大象传媒

Mar a bha mi ag r脿dh an t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha mi a鈥� se貌ladh o chionn ghoirid ann an gheat far costa siar na h-Alba. Air latha br猫agha chaidh mi seachad air b脿gh m貌r gu tuath air Asainte air a bheil Eddrachillis Bay. Air a鈥� chiad shealladh, chan eil e follaiseach d猫 tha an聽t-ainm sin a鈥� ciallachadh, a bheil? Eddrachillis. Uill, tha e a鈥� tighinn bhon Gh脿idhlig Eadar聽D脿 Chaolas. Eadar D脿 Chaolas 鈥� Eadrachaolas 鈥� Eddrachillis. Ch矛 sibh mar a dh鈥檃tharraich聽an t-ainm air an t-slighe a-steach don Bheurla.

Ach a鈥� coimhead air na cairtean-mara a bh鈥� air b貌rd na gheat, cha robh e follaiseach d猫 d矛reach na caolais a thathar a鈥� ciallachadh anns an ainm. D猫 an d脿 chaolas a th鈥� air gach聽taobh de dh鈥橢adar D脿 Chaolas? A鈥� coimhead air na mapaichean-t矛re aig an t-Suirbhidh聽脪rdanais anns an taigh, cha robh e follaiseach nas motha d猫 an d脿 chaolas a thathar a鈥櫬燾iallachadh.

Gu fortanach, tha na seann mhapaichean ag innse dhuinn mar a dh鈥櫭╥rich an t-ainm. Bha mi a鈥� coimhead o chionn ghoirid air an Atlas Maior a dh鈥檉hoillsich Joan Blaeu anns an聽脪laind ann an sia ceud deug, seasgad 鈥檚 a c貌ig (1665). Air mapaichean Bhlaeu, tha p脿irt聽mh貌r de cheann an iar-thuath na h-Alba, timcheall air a鈥� Pharbh, ainmichte mar Edirdacheules.

Chan e b脿gh a th鈥� ann, ach sg矛re. Tha an sg矛re a鈥� ruith bho Dhi霉rinis anns a鈥� cheanna tuath gu ruige Loch a鈥� Ch脿irn Bh脿in anns a鈥� cheann a deas. No, a thaobh nan caolas, eadar聽Caolas Dhi霉irinis agus an Caolas Cumhang. 鈥橲 iad sin an d脿 chaolas. B鈥� e Eadar D脿 Chaolas聽an sg矛re eadar Caolas Dhi霉irinis agus an Caolas Cumhang. Tha ainm a鈥� bh脿igh a鈥櫬燾uimhneachadh seann ainm na sg矛re gu tuath air a鈥� bh脿gh.

Tha e inntinneach cho tric agus a nochdas am facal eadar ann an ainmean-脿ite na G脿idhealtachd. Tha Eadar D脿 Fhadhail (Ardroil) ann an Sg矛re 脵ige ann an Le貌dhas. Anns聽na Hearadh, gu tuath air an Tairbeart, eadar na beanntan air a bheil Giolabhal Glas agus聽Giolabhal Dubh, tha cnoc. 鈥橲 e ainm a鈥� chnuic Cnoc Eadar D脿 Bheinn.

Faisg air Gleann Bhreatail san Eilean Sgitheanach, tha bealach eadar Beinn Stac agus Beinn a鈥� Bhr脿ghad. 鈥橲 e ainm a鈥� bhealaich Bealach Eadar D脿 Bheinn. Tha bealach dhen aon ainm ann an Siorrachd Shruighlea. Agus tha Loch Eadar D脿 Bheinn anns a鈥� Ch貌igich,聽air taobh siar Rois. Anns a鈥� Chuiltheann san Eilean Sgitheanach tha Druim Eadar D脿聽Choire. Agus ann an Ratharsair, eadar am Baile Meadhanach agus Baile a鈥� Ch霉irn, tha loch聽air a bheil Loch Eadar D脿 Bhaile.

