大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu chairidhean agus mar a chaidh bradan sligeach a ghlacadh ann an t猫 dhiubh ann an Linne Fharair, faisg air Inbhir Nis, anns an t-seachdamh linn deug. 鈥橲 d貌cha gum bu ch貌ir dhomh rudeigin a r脿dh mun ainm-脿ite sin. Chan e Linne Fharair no Beauly Firth a chanadh muinntir an 脿ite ris an linne. Ann am Beurla chanadh iad Loch Beauly agus ann an G脿idhlig Poll an R貌id.

Tha Poll an R貌id a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渢he inlet of the rood or cross鈥� 鈥� an aon R貌id a ch矛 sinn ann an Taigh an R貌id 鈥� Holyrood House 鈥� ann an D霉n 脠ideann. 鈥橲 e as coireach ris an ainm, a r猫ir seann l脿mh-sgr矛obhainnean, gun tug R矛gh Alasdair II fearann do mhanaich Dhominicanach ann an Inbhir Nis. Bha sin timcheall na bliadhna d脿 cheud dheug, trithead 鈥檚 a sia (1236). Thogadh manachainn anns a鈥� bhaile. Bha Inbhir Nis air slighe eilthireachd gu ruige Baile Dhubhthaich ann an Siorrachd Rois a bha na bhaile naomh. Agus dh鈥櫭瞨daich an R矛gh gum biodh r貌d, no crois, air a cur suas airson taisdealaich a bhrosnachadh.

Chan eil sinn buileach cinnteach c脿鈥� robh a鈥� chrois. Tha e coltach gun robh i air eilean beag b矛odach, no 鈥檚 d貌cha oitir, anns an linne gu siar air Port Cheasaig. Chan eil sgeul air an eilean no air a鈥� chrois an-diugh. Ach dh鈥檉h脿g i a h-ainm air an 脿ite 鈥� Poll an R貌id no, uaireannan ann am Beurla, the Rood Pool (sin R-O-O-D).

Co-dhi霉, air ais do na cairidhean. Bha cuid dhiubh fada, barrachd na m矛le troigh a dh鈥檉haid. Bha leth-mh矛le anns an t猫 aig Bun Chri霉bh. Agus cha robh iad air fad air an d猫anamh de chlachan. Bha bunait cloiche aca ach gu h-脿rd bha iad air an d猫anamh de fhiodh. Bha am fiodh air a shn矛omh mar chliath. Bha sin a鈥� ciallachadh gum b鈥� fheudar do na daoine leis an robh na cairidhean obair-c脿raidh a dh猫anamh orra gu tric.

A bharrachd air cairidhean bhiodh muinntir an 脿ite a鈥� cur a-mach l矛n nuair a bha tr脿igh mh貌r ann. Thigeadh na sgadain a-steach le l矛onadh na mara agus, uaireannan, gheibhte suas ri m矛le dhiubh anns an aon l矛on. Smaoinichibh! M矛le sgadan! B鈥� e sin an t-iasgach.

鈥橲 e garbhag a chanadh muinntir an 脿ite ris na sgadain bheaga sin. Th脿inig am facal garbhag bhon Albais garvie. Ach, gu h-inntinneach, chaidh garbhag air ais don Bheurla ann an sg矛re Inbhir Nis mar garvack. Ann an seachd ceud deug, ceathrad 鈥檚 a naoi (1749) bha an Eaglais a鈥� gearain mu iasgach air an t-S脿baid. Sgr矛obh iad mu 鈥渂reach of the Lord鈥檚 Day for fishing for garvacks with their nets鈥�.

Bha na garbhagan air leth cudromach mar bhiadh do mhuinntir an 脿ite. Bhiodh iad gan sailleadh agus gan ithe fad a鈥� gheamhraidh. Ach an robhar a鈥� glacadh bhradan a bharrachd air garbhagan anns na l矛n? Tha amharas agam gun robh. Agus tha aithrisean bhon naoidheamh linn deug gun do dh鈥檉heuch MacShimidh air stad a chur air cleachdadh nan l矛on airson iasgach. Deasbad air c貌raichean l矛n a chur gu feum air cladaichean na h-Alba? Chan eil c脿il 脿s 霉r fon ghr猫in!

cairidh: stone fish trap; bradan sligeach: sturgeon; Linne Fharair: Beauly Firth; Poll an R貌id: Beauly Firth; manaich: monks, friars; manachainn: monastery; 诲丑鈥櫭瞨诲补颈肠丑: ordered; 濒矛苍: nets; sgadain: herring (pl); smaoinichibh!: think [of that]!; garbhag: garvie, sprat, small herring (garvack in local English).听

鈥橲 e as coireach ris an ainm: what is responsible for the name; seann l脿mh-sgr矛obhainnean: old manuscripts; gun tug R矛gh Alasdair II fearann: that King Alexander II gave land; air slighe eilthireachd gu ruige Baile Dhubhthaich: on a pilgrimage route to Tain; baile naomh: a holy town; airson taisdealaich a bhrosnachadh: to encourage travellers/pilgrims; air eilean beag b矛odach, no 鈥檚 d貌cha oitir: on a tiny island, or perhaps a sandbank; gu siar air Port Cheasaig: west of South Kessock; barrachd na m矛le troigh a dh鈥檉haid: more than a thousand feet in length; bha leth-mh矛le anns an t猫 aig Bun Chri霉bh: the one at Bunchrew was more than half a mile [in length]; cha robh iad air fad air an d猫anamh de chlachan: they were not entirely made of stones; bunait cloiche: a stone foundation; gum b鈥� fheudar do na daoine obair-c脿raidh a dh猫anamh orra: that the people had to perform repair work on them; nuair a bha tr脿igh mh貌r ann: at low tide; gheibhte suas ri m矛le dhiubh anns an aon l矛on: up to a thousand of them would be got in the one net; mu iasgach air an t-S脿baid: about fishing on the Sabbath; bhiodh iad gan sailleadh agus gan ithe fad a鈥� gheamhraidh: they would salt them and eat them all winter; an robhar a鈥� glacadh bhradan?: were salmon being caught?; tha amharas agam gun robh: I suspect there were; gun do dh鈥檉heuch MacShimidh air stad a chur air cleachdadh nan l矛on: that Fraser of Lovat tried to stop fishing with nets; deasbad air c貌raichean l矛n a chur gu feum: a debate on the right to use nets.

Bha am fiodh air a shn矛omh mar chliath: the wood was interlaced like a hurdle/wickerwork structure. Did you notice the word cliathadh in the Litir a fortnight ago? There it meant 鈥渉arrowing鈥� (agricultural). If you think of the latticed structure of a harrow (cliath), you鈥檒l see the connection. Incidentally, this is the same word found in the Gaelic (and Irish) for the city of Dublin 鈥� Baile 脌tha Cliath 鈥� the settlement of the hurdled ford, named for a shallow part of the Liffey. Dublin also comes from Gaelic 鈥� Dubh Linn (dark pool). Interestingly, Easter Ross also boasts a Dublin, a tiny settlement presumably named for a pool on a tributary of the Averon River.

B鈥� e sin an t-iasgach: that was the fishing [it was fantastic].

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