大象传媒

Tha 脿ite ann an 脤le air a bheil Lochan na聽Nigheadaireachd. Tha e faisg air Rubha聽an Lagain. Tha mi a鈥� d猫anamh dheth gun聽robh daoine a鈥� d猫anamh nigheadaireachd聽anns an lochan. Bha sin anns an t-seann聽aimsir. Ach ciamar a bha iad a鈥� d猫anamh聽na nigheadaireachd?聽Uill, bha mi a鈥� leughadh leabhar o聽chionn ghoirid. Agus rinn an t-霉ghdar聽tuairisgeul de nigheadaireachd mar sin.聽鈥橲 e an t-ainm air an leabhar C貌co is聽Cr霉bagan. 鈥橲 i Fl貌raidh NicDh貌mhnaill聽an t-霉ghdar. Anns an leabhar tha聽Fl貌raidh ag innse mu latha nigheadaireachd聽nam plaideachan 鈥� no plangaidean聽鈥� nuair a bha i 貌g. Bha i a鈥� fuireach ann聽an 脿ite iomallach ann am Beinn na聽Fadhla. Choisich iad gu loch-uisge聽airson an nigheadaireachd a dh猫anamh.聽Bha sin air latha br猫agha anns a鈥櫬燙h猫itean.聽Bha tuba sinc aca. Bha poit dhubh聽eanamail aca. Bha f霉dar nigheadaireachd聽aca. Bha siabann aca. Bha iad cho trang聽ris na seangain air an latha sin. Thog iad聽teine ri taobh an locha. Chuir iad a鈥� phoit 聽dhubh air an teine. L矛on iad a鈥� phoit le聽uisge bhon loch. Nuair a bha an t-uisge聽teth, dh貌irt iad don tuba e.聽Bha an t-uisge na chop. Leum a鈥櫬燾hlann a-steach don tuba. 鈥淏ha sinn a鈥櫬燽ocadaich is a鈥� leumadaich is a鈥櫬爏tampadh,鈥� tha Fl貌raidh a鈥� sgr矛obhadh.聽鈥淏ha sinn d矛reach mar yo-yos suas is聽s矛os sa chop gheal.鈥� Ch貌rd latha na聽nigheadaireachd ri Fl貌raidh gu m貌r.聽Bha i uabhasach measail air na聽builgeanan. 鈥淭ha mo chridhe a鈥� l矛onadh聽le toileachas,鈥� tha i a鈥� sgr矛obhadh, 鈥渘uair聽a chuimhnicheas mi air na builgeanan聽脿lainn.鈥澛犆�s d猫idh an nighe, th脿inig an聽sgoladh. Bha na plaideachan air an聽sgoladh anns an loch. An uair sin, bha聽iad air am f脿sgadh. An uair sin, bha iad聽air an cur a-mach airson tiormachadh.聽An e obair chruaidh a bha ann? 鈥橲聽e, gun teagamh. Ach ch貌rd i ri Fl貌raidh聽貌g. Tha mi an d霉il gun do ch貌rd e ri聽muinntir Lochan na Nigheadaireachd聽ann an 脤le anns an aon d貌igh.

There鈥檚 a place in Islay called聽Lochan na Nigheadaireachd (little聽loch of the washing). It鈥檚 near聽Laggan Point. I reckon people did聽washing in the lochan. That was in聽the old days. But how did they do聽the washing?聽Well, I was reading a book聽recently. And the author gave a聽description of washing like that.聽The name of the book is Cocoa and聽Crabs. Flora MacDonald is the聽author. In the book, Flora tells聽about the day of washing the聽blankets when she was young. She聽was living in a remote place in聽Benbecula. They walked to a聽freshwater loch to do the washing.聽That was on a beautiful day in聽May.聽They had a zinc bath. They聽had a black enamel pot. They had聽washing powder. They had soap.聽They were as busy as ants on that聽day. They made a fire beside the聽loch. They put the black pot on the聽fire. They filled the pot with water聽from the loch. When the water was聽hot, they poured it into the bath.聽The water was full of foam.聽The children jumped into the bath.聽鈥淲e were bouncing and jumping聽and stamping,鈥� Flora writes. 鈥淲e聽were just like yo-yos up and down聽in the white foam.鈥� Flora really聽enjoyed washing day.聽She was really keen on the聽bubbles. 鈥淢y heart fills with聽happiness,鈥� she writes, 鈥渨hen I聽remember the beautiful bubbles.鈥澛燗fter the washing came the聽rinsing. The blankets were rinsed聽in the loch. Then they were wrung聽out. Then they were put out to dry.聽Was it hard work? Yes,聽certainly. But young Fl貌ra enjoyed聽it. I expect the folk of Lochan na聽Nigheadaireachd in Islay enjoyed聽it in very much the same way.