大象传媒

Bha mi fortanach gu le貌r 鈥檚 gun do chuir mi mo chas air d脿 eilean 蝉丑貌苍谤补颈肠丑迟别 am-bliadhna. Bha iad le ch猫ile br猫agha agus inntinneach, ach gu math eadar-dhealaichte bho ch猫ile. Bha fear dhiubh G脿idhealach agus am fear eile Gallta. Ach, gu m矛-fhortanach, anns an d脿 eilean, chan eil an sluagh t霉sail ann a-nise. Air fear dhiubh, chan eil duine a鈥� fuireach.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Anns a鈥� Ch猫itean chaidh mi a Sh貌thaigh far ceann a deas an Eilein Sgitheanaich. Abair 脿ite br猫agha, fo sg脿il a鈥� Chuilthinn. Rinn Gavin Maxwell S貌thaigh car ainmeil oir chuir e gn矛omhachas air d貌igh ann, anns an robh iad a鈥� sealg nan cearban. Tha na togalaichean is uidheamachd aige fhathast rim faicinn ri taobh a鈥� chala.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 e cala uabhasach fasgach a th鈥� ann. Ach gu m矛-fhortanach, tha 貌s ann. Agus bidh uisge gu le貌r os cionn an 貌sa airson bh脿taichean d矛reach eadar a鈥� mhuir-l脿n agus an leth-l脿n.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Chan ann aig a鈥� chala a bha a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha de na daoine a鈥� fuireach. Bha na taighean aca air cladach Camas nan Gall ann an ceann a deas an eilein. Tha a鈥� chuid as motha de na taighean ann an staid math gu le貌r, agus tha tri霉ir a鈥� fuireach anns an eilean an-diugh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ged a tha e br猫agha, chan eil S貌thaigh torrach. 脌s aonais na mara, bhiodh e f矛or dhoirbh a bhith be貌 ann. A dh鈥檃indeoin sin, bha ceud, caogad 鈥檚 a h-ochd (158) daoine a鈥� fuireach ann ann am meadhan an naoidheamh linn deug. Ach dh鈥檉h脿s c霉isean duilich dhaibh. Ann an naoi ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a dh脿 (1952), chuir an sluagh athchuinge chun an riaghaltais. Bha iad ag iarraidh an t-eilean fh脿gail. Anns an 脪gmhios naoi ceud deug, caogad 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1953) chaidh iad a dh鈥檉huireach ann am Muile.

听听听听听听听听听听听 鈥橲 e an t-eilean eile san robh mi am-bliadhna 鈥� Str貌ma ann an Gallaibh. Tha Str貌ma nas torraiche na S貌thaigh ach tha e air a chuairteachadh le muir chunnartach. Tha na sruthan mara air leth l脿idir anns a鈥� Chaol Arcach. Ged a tha d脿 ainm-脿ite Gh脿idhlig anns an eilean 鈥� no air sgeirean far a chladaich 鈥� chan e G脿idheil a bha sna daoine. Chan eil fhios ciamar a fhuair an d脿 sgeir ainmean G脿idhlig.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha sinnsireachd Lochlannach aig m貌ran de na daoine, chanainn. Bha ainmean orra mar Manson, Sinclair, Simpson agus Robertson. A-nise chan eil sluagh ann. Dh鈥檉halbh an fheadhainn mu dheireadh naoi bliadhna 脿s d猫idh do mhuinntir Sh貌thaigh falbh. Ged a thogadh cala math dhaibh, bha an sluagh air a dhol ro bheag, agus bha obraichean le deagh thuarastal nan cois ann an D霉nrath, faisg air l脿imh, air t矛r-m貌r Ghallaibh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach tha Str貌ma annasach. Tha na taighean fhathast nan seasamh. Bha iad air an deagh thogail le clach Ghallach. Bho ph矛os air falbh, bhiodh tu a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh an sluagh fhathast ann. Ach, faisg air l脿imh, ch矛 thu gu bheil na taighean falamh. Chan eil dad anns an eilean ach caoraich.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Air cladach Str貌ma, bha na bh鈥� ann de r貌in d矛reach iongantach. Chan fhaca mi uiread riamh anns an aon 脿ite. Ach, nuair a th脿inig dol-fodha na gr猫ine, cha robh iad buileach cho pailt. Air an fheasgar sin, th脿inig buidheann mh貌r de mhadaidhean-cuain timcheall. Chaidh iad am measg nan r貌n agus dh鈥檌th iad an s脿th, a鈥� f脿gail na mara dearg air cladaichean Str貌ma.

厂貌迟丑补颈驳丑: Soay; cala: harbour; fasgach: sheltered; 貌蝉: harbour bar; 迟谤颈霉颈谤: three people; torrach: fertile; 厂迟谤貌尘补: Stroma; Gallaibh: Caithness; sinnsireachd: ancestry; dol-fodha na gr猫ine: sunset; madaidhean-cuain: killer whales.

Bha iad le ch猫ile br猫agha agus inntinneach: they were both beautiful and interesting; eadar-dhealaichte bho ch猫ile: different from each other; chan eil an sluagh t霉sail ann: the original population is not there; abair 脿ite br猫agha, fo sg脿il a鈥� Chuilthinn: what a beautiful place, in the shade of the Cuillin; chuir e gn矛omhachas air d貌igh ann: he established an industry there; a鈥� sealg nan cearban: hunting [the] basking sharks; tha na togalaichean is uidheamachd aige fhathast rim faicinn: his buildings and equipment can still be seen; uisge gu le貌r os cionn an 貌sa airson bh脿taichean: enough water above the bar for boats; eadar a鈥� mhuir-l脿n agus an leth-l脿n: between full tide and half tide; ann an staid math gu le貌r: in a reasonable state; 脿s aonais na mara, bhiodh e f矛or dhoirbh a bhith be貌 ann: without the sea, it would be very difficult to make a living there; a dh鈥檃indeoin sin: despite that; chuir an sluagh athchuinge chun an riaghaltais: the population petitioned the government; a dh鈥檉huireach ann am Muile: to live on Mull; air a chuairteachadh le muir chunnartach: surrounded by a dangerous sea; tha na sruthan mara air leth l脿idir anns a鈥� Chaol Arcach: the sea currents are very strong in the Pentland Firth; sgeirean far a chladaich: skerries off the shore; chan eil sluagh ann: there is no population; dh鈥檉halbh an fheadhainn mu dheireadh: the last ones left; obraichean le deagh thuarastal nan cois ann an D霉nrath: jobs with good salaries at Dounreay; air an deagh thogail le clach Ghallach: well built with Caithness stone; bho ph矛os air falbh: from a distance away; bhiodh tu a鈥� smaoineachadh gun robh an sluagh fhathast ann: you would think the people were still there; bha na bh鈥� ann de r貌in d矛reach iongantach: the number of seals was amazing; am measg nan r貌n: among the seals.

chuir mi mo chas air d脿 eilean 蝉丑貌苍谤补颈肠丑迟别 鈥� I walked on two special islands. In the dual case we lenite the adjective that accompanies the noun, even for masculine nouns. Thus we say d脿 ch霉 mh貌r, d脿 chat bheag. This also applies when the noun starts with a vowel 鈥� thus it鈥檚 蝉丑貌苍谤补颈肠丑迟别 (rather than 蝉貌苍谤补颈肠丑迟别) in the example above. Another similar example in the Litir is d脿 ainm-脿ite Gh脿idhlig 鈥� two Gaelic place-names.听

dh鈥檌th iad an s脿th: they ate their fill.

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