大象传媒

鈥橲 e fear de na h-ainmean-脿ite a tha doirbh a thuigsinn ann an f矛or cheann a tuath na h-Alba 鈥� Kinbrace ann an 顿矛迟丑谤别补产丑 Chat. 鈥橲 e a鈥� Gh脿idhlig a th鈥� air Ceann a' Bhr脿ist ach d猫 is ciall dha? Tha Iain Mac an T脿illeir, air an l脿raich-l矛n air leth feumail aige*, ag r脿dh, 鈥淭his may be 鈥榯he head of the upland鈥�, including a form of 产谤脿颈驳丑, 鈥榰pland鈥欌��.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Dh鈥檉haodadh sin a bhith ceart, ach th脿inig mi tarsainn air m矛neachadh eile airson t霉s an ainm nuair a bha mi a鈥� leughadh seann leabhar ainmeil o chionn ghoirid. 鈥橲 e an leabhar Memorabilia Domestica: or Parish Life in the North of Scotland leis an Urramach D貌mhnall Saigeach, no Donald Sage. Sgr矛obh e an leabhar ann an ochd ceud deug is ceathrad (1840). Tha esan ag innse dhuinn gu bheil Ceann a鈥� Bhr脿ist a鈥� faighinn ainm bho dhuine.

Seo an tuairisgeul aige: 鈥淣uair a thig thu a-steach [don bhaile] bhon iar-thuath, laighidh do sh霉il air grunn ch脿rn ... Dhiubh sin, 鈥檚 e am fear as motha tobhta caisteil a bha uaireigin na phr矛omh 脿ros, ann an Siorrachd Chataibh, airson ceann-cinnidh nan Gunnach, air an robh an tiotal 鈥淐r霉n-fhear鈥� ann an ceithir cheud deug, ochdad 鈥檚 a naoi (1489). Bha am baran l脿idir seo de shliochd Amhlaidh 脿 Ceann Dhunngain ann an Gallaibh, a bhuineadh o th霉s do dh鈥橝rcaibh, ach aig an robh pr矛omh chaisteal aig Halbury air costa Ghallaibh, agus, aig an 脿m a tha fon phrosbaig, a bh鈥� air fearann fhaighinn bho Iarla Chat.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 e duine cudromach a bh鈥� ann, oir bha fearann m貌r aige agus bha dreuchd aige leis an riaghaltas. 鈥橲 e sin as coireach gun robh 鈥淐r霉n-fhear鈥� no 鈥淐rown-laird鈥� air mar thiotal. Agus leis gun robh e cho uasal, bhiodh e a鈥� gi霉lain br脿iste mh貌r airgid air a bhroilleach. Air sg脿th sin, 鈥檚 e 鈥淎m Br脿isteach M貌r鈥� a bhiodh daoine a鈥� gabhail air 鈥� mar a sgr矛obhas an Saigeach, 鈥渓iterally, 鈥榯he dignity of the brooch鈥欌��. Agus, mar sin, chuireadh an t-ainm air a鈥� chaisteal aige Ceann no Cinn a鈥� Bhr脿ist, 鈥榯he seat of the dignitary of the brooch鈥�. Ann am Beurla, Kinbrace.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha am ministear ag innse dhuinn rudeigin eile inntinneach mun Bhr脿isteach Mh貌r, co-dhi霉 a r猫ir beul-aithris na sg矛re. Feasgar ci霉in samhraidh a bha seo, bha e sa chaisteal aige ann an Ceann a鈥� Bhr脿ist nuair a chuala e d霉dach air a sheinn. Bha coigreach ann agus bha e a鈥� sireadh cuid na h-oidhche. Bhiodh sin air a toirt seachad gun cheist aig an 脿m ud.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Leig an Gunnach na coigrich a-steach. Bha fear dhiubh gu math 脿rd agus rudeigin sean. B鈥� esan an ceannard. Gun a bhith a鈥� fe貌rachadh c貌 bh鈥� ann, thug am Br脿isteach M貌r cuireadh dha is do a chompanaich biadh a ghabhail c貌mhla riutha. Nuair a bha an coigreach na shuidhe ri taobh a鈥� Ghunnaich, th脿inig dusan fear 貌g a-steach agus shuidh iad rin taobh. Bha gach fear dhiubh sia troighean a dh鈥櫭爄rde agus eireachdail.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淎n iad seo do mhic?鈥� dh鈥檉haighnich an srainnsear.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥溾�橲 iad,鈥� fhreagair am Br脿isteach M貌r, 鈥渁gus is beag an n脿ire a th鈥� orm gur ann leamsa a tha iad.鈥�

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥淔aodaidh tu a bhith moiteil asta,鈥� ars an coigreach. Ach bha e an impis rudeigin a r脿dh a chuireadh an dithis an ugannan a ch猫ile, agus an cinnidhean leotha. Ch矛 sinn d猫 bh鈥� ann an-ath-sheachdain.

Ceann a鈥� Bhr脿ist: Kinbrace; An t-Urramach D貌mhnall Saigeach: Rev Donald Sage; tuairisgeul: description; Iarla Chat: The Earl of Sutherland; uasal: noble, of high station; 肠貌颈驳谤别补肠丑: stranger; a鈥� fe貌rachadh: asking; cinnidhean: clans, tribes.

a tha doirbh a thuigsinn: which is difficult to understand; f矛or cheann a tuath: the far north; th脿inig mi tarsainn air m矛neachadh eile airson t霉s an ainm: I came across another explanation for the origin of the name; laighidh do sh霉il air grunn ch脿rn: a number of cairns meet the eye; tobhta caisteil a bha uaireigin na phr矛omh 脿ros: the remains of a castle, once the principal residence; ceann-cinnidh nan Gunnach: the chief of the Clan Gunn; bha am baran l脿idir seo de shliochd Amhlaidh 脿 Ceann Dhunngain ann an Gallaibh: this potent baron, the lineal descendant of Olaf of Duncansby in Caithness; a bhuineadh o th霉s do dh鈥橝rcaibh: a native of Orkney; a鈥� gi霉lain br脿iste mh貌r airgid air a bhroilleach: carrying a large silver brooch on his breast; nuair a chuala e d霉dach air a sheinn: when he heard a bugle being sounded; a鈥� sireadh cuid na h-oidhche: seeking a night鈥檚 accommodation; shuidh iad rin taobh: they sat next to them; bha gach fear dhiubh sia troighean a dh鈥櫭爄rde agus eireachdail: each one of them was six feet tall and handsome; an iad seo do mhic?: are these your sons?; is beag an n脿ire a th鈥� orm gur ann leamsa a tha iad: I鈥檓 not ashamed [to say] they鈥檙e mine; moiteil asta: proud of them; an impis rudeigin a r脿dh a chuireadh an dithis an ugannan a ch猫ile: about to say something that would put the two men at loggerheads.

顿矛迟丑谤别补产丑 Chat: 鈥渢he higher, less cultivated part of Sutherland鈥�. 顿矛迟丑谤别补产丑 might be translated as 鈥渨ilderness鈥� but it is not quite a wilderness as people do live there, even if they are thin on the ground. The Gaelic view of the county of Sutherland is very different from the English/Norse heritage (for a start it鈥檚 at the north of the G脿idhealtachd!) It is divided into Machair Chat (the low coastal land in the east), Br脿igh Chat (the upland country behind the machair), 顿矛迟丑谤别补产丑 Chat in the centre of the county, D霉thaich MhicAoidh in the north, 贰补诲补谤-顿丑脿-颁丑补辞濒补蝉 in the north-west, Asainte in the far west, and a division little known today 鈥� Fearann Coscraigh (鈥淐oscrach鈥檚 land鈥�) between Bonar Bridge and Dornoch. Cataibh originally meant Machair Chat, Br脿igh Chat and 顿矛迟丑谤别补产丑 Chat collectively, but it has also come to mean the modern county of Sutherland. To be clear, I called the modern county Siorrachd Chataibh in the Litir.

d猫 is ciall dha?: what does it mean?

听

* Gheibhear gr猫im air l脿rach-l矛n Iain Mhic an T脿illeir aig

听

Tha 鈥淟itir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh鈥� air a maoineachadh le MG ALBA