大象传媒

Seo criomag de dh鈥櫭瞨an. Tha an t-貌ran sean. Tha e 脿 sg矛re Loch Carrann ann an Ros an Iar. Fhuair sinn nuas bho 脌rd Mhic Shimidh, B貌 mhaol dhubh 鈥檚 i air leth-shine, 鈥橲 iomadh fear a thig le sgilig, Dh鈥檌arraidh dileag de 鈥檆uid bainne.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A bheil 产貌 a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥湶�貌鈥�? Agus a bheil bainne a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渂ainne鈥�? Uill, chan eil. Seo an treas rann dhen 貌ran: Siud far an robh a鈥� bh貌 bha ne貌nach, Bidh luchd mionaich innte an-c貌mhnaidh, 鈥橲 tric a thug mi fh猫in mo le貌r dhith, S霉gh an e貌rn鈥� as fhe脿rr san talamh.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Aha! S霉gh an e貌rn鈥� as fhe脿rr san talamh. D猫 tha ann an s霉gh an e貌rna? D猫 ach uisge-beatha! 鈥橲 e a鈥� bho mhaol dhubh a鈥� phoit dhubh. 鈥橲 e sin an uidheamachd a bha aig na seann daoine airson uisge-beatha a dh猫anamh. Bha 鈥渂ainne鈥� a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渦isge-beatha鈥�!

鈥橲 e ainm an 貌rain 鈥� 脪ran na Poite Duibhe. Chaidh a chruinneachadh le Arthur Geddes bho Fhionnladh MacCalmain aig ceann Loch Carrann. Cha d鈥� fhuair mi a-mach c脿ite an robh a鈥� phoit dhubh. Ach tha an t-s猫ist ag ainmeachadh 鈥渇ear donn a鈥� bhealaich鈥�. C貌 bha anns an fhear dhonn? Uill, chan eil mi cinnteach. 鈥橲 d貌cha an t-uachdaran no fear-taca. A r猫ir choltais bha e taiceil do luchd-d猫anaimh an uisge-bheatha. Seo an t-s猫ist: H霉g o air fear donn a鈥� bhealaich, 脪igear sunndach, s霉rdach, fearail, H霉g o air fear donn a鈥� bhealaich.

Bha an t-eagal air luchd-d猫anaimh an uisge-bheatha gun robh na g猫idsearan a鈥� dol a thighinn. Bha an gnothach m矛-laghail. Tha an t-eagal sin a鈥� tighinn am b脿rr anns a鈥� cheathramh rann: Nuair a theann sinn air cur foidhpe, Bha a鈥� bh貌 dhubh agus laogh 貌g aic鈥�, 鈥橲 eagal oirnn gun tig na se貌id, 鈥橲 gum f脿g iad sinn gun bh貌 鈥檚 gun bhainne. Obh obh 鈥� gun bh貌 鈥檚 gun bhainne. Rud uabhasach!

Here is a bit of a song. The song is old. It鈥檚 from the parish of Loch-carron in Wester Ross. We got down from Fraser鈥檚 脌ird (near Beauly), a black hornless cow with half an udder, Many a man came with money, To get a drop of her milk.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Does 产貌 mean 鈥渃ow鈥�? And does bainne mean 鈥渕ilk鈥�? Well, no. Here is the third verse of the song. That鈥檚 where the strange cow was, She always has a bellyfull in her, Many鈥檚 a time I took my fill of her, The best barley juice in the world.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Aha! The best barley juice in the world. What is barley juice? What, other than whisky! The black, hornless cow is the illegal still [鈥渂lack pot鈥漖. That is the equipment the old people had in order to make whisky. 鈥淢ilk鈥� meant 鈥渨hisky鈥�!

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The name of the song is The Song of the Secret Still. It was collected by Arthur Geddes from Finlay Murchison at the head of Loch Carron. I haven鈥檛 found out where the secret still was. But the chorus names 鈥渂rown-haired man of the pass鈥�. Who was the brown-haired man? Well, I鈥檓 not sure. Perhaps the landlord or tacksman. It appears he was supportive of the whisky makers. Here is the chorus: H霉g o air the brown-haired man of the pass, Contented, cheerful, manly young man, H霉g o air the brown-haired man of the pass.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The whisky makers were afraid that the gaugers [excisemen] were going to come. The affair was illegal. That fear comes to the surface in the fourth verse: When we began to put her under [hide the equipment], The black cow and her young calf [the vessel for collecting the distillate], And us afraid the heroes [gaugers] would come, And that they鈥檒l leave us without cow or milk. Oh dear 鈥� without cow or milk. A terrible thing!