Agus tha sin gam thoirt don fhacal cuinneag. 鈥橲 d貌cha gu bheil sibh e貌lach air a鈥� bheinn mh貌ir dhr霉idhtich ann an Asainte, d矛reach gu deas air a鈥� Chaolas Chumhang. Ann an聽G脿idhlig, 鈥檚 e a h-ainm a鈥� Chuinneag. Ach air mapa Bhlaeu tha i ainmichte mar Ben聽Quinag. Agus 鈥檚 ann mar sin a chithear i sgr矛obhte air na mapaichean againn fhathast 鈥撀燪uinag 鈥� ged a chanas muinntir an 脿ite Cuinneag rithe eadhon ann am Beurla.

Ann an taobh sear Rois tha d脿 bheinn ann a tha ainmichte c貌mhla mar C脿rn Chuinneag. Chanainn gur e a鈥� Chuinneag Mh貌r agus a鈥� Chuinneag Bheag a bh鈥� orra bhoshean, oir tha allt faisg air t猫 dhiubh air a bheil Allt na Cuinneige Bige. Carson a tha mi ag聽ainmeachadh nam beann seo? Uill, nuair a thathar a鈥� coimhead orra bhon cheann a deas,聽chithear meall eatarra. Agus 鈥檚 e ainm Meall Eadar an D脿 Chuinneag.

gheat: yacht; cairtean-mara: maritime charts; caolas: kyle, narrows;Di霉irinis: Durness; An Caolas Cumhang: Kylesku; Gleann Bhreatail: Glenbrittle; Siorrachd Shruighlea: Stirlingshire; cuinneag: milk-pail, stoup.

ch矛 sibh mar a dh鈥檃tharraich an t-ainm: you can see how the name changed; na mapaichean-t矛re aig an t-Suirbhidh 脪rdanais: the land maps of the Ordnance聽Survey; cha robh e follaiseach nas motha: it wasn鈥檛 obvious either; a dh鈥檉hoillsich X anns an聽脪laind: that X in the Netherlands (Holland) published; a thaobh nan caolas: with respect to聽the kyles; tha ainm a鈥� bh脿igh a鈥� cuimhneachadh seann ainm na sg矛re: the name of the bay聽remembers the old name of the area; Eadar D脿 Fhadhail: [lit] between two sea/estuarine聽fords; anns a鈥� Ch貌igich, air taobh siar Rois: in Coigach, in W. Ross; Druim Eadar D脿聽Choire: [lit] ridge between two corries; gu bheil sibh e貌lach air a鈥� bheinn mh貌ir聽dhr霉idhtich: that you know the great impressive mountain; ainmichte c貌mhla: named聽together; ged a chanas muinntir an 脿ite Cuinneag rithe eadhon ann am Beurla: although the聽local people call her Cuinneag even in English; tha allt faisg air t猫 dhiubh: there is a burn聽near one of them; nuair a thathar a鈥� coimhead orra bhon cheann a deas, chithear meall聽eatarra: when they are observed from the south, a rounded hill can be seen between them.

I was recently asked what we call in Gaelic the country to the聽north of Assynt (Asainte) and west of D霉thaich MhicAoidh (the Mackay country of the聽north coast east of Durness) and I was a bit stuck. People refer to Am Parbh in general聽terms but strictly speaking that refers to Cape Wrath and its immediate vicinity and聽wouldn鈥檛 be applicable to the country between Kinlochbervie and Kylesku (if you think my聽assertion is wrong please let me know). Historically, the north west portion between聽Kylesku and the Kyle of Durness was Eadar D脿 Chaolas (鈥渂etween two kyles鈥�), a name now聽applied only to a bay (Eddrachillis) at the extreme southern end of the area. Blaeu鈥檚 map聽lists the following areas in the modern county of Sutherland (Cataibh): Assynt, Edir-dacheules,聽Strath Navern (taking in D霉thaich MhicAoidh and Strathnaver) and Southerland聽(the historical Cataibh which was only the eastern part of the modern county, south of聽Caithness, but stretching west to meet Assynt near the W end of Loch Shin).

鈥檚 ann mar sin a chithear i sgr矛obhte air na mapaichean聽againn: that鈥檚 how it [fem] is seen written on our maps.
Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA