大象传媒

Bha mi o chionn ghoirid ann an Gleann L矛omhann ann an Siorrachd Pheairt Tha an sg矛re sin ainmeil airson eachdraidh agus beul-aithris. Agus, a r猫ir beul-aithris, rugadh an riaghladair R貌manach, Pontius Pilat, anns an sg矛re. Bha athair ann an Alba mar ph脿irt de dh鈥檃rm na R貌imhe.

鈥橲 e baile beag br猫agha a tha ann am Fairtirchill. Chan eil e uabhasach fada on a bha G脿idhlig aig muinntir an 脿ite. Tha carragh-cuimhne cogaidh ann. Sgr矛obhte air, tha seo: To the Glory of God and in Memory of Those from Fortingall district who fell in the Great War 1914-1919. Agus an aon rud ann an G脿idhlig: Chum Gl貌ir Dh猫 agus mar Chuimhneachan orra-sa a thuit 脿 Fairtichill ann sa Chogadh Mh貌r 1914-1919.

D猫 tha an t-ainm Fairtichill no Fairtirchill a鈥� ciallachadh? Bha mi a鈥� leughadh l脿rach-l矛n. Bha i a鈥� cumail a-mach gur e 鈥淔eart nan Gall鈥� a bha ann, the Stronghold of the Strangers. Chan eil sin ceart. Bha an t-ainm cl脿raichte ann an d脿 cheud dheug is ceathrad (1240) mar Forterkill. Bha Uilleam MacBh脿tair dhen bheachd gu bheil kill a鈥� riochdachadh na G脿idhlig cill, no church. Agus bha e dhen bheachd gu bheil fortair a鈥� ciallachadh d霉n no caisteal. Mar sin tha Fairtirchill a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渆aglais an d霉in鈥�.

鈥橲 d貌cha nach eil sibh ag aithneachadh an fhacail Gh脿idhlig fortair. Ach seo na sgr矛obh MacBh脿tair mu dheidhinn: 鈥淚 have learned recently from Mr Duncan Campbell 鈥� a Glenlyon man, that one of the ancient round forts in Glenlyon is called in Gaelic an Fhortair [f-h-o-r-t-a-i-r]鈥�. Bha MacBh脿tair a鈥� smaoineachadh gur e fortair facal G脿idhlig a th脿inig bhon Chruithnis.

Agus an robh d霉n ann am Fairtirchill? Gu dearbh, bha. Ri taobh na h-eaglais tha Baile na Creige. Os cionn sin, tha creag, mar a bhiodh duil. Bha d霉n air a鈥� chreig. Mar sin, tha 鈥渆aglais an d霉in鈥� a鈥� d猫anamh ciall.

I was recently in Glenlyon in Perthshire. That area is famous for history and oral tradition. And, according to oral tradition, the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, was born in the area. His father was in Scotland as part of the Roman army.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Fortingall is a beautiful village. It鈥檚 not terribly long since the local people spoke Gaelic. There is a war memorial there. On it, there is this: To the Glory of God and in Memory of Those from Fortingall district who fell in the Great War 1914-1919. And the same thing in Gaelic: To the Glory of God and as a Memorial to Those who fell [who were] from Fortingall in the Great War 1914-1919.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Perhaps you don鈥檛 recognise the Gaelic word fortair. But this is what Watson wrote about it: 鈥淚 have learned recently from Mr Duncan Campbell 鈥� a Glenlyon man, that one of the ancient round forts in Glenlyon is called in Gaelic an Fhortair [f-h-o-r-t-a-i-r]鈥�. Watson thought that fortair was a Gaelic word that came from the Pictish language.

聽聽聽聽聽聽 And was there a fort in Fairtirchill. Indeed, there was. Beside the church there is Balnacraig. Above that there is a crag, as would be expected. There was a fort on the crag. Thus, 鈥渢he church of the fort鈥� makes sense.