大象传媒

Tha mi a鈥� sgr矛obhadh na Litreach seo, agus mi d矛reach air tilleadh bho bhith a鈥� coiseachd a鈥� mhonaidh ann an Srath Chonainn ann an Siorrachd Rois. Seo seann rann mun sg矛re sin: Abhainn M矛g tre Srath Chonainn, Abhainn Chonainn tre Srath Bhr脿inn, Abhainn Dubh-chuileagach tre Srath Ghairbh, tr矛 aibhnichean gun tairbh iad sin. River Meig through Strathconon, River Conon through Strathbran, river of the black flies through Strathgarve, they鈥檙e three rivers without profit.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha sin rudeigin cruaidh, chanainn; saoilidh mise gu bheil an sg矛re sin br猫agha. Ach tha e na rabhadh dhomh gun a bhith a鈥� dol a Shrath Ghairbh, co-dhi霉 as t-samhradh, gun l矛on chuileagan a thoirt leam!

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 e an aon abhainn as aithne dh貌mhsa ann an Srath Ghairbh t猫 a tha ainmeil ann an dualchas nan G脿idheal. 鈥橲 i an t-Alltan Dubh, a rinneadh ainmeil le D貌mhnall Friseal, B脿rd Fainich. Bidh sibh e貌lach air an 貌ran, 鈥檚 d貌cha: Tha ligh鈥� an-diugh san Alltan Dubh, chan urrainn mi dhol thairis air, tha eagal orm ro mheud an t-sruth 鈥檚 nach fhaigh mi 鈥檔-diugh a-null air鈥� Bha am b脿rd ag aithris gum biodh tuilleadh 鈥檚 a ch貌rr uisge anns an abhainn ag amannan, ach cha chreid mi gun robh guth aige air cus chuileagan!

听听听听听听听听听听听 Co-dhi霉, tha e inntinneach mar a tha na h-ainmean sin. Ann an ceann shuas Srath Chonainn, chan e Abhainn Chonainn a tha a鈥� sruthadh, ach Abhainn M矛g; tha d霉il gu bheil an t-ainm sin gu math sean. Tron chuid mh貌ir de Shrath Bhr脿inn, 鈥檚 e Abhainn Bhr脿inn a tha a鈥� sruthadh. Ach am p矛os mu dheireadh dhen t-srath, nuair a dh鈥檉h脿gas an abhainn Loch Luinncheirt, 鈥檚 e Abhainn Chonainn a th鈥� oirre. Agus, anns a鈥� ph脿irt 矛osal de Shrath Chonainn, 鈥檚 e Abhainn Chonainn no River Conon a th鈥� air an abhainn.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Faisg air beul na h-aibhne, nuair a ruigeas i ceann shuas Linne Chrombaigh, tha baile ann air a bheil Conon Bridge. Tha drochaid thar na h-aibhne an sin. Chan e Drochaid Chonainn an t-ainm G脿idhlig a th鈥� air, ge-t脿, ach Drochaid Sguideil. Tha mi a鈥� tuigsinn gur e seann ainm, 鈥檚 d貌cha fear Lochlannach, a th鈥� ann an Sguideil. Bha e cl脿raichte mar Scuddale o shean. Cha chreid mi gu bheil fios aig duine d猫 tha e a鈥� ciallachadh. Bhithinn an d霉il gun t脿inig am p脿irt mu dheireadh dheth bho fhacal anns an t-Seann Lochlannais, a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渁chadh鈥� no bho fhacal eile a鈥� ciallachadh 鈥渄ail鈥� no 鈥済leann鈥�.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chan eil fhios a鈥檓 d猫 an dreach a bh鈥� air Sguideil bho th霉s, ach tha an t-脿ite a鈥� nochdadh ann am mapa a rinn an Seanalair Se貌ras Wade airson an airm ann an seachd ceud deug is trithead (1730). Cha robh drochaid thar Abhainn Chonainn aig an 脿m, ach bha aiseag ann. 鈥橲 e an t-ainm a bh鈥� air, ann am Beurla, Ferry Sguigal. S-G-U-I-G-A-L. Sguigal, seach Sguideil.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha 貌rdugh nam faclan inntinneach cuideachd. Bhiomaid an d霉il Sguigal Ferry 鈥檚 d貌cha. Leis gur e Ferry Sguigal a th鈥� ann, bhithinn an d霉il gun robh an t-ainm st猫idhichte air a鈥� Gh脿idhlig Aiseag Sguigal no rudeigin coltach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Leis nach robh cuid anns an fhicheadamh linn e貌lach air t霉s an ainm, th貌isich iad air Drochaid Sgudail a ghabhail air. Bha iad ag r脿dh gun robhar a鈥� cutadh 猫isg ann 鈥� agus gum b鈥� e an 鈥渟gudal鈥� am mionach 猫isg. Gu fortanach, chan e 脿ite 鈥渟gudalach鈥� a th鈥� ann an Drochaid Sguideil!

tha e na rabhadh dhomh gun a bhith a鈥� dol a Shrath Ghairbh: it鈥檚 a warning to me not to go to Strathgarve; co-dhi霉 as t-samhradh: at least in summer; gun l矛on chuileagan a thoirt leam: without taking a midge net with me; tha eagal orm ro mheud an t-sruth: I鈥檓 scared by the size of the stream; tuilleadh 鈥檚 a ch貌rr uisge: too much water; cha chreid mi gun robh guth aige air cus chuileagan: I don鈥檛 think he said anything about too many flies!; nuair a dh鈥檉h脿gas an abhainn Loch Luinncheirt: when the river leaves Loch Luichart; ceann shuas Linne Chrombaigh: the upper end of the Cromarty Firth; d猫 an dreach a bh鈥� air X bho th霉s: in what form X appeared originally; tha an t-脿ite a鈥� nochdadh ann am mapa a rinn an Seanalair Se貌ras Wade: the place appears in a map that General George Wade made; tha 貌rdugh nam faclan inntinneach cuideachd: the order of the words is also interesting; bhiomaid/bhithinn an d霉il: we/I would expect; no rudeigin coltach: or something similar; leis nach robh daoine anns an fhicheadamh linn e貌lach air t霉s an ainm: since people in the twentieth century did not know the origin of the name; th貌isich iad air X a ghabhail air: they started to call it X; gun robhar a鈥� cutadh 猫isg: that fish were being gutted.

The Gaelic name for Conon Bridge 鈥� Drochaid Sguideil 鈥� remains a challenge to place-name experts. The accent on the form that appears on bilingual signs on the main road 鈥� ie 厂驳霉颈诲别颈濒 鈥� is incorrect. It鈥檚 thought that a Norse origin is most likely, and that skut-dalr, or something similar, was the old Norse name for the lower Conon; if correct, the 鈥渟kut鈥� might refer to a type of sailing craft built using the area鈥檚 forest resources 鈥� certainly the availability of good timber was probably a prime reason for Norse expansion out of Caithness and Sutherland into Ross in the 11th Century (the word came into Gaelic as sgud or scuta). The 1730 form Sguigal, however, is interesting. It doesn鈥檛 quite correspond to the form in the Old Statistical Account 鈥� Scuddale. If you have information or thoughts on this place-name, I鈥檇 be pleased to hear from you at roddy.maclean@bbc.co.uk.

Tha sin rudeigin cruaidh, chanainn: I鈥檇 say that鈥檚 a bit tough, hard.

听

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