose not to聽fight.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA