大象传媒

Gu tuath air Asainte, air taobh an iar na聽h-Alba, tha Eddrachillis Bay.聽Eddrachillis. Tha e a鈥� tighinn bhon聽Gh脿idhlig Eadar D脿 Chaolas. Eadar D脿聽Chaolas 鈥� Eadrachaolas 鈥� Eddrachillis.聽Ach d猫 an d脿 chaolas anns an ainm?聽Bha mi a鈥� coimhead o chionn聽ghoirid air an Atlas Maior. 鈥橲 e an Atlas聽leabhraichean de sheann mhapaichean.聽Dh鈥檉hoillsich Joan Blaeu an leabhar anns聽an 脪laind ann an sia ceud deug, seasgad聽鈥檚 a c貌ig (1665). Air mapaichean聽Bhlaeu, tha p脿irt de cheann an iar-thuath聽na h-Alba ainmichte mar Edir-dacheules.聽Chan e b脿gh a tha ann, ach聽sg矛re.聽Air mapa Bhlaeu, tha an sg矛re a鈥櫬爎uith bho Chaolas Dhi霉rinis anns a鈥櫬燾heann a tuath gu ruige an Caolas聽Cumhang anns a鈥� cheann a deas. 鈥橲 iad聽sin an d脿 chaolas. B鈥� e Eadar D脿 Chaolas聽an sg矛re eadar Caolas Dhi霉irinis agus an聽Caolas Cumhang. Tha ainm a鈥� bh脿igh 鈥撀燛ddrachillis Bay 鈥� a鈥� cuimhneachadh聽seann ainm na sg矛re.聽Tha am facal eadar a鈥� nochdadh聽gu tric ann an ainmean-脿ite. Tha Eadar聽D脿 Fhadhail (Ardroil) ann an Sg矛re 脵ige聽ann an Le貌dhas. Anns na Hearadh, tha聽d脿 bheinn air a bheil Giolabhal Glas聽agus Giolabhal Dubh. Tha cnoc eatarra.聽鈥橲 e ainm a鈥� chnuic Cnoc Eadar D脿聽Bheinn.聽Faisg air Gleann Bhreatail anns聽an Eilean Sgitheanach, tha bealach eadar聽Beinn Stac agus Beinn a鈥� Bhr脿ghad. 鈥橲 e聽ainm a鈥� bhealaich Bealach Eadar D脿聽Bheinn. Tha bealach dhen aon ainm ann聽an Siorrachd Shruighlea. Agus tha Loch聽Eadar D脿 Bheinn anns a鈥� Ch貌igich, air聽taobh siar Rois. Ann an Ratharsair, eadar聽am Baile Meadhanach agus Baile a鈥櫬燙h霉irn, tha loch. 鈥橲 e ainm an locha聽Loch Eadar D脿 Bhaile.聽Agus tha Meall Eadar an D脿聽Chuinneag ann an taobh sear Rois. Tha聽d脿 bheinn an sin air a bheil A鈥櫬燙huinneag. A鈥� Chuinneag Mh貌r agus A鈥櫬燙huinneag Bheag. Tha beinn eile air a聽bheil A鈥� Chuinneag. Ach air mapa聽Bhlaeu 鈥檚 e Ben Quinag a tha sgr矛obhte.聽Agus tha i mar sin air na mapaichean an-diugh聽鈥� Quinag. Ach canaidh muinntir聽an 脿ite Cuinneag rithe. Agus canaidh聽sinn A鈥� Chuinneag ann an G脿idhlig. Bho聽mhullach na Cuinneig, gheibh sibh聽sealladh math de dh鈥橢adar D脿 Chaolas.

North of Assynt, on the western seaboard聽of Scotland, there is聽Eddrachillis Bay. Eddrachillis. It聽comes from the Gaelic Eadar D脿聽Chaolas [鈥渂etween two kyles鈥漖.聽Eadar D脿 Chaolas 鈥� Eadrachaolas聽鈥� Eddrachillis. But what are the two聽kyles (narrows) in the name?聽I was looking recently at the聽Atlas Maior. The Atlas is books of聽old maps. Joan Blaeu published the聽book in the Netherlands in 1665. On聽Blaeu鈥檚 maps, part of the north-west聽of Scotland is named as Edir-dacheules.聽It鈥檚 not a bay, but a聽geographical area.聽On Blaeu鈥檚 map, the area runs聽from the Kyle of Durness in the聽north to Kylesku in the south. Those聽are the two kyles (narrows). Eadar聽D脿 Chaolas was the area between聽the Kyle of Durness and Kylesku.聽The name of the bay 鈥� Eddrachillis聽Bay 鈥� remembers the old name of聽the area.聽The word eadar appears often聽in place names. There is Eadar D脿聽Fhadhail (between two sea-fords) in聽Uig in Lewis. In Harris, there are聽two hills called Giolabhal Glas and聽Giolabhal Dubh. There is a hill聽between them. The hill鈥檚 name is聽Cnoc Eadar D脿 Bheinn.聽Near Glenbrittle on Skye there聽is a pass between Beinn Stac and聽Beinn a鈥� Bhr脿ghad. The name of the聽pass is Bealach Eadar D脿 Bheinn聽(pass between two mountains).聽There is a pass of the same name in聽Stirlingshire. And there is Loch聽Eadar D脿 Bheinn in Coigach in聽Wester Ross. In Raasay, between聽Baile Meadhanach and Baile a鈥櫬燙h霉irn, there is a loch. The loch is聽called Loch Eadar D脿 Bhaile.聽And there is Meall Eadar an聽D脿 Chuinneag in Easter Ross. There聽are two hills there called A鈥� Chuinneag聽(鈥渢he milk pail, stoup鈥�). A鈥櫬燙huinneag Mh貌r and A鈥� Chuinneag聽Bheag. There is another mountain in聽Assynt called A鈥� Chuinneag. On聽Blaeu鈥檚 map it is Ben Quinag that is聽written. And that is how it is on the聽maps today 鈥� Quinag. But locals聽call her Cuinneag. And we say A鈥櫬燙huinneag in Gaelic. From the聽summit of A鈥� Chuinneag, you get a聽good view of Eddrachillis.