大象传媒

Loch Cuithir. A bheil sibh e貌lach air? Tha e anns an Taobh Sear, ann an ceann a tuath an Eilein Sgitheanaich. Tha e faisg air baile croitearachd air a bheil An Leth-allt. Tha an loch suidhichte fo th猫 de na beanntan as dr霉idhtiche anns an eilean, taobh a-muigh a鈥� Chuilthinn, co-dhi霉. Is ise Sg霉rr a鈥� Mhadaidh Ruaidh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha Loch Cuithir gu math s矛theil, agus bha mi ann o chionn ghoirid air feasgar br猫agha samhraidh. Cha chluinnear ri taobh an locha ach b矛ogail a鈥� bhr霉-ghil agus m猫ilich nan caorach. 鈥橲 e 脿ite math a th鈥� ann do dhuine a tha a鈥� lorg s矛th is s脿mhchair.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ach cha robh Loch Cuithir riamh cho s脿mhach sin. Bha gn矛omhachas tionnsgalach ann aig aon 脿m, a bha a鈥� toirt obair do mhuinntir an 脿ite. B鈥� e sin Gn矛omhachas na Cailc.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Ged a tha cailc a鈥� seasamh ann an G脿idhlig airson chalk, cha b鈥� e cailc dhen t-se貌rsa sin a bh鈥� ann, ach stuth ris an canar diatomite. Tha e a鈥� tighinn bho shligean dh脿-dhadaman, diatoms, a bha be貌 o chionn m矛ltean bhliadhnaichean. 鈥橲 e d脿-dhadam lus beag b矛odach 鈥� meanbh-bhe貌, gu dearbh 鈥� a tha be貌 ann an uisge.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Nuair a gheibh iad b脿s, bidh an sligean air an c脿rnadh air a鈥� ghrunnd. Tro th矛de bidh iad air am f脿sgadh ri ch猫ile agus n矛 iad clach bhog bh脿n. Faodar a鈥� chlach seo a dh猫anamh na f霉dar. Tha i l脿n silica agus, mar sin, gu math feumail do mhac-an-duine. Bhathar ga cleachdadh, mar eisimpleir, airson s矛olachadh, airson uisge a sh霉ghadh agus airson bacadh a chur air call teas.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bha a鈥� chailc ann an leapannan fo thr矛 troighean de mh貌ine. Agus cha robh an loch cho m貌r 鈥檚 a tha e an-diugh. Bha m貌ran dheth air a ch貌mhdachadh le c貌inneach. Bha an t-脿ite fliuch, agus b鈥� fheudar pumpaichean a chur an s脿s fad na h-霉ine. Bha a鈥� chailc fh猫in gu math fliuch. Mar sin, thogadh sabhal faisg air an loch far an robh i air a tiormachadh gu 矛re. Th貌isich an gn矛omhachas anns a鈥� bhliadhna mu dheireadh dhen naoidheamh linn deug (1899).

听听听听听听听听听听听 Tha tr矛 m矛le de mh貌inteach ann eadar Loch Cuithir agus an cladach aig Inbhir Tobhta. Airson a鈥� chailc a thoirt don chladach, thogadh rathad-iarainn. Agus sh矛os air a鈥� chladach bha ionad-r貌staidh ann, far an robh a鈥� chailc air a tiormachadh buileach agus air a bleith. Anns an r貌stadh, bha na criomagan luibhean am measg na cailc air an losgadh.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Bhiodh a鈥� chailc a鈥� falbh a-mach gu long ann an eathraichean. Air l脿ithean mar sin, bha suas ri ochdad duine a鈥� faighinn cosnadh, eadar luchd na cailc agus luchd nam b脿taichean. Bha suas ri caogad ag obair aig an Leth-allt fh猫in.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Th脿inig an gn矛omhachas gu ceann aig toiseach a鈥� chiad chogaidh. Ach th貌isich e 脿s 霉r anns na caogadan. Chaidh rathad a thogail don loch. Thogadh factaraidh 霉r ann an 脵ig, air taobh thall Thr貌ndairnis. Bha l脿raidhean a鈥� toirt cailc fhliuch eadar Loch Cuithir agus 脵ig. Tha feadhainn dhen bheachd gur e sin a chuir 脿s don ghnothach aig toiseach nan seasgadan.

听听听听听听听听听听听 Faodar leughadh mun ghn矛omhachas anns an leabhar Gh脿idhlig 鈥楢鈥� Chailc鈥� le Richard Deveria. 鈥橲 e caibideil inntinneach a th鈥� ann, ann an eachdraidh mh貌r ceann a tuath an Eilein Sgitheanaich.

an Taobh Sear: Trotternish to the east of the ridge, taking in Staffin; An Leth-allt: Lealt (the name means a burn with a high bank on one side); tionnsgalach: industrial; cailc: diatomite; 诲脿-诲丑补诲补尘: diatom; 尘别补苍产丑-产丑别貌: plankton.

A bheil sibh e貌lach air?: do you know it?; suidhichte fo th猫 de na beanntan as dr霉idhtiche: situated under one of the most impressive mountains; taobh a-muigh a鈥� Chuilthinn: outside the Cuillin; cha chluinnear ach b矛ogail a鈥� bhr霉-ghil agus m猫ilich nan caorach: the only things that are [to be] heard are the chattering of the wheatear and the bleating of the sheep; s矛th is s脿mhchair: peace and quiet; air an c脿rnadh air a鈥� ghrunnd: piled up on the base [of the water body]; air am f脿sgadh ri ch猫ile: squeezed together; faodar a鈥� chlach seo a dh猫anamh na f霉dar: this stone can be made into a powder; airson s矛olachadh, airson uisge a sh霉ghadh agus airson bacadh a chur air call teas: for filtering, for water absorption and for heat insulation; ann an leabannan fo thr矛 troighean de mh貌ine: in beds under three feet of peat; air a ch貌mhdachadh le c貌inneach: covered with moss; b鈥� fheudar pumpaichean a chur an s脿s: it was necessary to work pumps; thogadh sabhal far an robh i air a tiormachadh gu 矛re: a barn-like building was built where it [the diatomite] was partially dried; air a tiormachadh buileach agus air a bleith: fully dried and ground; bha na criomagan luibhean am measg na cailc air an losgadh: the fragments of plants among the diatomite were burned; a-mach gu long ann an eathraichean: out to a ship in small boats; gur e sin a chuir 脿s don ghnothach aig toiseach nan seasgadan: that that was what put paid to the business at the beginning of the sixties; faodar leughadh mun ghn矛omhachas: the business can be read about.

Do any of you have thoughts on the meaning of Cuithir in Loch Cuithir? I suspect it might be based on a Norse original 办惫铆 鈥榓nimal pen, enclosure鈥� which has given us the Gaelic cuithe, meaning the same. This might also be the first element in the Cuith-raing/Quirang, a famous arrangement of hills a little further to the north. If you have any thoughts, I鈥檇 be pleased to hear from you.

cha robh Loch Cuithir riamh cho s脿mhach sin: Loch Cuithir wasn鈥檛 always as quiet as that.

听

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