大象传媒

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh an t-seachdain sa chaidh mu Bh脿r Inbhir 脠ireann 鈥� no na Culbin Sands 鈥� ann am Moireibh agus mar a dh鈥檉halbh na daoine a bha a鈥� fuireach ann. Thachair sin ann an sia ceud deug, naochad 鈥檚 a ceithir (1694). Ch貌mhdaich gainmheach an talamh-脿itich. Ch貌mhdaich, agus taighean nan daoine. Chan eil ann a-nise ach gi霉thsach.

鈥橲 e an sgeulachd 鈥渢hraidiseanta鈥� a dh鈥檌nnis mi dhuibh. Tha i a鈥� tighinn thugainn, gu 矛re co-dhi霉, 脿 beul-aithris. Tha f矛rinn innte, gun teagamh, ach tha e doirbh a bhith cinnteach an e an fh矛rinn ghlan a th鈥� againn. A bheil e f矛or, mar eisimpleir, gun do thachair an sgrios anns an aon stoirm, thairis air dha no thr矛 latha?

Ge bith d猫 cho luath 鈥檚 a thachair e, tha fios againn gun do thachair e. Bha sluagh anns an 脿ite uaireigin. Bha an t-脿ite torrach. An-diugh chan eil ann ach coille, agus t貌rr gainmhich fon choille. Ach tha a鈥� cheist againn fhathast 鈥� d猫 dh鈥檃dhbharaich an sgrios. Bha a鈥� ghainmheach ann fada roimhe sin. Carson anns a鈥� bhliadhna sin a chaidh a sguabadh thairis air an fhearann a bh鈥� air c霉l a鈥� chladaich? Tha feadhainn dhen bheachd gur e mac an duine fh猫in a bu choireach.

Faisg air a鈥� chladach, eadar Uisge Narann is Uisge 脠ireann cha robh clach ann airson taighean a thogail. Cha robh rathaidean ann nas motha, airson clach a thoirt a-steach don 脿ite. Air s脿illeabh sin, cha do chleachd na daoine bochda clach airson an taighean a thogail. Chleachd iad sgrathan an 脿ite clach. Chleachd iad sgrathan cuideachd airson ballachan no g脿rraidhean a thogail. Chuala mi am facal airbh 鈥� no airbh 鈥� ann an Siorrachd Rois airson a leithid. Airbh 鈥� a turf wall. Ach chan eil fhios agam d猫 am facal a bh鈥� aca ann am Moireibh.

C脿ite an d鈥� fhuair na daoine na sgrathan a bha a dh矛th orra gach bliadhna? Uill, a r猫ir choltais, fhuair bho na seann d霉in-ghainmhich, a bh鈥� air an c貌mhdachadh le 霉ir, air c霉l a鈥� chladaich. Dh鈥檉h脿g sin nach robh na seann d霉in 鈥� a chaidh a chruthachadh na ceudan, 鈥檚 d貌cha na m矛ltean, bhliadhnaichean roimhe 鈥� air an d矛on tuilleadh an aghaidh na gaoithe. Ann an stoirm, bhiodh a鈥� ghainmheach air a sgapadh.

Chan e sin a-mh脿in ach, aig an 脿m ud, bha mullaichean tughaidh aig na daoine bochda. Agus c脿ite an d鈥� fhuair iad an tughadh? Uill, sp矛on iad am muran a bha a鈥� f脿s air na d霉in-ghainmhich as 霉ire. 鈥橲 e muran feur a tha a鈥� f脿s air gainmheach ri taobh na mara 鈥� marram grass ann am Beurla. Agus nuair a dh鈥檉halbh am muran, cha robh c脿il ann a dh矛onadh a鈥� ghainmheach an aghaidh na gaoithe. Mean air mhean, bha na daoine a鈥� cruthachadh suidheachadh 猫iginneach dhaibh fh猫in.

Mus do thachair an sgrios bha daoine ag aithris mu stoirmean gainmhich anns an sg矛re sin. Bho 脿m gu 脿m bhiodh Comhairle Inbhir Narann a鈥� cur casg air daoine bho bhith a鈥� buain sgrathan. Ach lean iad orra, a dh鈥檃indeoin sin.

Bliadhna 脿s d猫idh na stoirme m貌ire, rinn an t-uachdaran 脿 B脿r Inbhir 脠ireann 鈥� Alexander Kinnaird 鈥� tagradh do Ph脿rlamaid na h-Alba. Bha e ag iarraidh lughdachadh anns na c矛sean a dh鈥檉heumadh e p脿igheadh don riaghaltas. Bha an d脿rna cuid dhen oighreachd aige fo ghainmheach, thuirt e. Chuir a鈥� Ph脿rlamaid achd an s脿s, ga dh猫anamh m矛-laghail a bhith a鈥� sp矛onadh muran air d霉in-ghainmhich cladaichean na h-Alba. Ach bha e ro fhadalach airson B脿r Inbhir 脠ireann, agus b鈥� e Alexander Kinnaird an t-uachdaran mu dheireadh ann.

