大象传媒

Sgr矛obh T貌mas Garnett an leabhar Observations on a Tour Through the Highlands and Part of the Western Isles of Scotland. Bha e air chuairt air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd ann an seachd ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (1798).

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha Garnett ag innse mun turas deas air Inbhir Nis. Bha e sg矛theil. Ach bha aon rud math mu dheidhinn. Bha clachan-m矛le ann. Bha na clachan ag innse dhaibh d猫 cho fada 鈥檚 a bha e don ath bhaile.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nuair nach robh clachan-m矛le ann, bha iad a鈥� faighneachd de mhuinntir an 脿ite, 鈥淒猫 cho fada 鈥檚 a tha e gu [leithid de dh鈥櫭爄te]?鈥� Bha na daoine ag r脿dh 鈥檚 d貌cha 鈥渟ia m矛le鈥�. Bha Garnett is Watts a鈥� marcachd m矛le no dh脿 a bharrachd. Bha iad a鈥� faighneachd de chuideigin eile d猫 cho fada 鈥檚 a bha e. Bha esan no ise ag r脿dh, 鈥淪ia no seachd m矛le鈥�! Bha sin a鈥� s脿rachadh Gharnett, a r猫ir choltais.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha sin nuair a bha Beurla 鈥� no beagan co-dhi霉 鈥� aig na daoine. Ach thachair iad ri m貌ran nach robh de貌nach 鈥撀爊o comasach 鈥� Beurla a bhruidhinn riutha. Bha a chompanach Mgr Watts, am fear-ealain, air beagan G脿idhlig ionnsachadh mus do th貌isich iad. 鈥淎n 脿ite a bhith feumail,鈥� sgr矛obh Garnett, 鈥渃huir am beagan dhen ch脿nan a bh鈥� aig mo charaid troimh-a-ch猫ile sinn鈥︹��

听听听听听听听听听听听 Carson? Uill, ged a chuir Watts na ceistean ann an G脿idhlig, cha do thuig e na freagairtean! Agus, nuair a chuala na G脿idheil gun robh G脿idhlig 鈥� gu 矛re air choreigin 鈥� aig Watts, cha robh iad de貌nach Beurla a labhairt. Bha iad ag iarraidh cumail a dol ann an G脿idhlig! B鈥� iad sin na l脿ithean!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Agus an co-dh霉nadh aig Garnett? 鈥� 鈥�we literally experienced the truth of the adage, 鈥渁 little learning is a dangerous thing鈥�!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach cha robh Garnett gu tur an aghaidh na G脿idhlig. Sgr矛obh e 鈥淸that Gaelic has] a particularly expressive energy.鈥� Sin thu, a bhalaich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Mu dheireadh, seo ceist dhuibh. Tha 矛omhaigh de Dh貌mhnall Mac an De貌ir, a鈥� chiad Phr矛omh Mhinistear aig Alba, aig ceann shuas Sr脿id Bhochanain ann an Glaschu. Ach c貌rr is d脿 cheud bliadhna air ais, cha mh貌r nach deach carragh-cuimhne a chur suas do chuid-eigin eile anns an aon 脿ite. C貌 bha ann? Innsidh mi dhuibh an-ath-sheachdain.

Thomas Garnett wrote the book Observations on a Tour Through the Highlands and Part of the Western Isles of Scotland. He was on a journey in the Highlands in 1798.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Garnett tells about his journey south of Inverness. It was tiring. But there was one good thing about it. There were milestones. The stones were telling them how far it was to the next settlement.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When there were no milestones, they were asking local people, 鈥淗ow far is it to [such and such a place]?鈥� The people were saying perhaps 鈥渟ix miles鈥�. Garnett and Watts were riding another mile or two. They were asking another person how far it was. He or she was saying, 鈥淪ix or seven miles鈥�! That really got under Garnett鈥檚 skin, apparently.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 That was when people spoke English 鈥� or a little, at least. But they met many people who were not willing 鈥� or able 鈥� to speak English to them. His companion Mr Watts, the artist, had learned a little Gaelic before they started. 鈥淚nstead of being useful,鈥� Garnett wrote, 鈥渕y friend鈥檚 knowledge of this language seemed to perplex us...鈥�

聽聽聽聽聽聽 Why? Well, although Watts asked the questions in Gaelic, he didn鈥檛 understand the answers. And, when the Gaels heard that Watts spoke Gaelic 鈥� to some degree or other 鈥� they weren鈥檛 willing to speak English. They wanted to keep going in Gaelic! Those were the days!

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 And Garnett鈥檚 conclusion? 鈥� 鈥�we literally experienced the truth of the adage, 鈥渁 little learning is a dangerous thing鈥�!

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 But Garnett wasn鈥檛 entirely anti-gaelic. He wrote 鈥淸that Gaelic has] a particularly expressive energy.鈥� Good on him.

聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Finally, here鈥檚 a question for you. There is a likeness of Donald Dewar, Scotland鈥檚 first First Minister, at the top end of Buchanan Street in Glasgow. But more than two hundred years ago, a memorial to somebody else was nearly erected in the same place. Who was it? I鈥檒l tell you that next week.