大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Uamh an Fhuamhaire no Church Cave ann an Eilean R貌naigh. Anns an t-siathamh linn deug, bha R貌naigh air a chleachdadh le sp霉inneadairean. Bha iad st猫idhichte anns an Acarsaid Mh貌ir.

Bha R貌naigh riamh air aithneachadh mar eilean garbh, creagach. 始S d貌cha gur e 鈥榚ilean garbh鈥� a bha an t-ainm a鈥� ciallachadh ann an Seann Lochlannais. Tha caibeal beag 鈥� a bhuineas don cheathramh linn deug 鈥� ann an ceann a deas an eilein. Ach cha chreid mi gun robh sluagh m貌r a鈥� fuireach ann.聽

Anns an ochdamh linn deug bha buachaille ann. Bha e a鈥� cumail s霉il air crodh an uachdarain, MacLe貌id Ratharsair. Chaidh cuid de Sheumasaich am falach ann an R貌naigh an d猫idh Bl脿r Ch霉il Lodair. 颁辞-诲丑颈霉 chleachd iad Uamh an Fhuamhaire, chan urrainn dhomh a r脿dh.

Mar sin, cuin a dh鈥櫭╥rich an sluagh chun na h-矛re 始s gum biodh eaglais a dh矛th orra? Uill, thachair e ri linn fuadaichean ann an Ratharsair.聽

Cheannaich Se貌ras R猫anaidh an t-eilean ann an ochd ceud deug, ceathrad 始s a tr矛 (1843). 始S e marsantach Albannach a bh鈥� ann. Bha e a鈥� cumail thr脿illean anns a鈥� Charibbean. Rinn e fortan. Fhuair e airgead-d矛olaidh bhon riaghaltas nuair a chuir iad casg air tr脿illeachd anns an 脤mpireachd. 始S ann 脿s d猫idh sin a cheannaich R猫anaidh Ratharsair agus R貌naigh.聽

Tha droch chli霉 aig R猫anaidh. Chaidh aithris gun do chuir e stad air daoine bho bhith a鈥� p貌sadh ann an Ratharsair. Dh鈥檉huadaich e suas ri ceud teaghlach. Anns an d脿n aige, Sgreapadal, tha am b脿rd ainmeil Somhairle MacGill-Eain ag r脿dh:聽

R猫anaidh, a thog an tuath o cheithir bailtean deug ann an Eilean nam Fear M貌ra, Ratharsair Mh貌r nan Le貌dach.

Am measg nam bailtean a chaidh fhuadachadh, bha Sgreapadal air taobh an ear an eilein. Seo earrann bhon d脿n aig Somhairle:

dh鈥檉h脿g R猫anaidh Sgreapadal gun daoine,

gun taighean, gun chrodh ach caoraich,

ach dh鈥檉h脿g e Sgreapadal b貌idheach;

ra linn cha b鈥� urrainn dha a chaochladh.

Chaidh feadhainn de mhuinntir Sgreapadail gu ruige R貌naigh airson a bhith be貌 air an eilean chreagach sin cho math 始s a b鈥� urrainn dhaibh. Dh鈥櫭╥rich an sluagh an sin gu naoi fichead aig deireadh an naoidheamh linn deug. Seo an rann anns a bheil am b脿rd ag ainmeachadh na h-uamha. Tha na 鈥榯urraidean dubha鈥� rim faicinn air na b脿taichean-aiginn a bhios air an cur fo dheuchainn anns an Lighe R貌nach.

Fuidheall beag de dhaoine

ann an Eilean nam Fear M貌ra

is turraidean dubha san linnidh

eadar Sgreapadal 始s a鈥� Chomraich

a鈥� fanaid air leac Ma-ruibhe

始s air Uamha 始n Fhuamhaire 始n R貌naigh

agus a sreathan beaga chlach,

suidheachain fhear is bhan is cloinne

ag 猫isteachd ri Maighstir Ruairi

ag innse nach eil an seo baile mhaireas,

R猫anaidh ann no R猫anaidh 脿s.

B鈥� e Maighstir Ruairi An t-Urr. Ruairidh MacLe貌id. B鈥� esan a鈥� chiad mhinistear aig an Eaglais Shaoir anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Bhiodh e gu tric a鈥� searmonachadh ann an R貌naigh ann an Uamh an Fhuamhaire.

Thogadh eaglais far an robh na daoine a鈥� fuireach aig toiseach an fhicheadamh linn. Ach lean baistidhean airson 霉ine mh貌r anns an uaimh. Chan eil seirbheisean gan cumail innte an-diugh. Ach tha fhios gum bi cuid de luchd-tadhail a鈥� d猫anamh 霉rnaigh innte bho 脿m gu 脿m.

Faclan na Litreach: Uamh an Fhuamhaire: 鈥�the giant鈥檚 cave鈥�; Eilean R貌naigh: [The Isle of] Rona; sp霉inneadairean: pirates; caibeal: chapel; buachaille: herdsman; Se貌ras R猫anaidh: George Rainy; droch chli霉: bad reputation; b脿taichean-aiginn: submarines; fuidheall: remnant; 霉rnaigh: prayer.

Abairtean na Litreach: cha chreid mi gun robh sluagh m貌r a鈥� fuireach ann: I don鈥檛 reckon a big population was living there; crodh an uachdarain: the cattle of the landlord; chaidh cuid de Sheumasaich am falach: some Jacobites hid; cuin a dh鈥櫭╥rich an sluagh chun na h-矛re 始s gum biodh eaglais a dh矛th orra?: when did the population rise to the level that they would need a church?; linn fuadaichean ann an Ratharsair: at the time of/because of clearances in Raasay; a鈥� cumail thr脿illean: keeping slaves; fhuair e airgead-d矛olaidh bhon riaghaltas nuair a chuir iad casg air tr脿illeachd: he received money as compensation from the government when they banned slavery; dh鈥檉h脿g e Sgreapadal b貌idheach, ra linn cha b鈥� urrainn dha a chaochladh: he left Screapadal beautiful, in his day he could do no else; cho math 始s a b鈥� urrainn dhaibh: as best they could; Eilean nam Fear M貌ra: the island of the big men; turraidean dubha san linnidh: black turrents in the sound; a鈥� fanaid air leac Ma-ruibhe: mocking Saint Maolrubha鈥檚 flagstone; a sreathan beaga chlach: its little rows of stones; suidheachain fhear is bhan is cloinne: seats of men and woman and children; lean baistidhean airson 霉ine mh貌r: baptisms continued for a long time; chan eil seirbheisean gan cumail innte: no services are held there;听

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: a bhios air an cur fo dheuchainn anns an Lighe R貌nach: that undergo trials in the Inner Sound. English does not differentiate different parts of the Inner Sound but in Applecross the Gaelic word lighe is used for a stretch of water between two pieces of land and there are specific names for areas of the Inner Sound adjacent to Applecross 鈥� an Lighe R貌nach east of Rona, an Lighe Ratharsaireach east of Raasay, an Lighe Chr貌laigeach between Crowlin and Scalpay and an Lighe Aillseach between Crowlin and Loch Alsh. Charles M Robertson also tells us that the sound between Rona and Skye was (is?) known as Lighe Phort R矛gh.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: 颁辞-诲丑颈霉 chleachd iad X, chan urrainn dhomh a r脿dh: whether [or not] they used X, I cannot say.