Faclan na Litreach: B脿r Inbhir 脠ireann: Culbin Sands; gi霉thsach: pine wood; torrach: fertile; ballachan, g脿rraidhean: walls (usually stone); d霉in-ghainmhich: sand dunes; Comhairle Inbhir Narann: Nairn Town Council.

Abairtean na Litreach: ch貌mhdaich gainmheach an talamh-脿itich: sand covered the agricultural land; tha i a鈥� tighinn thugainn 脿 beul-aithris: it comes to us from oral tradition; gun do thachair an sgrios anns an aon stoirm: that the destruction happened in one storm; ge bith d猫 cho luath 鈥檚 a thachair e: however quickly it happened; t貌rr gainmhich fon choille: much sand under the forest; carson a chaidh a sguabadh?: why was it swept?; gur e mac an duine fh猫in a bu choireach: that Man himself was responsible; eadar Uisge Narann is Uisge 脠ireann: between the Nairn River and the Findhorn River; cha robh rathaidean ann nas motha: neither were there roads, chleachd iad sgrathan an 脿ite clach: they used turf [cut pieces of turf] instead of stone; a bha a dh矛th orra: which they required; a bh鈥� air an c貌mhdachadh le 霉ir: which were covered by soil; mullaichean tughaidh: thatched roofs; sp矛on iad am muran: they pulled out the marram grass; a dh矛onadh a鈥� ghainmheach an aghaidh na gaoithe: which would protect the sand against the wind; bha iad a鈥� cruthachadh suidheachadh 猫iginneach dhaibh fh猫in: they were creating a critical situation for themselves; casg air daoine bho bhith a鈥� buain sgrathan: a ban on people cutting turf; lean iad orra, a dh鈥檃indeoin sin: they continued, despite that; lughdachadh anns na c矛sean a dh鈥檉heumadh e p脿igheadh: a reduction in the taxes he had to pay; bha an d脿rna cuid dhen oighreachd aige fo ghainmheach: half of his estate was under sand.Abairtean na Litreach: ch貌mhdaich gainmheach an talamh-脿itich: sand covered the agricultural land; tha i a鈥� tighinn thugainn 脿 beul-aithris: it comes to us from oral tradition; gun do thachair an sgrios anns an aon stoirm: that the destruction happened in one storm; ge bith d猫 cho luath 鈥檚 a thachair e: however quickly it happened; t貌rr gainmhich fon choille: much sand under the forest; carson a chaidh a sguabadh?: why was it swept?; gur e mac an duine fh猫in a bu choireach: that Man himself was responsible; eadar Uisge Narann is Uisge 脠ireann: between the Nairn River and the Findhorn River; cha robh rathaidean ann nas motha: neither were there roads, chleachd iad sgrathan an 脿ite clach: they used turf [cut pieces of turf] instead of stone; a bha a dh矛th orra: which they required; a bh鈥� air an c貌mhdachadh le 霉ir: which were covered by soil; mullaichean tughaidh: thatched roofs; sp矛on iad am muran: they pulled out the marram grass; a dh矛onadh a鈥� ghainmheach an aghaidh na gaoithe: which would protect the sand against the wind; bha iad a鈥� cruthachadh suidheachadh 猫iginneach dhaibh fh猫in: they were creating a critical situation for themselves; casg air daoine bho bhith a鈥� buain sgrathan: a ban on people cutting turf; lean iad orra, a dh鈥檃indeoin sin: they continued, despite that; lughdachadh anns na c矛sean a dh鈥檉heumadh e p脿igheadh: a reduction in the taxes he had to pay; bha an d脿rna cuid dhen oighreachd aige fo ghainmheach: half of his estate was under sand.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: a chaidh a chruthachadh na ceudan, 鈥檚 d貌cha na m矛ltean, bhliadhnaichean roimhe: which were created hundreds, perhaps thousands, of years before. Note that we insert the article before ceudan and m矛ltean (although you could get away without it) whereas it is not present in English. Note also that bliadhnaichean is lenited ie bhliadhnaichean. This is because it is in the genitive plural case following a noun of quantity 鈥� m矛ltean (and ceudan) 鈥� we are saying 鈥渢housands of years鈥� (as is normal in English also). In the genitive plural, with the article, there would be no lenition eg thar nam bliadhnaichean but without the article we lenite the noun eg m貌ran bhliadhnaichean.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na Litreach: Dh鈥檉h脿g sin nach robh na seann d霉in air an d矛on tuilleadh an aghaidh na gaoithe: that meant that the old dunes were no longer protected against the wind.