大象传媒

鈥橲 e Ceann Loch L矛obhann am baile as fhaide tuath air Slighe Taobh an Iar na Gaidhealtachd ron cheann-uidhe anns a鈥� Ghearastan. Bha uair ann nuair a bha e na bhaile gr脿nda tionnsgalach, ach chan ann mar sin a tha e an-diugh. Tha e l脿n fhl霉raichean agus, air l脿 br猫agha, tha coltas laghach air. Tha feadhainn dhen bheachd gu bheil an t-脿m ann an t-脿ite a 鈥渞eic鈥� mar fhear de phr矛omh bhailtean na Gaidhealtachd airson cur-seachadan a鈥� mhonaidh.

鈥橲 e an 脿rainneachd a thug Companaidh Aluminium Bhreatainn ann cuideachd, ged nach robh m貌ran 霉idh acasan ann am b貌idhchead n脿darrach. Bha iad airson sgeama dealain-uisge a thogail ann, a鈥� cleachdadh cumadh na t矛re agus a鈥� gabhail brath air an uisge mh貌r a bhios ann gach bliadhna. Mar sin, dh猫anadh iad aluminium gu saor.

Dh鈥檕braich na ceudan air an sgeama, ach cha robh m貌ran dhiubh 脿s an sg矛re, oir cha robh sluagh m貌r ann. Bha iad 脿 iomadh d霉thaich, ach gu h-脿raidh 脿 ceann a deas na h-Alba, Eirinn agus Sasainn. Thog iad dam agus chruthaich iad loch as 霉r, fear m貌r air a bheil Blackwater Reservoir, far nach robh ann roimhe ach gleann anns an robh tr矛 lochan beaga. Nuair a bha an sgeama deiseil ann an naoi-deug 鈥檚 a naoi (1909), bha na leaghadairean ann an Ceann Loch L矛obhann comasach air seachd m矛le gu leth tonna de dh鈥檃luminium a dh猫anamh anns a鈥� bhliadhna, a dh脿 uiread 鈥檚 a bh鈥� air a chleachdadh ann am Breatainn aig an 脿m.

Ach dh鈥檃tharraich a鈥� mhargaidh airson aluminium gu m貌r taobh a-staigh beagan bliadhnaichean. Ann an naoi-deug is a ceithir-deug, th貌isich an cogadh agus dh鈥櫭爎daich an t-iarrtas airson na meatailt, oir bha i air a cleachdadh ann an gn矛omhachasan a鈥� chogaidh.

An uair sin, cha robh an leaghadair m貌r gu le貌r. Ach, airson tuilleadh aluminium a dh猫anamh, b鈥� fheudar dhaibh tuilleadh dealain a dh猫anamh agus tuilleadh uisge a st貌radh. Leis a sin, thogadh p矛ob airson uisge a thoirt don Bhlackwater Reservoir 脿 loch n脿darrach os cionn Ceann Loch L矛obhann, air a bheil Loch Eilde M貌r. Ach, leis gu robh m貌ran fhear 貌ga air falbh thall thairis, bha e doirbh don chompanaidh a bha ga togail, Balfour Beatty, luchd-obrach gu le貌r fhaighinn. Mar sin, am measg an fheadhainn a rinn an obair, bha pr矛osanaich-chogaidh Ghearmailteach.

Dh鈥檕braich na leaghadairean airson c貌rr is ceithir fichead bliadhna tro dh脿 chogadh ach, mu dheireadh, cha b鈥� urrainn dhaibh a bhith be貌 ann am farpais an aghaidh aluminium shaor 脿 d霉thchannan eile. A-nise, chan eil dad air fh脿gail air an l脿raich ach aon togalach a-mh脿in far an robh na h-uibhir uaireigin. Gu fortanach, cha do dh鈥檃ontaich na h-霉ghdarrasan ris a鈥� bheachd-smuain, nuair a bha gnothaichean a鈥� dol gu m貌r, ainm 霉r a chur air a鈥� bhaile 鈥� Aluminiumville!

Thairis air bliadhnaichean na h-aluminium cha robh Ceann Loch L矛obhann idir coltach ri iomhaigh anns an t-seann 貌ran:

Tha na h-aibhnean 鈥檚 na coilltean as b貌idhch鈥� air an t-saoghal

Ann an gleannan mo ghaoil taobh Loch L矛obhainn.

Ach 鈥檚 d貌cha gu bheil e nas coltaiche ri iomhaigh a-nise 鈥� agus bidh na m矛ltean de luchd-coiseachd a鈥� dol ann airson b貌idhchead na sg矛re fhaicinn dhaibh fh猫in. Ma dh鈥檉hanas iad ann greis, ch矛 iad soighnichean d脿-ch脿nanach 鈥� G脿idhlig agus Beurla 鈥� ann an grunn 脿iteachan, eadhon am broinn t猫 de na b霉than.

Beagan mh矛ltean thar a鈥� mhonaidh gu tuath air Ceann Loch L矛obhann, tha Slighe Taobh an Iar na Gaidhealtachd a鈥� tighinn gu ceann anns a鈥� Ghearastan. M貌ran taing airson tighinn nam chois oirre thar nan seachdainean a dh鈥檉halbh. An ath-sheachdain, bidh cuspair 霉r agam, agus tha mi an d貌chas gum bi sibh c貌mhla rium a-rithist.

Faclan na seachdaine: Ceann Loch L矛obhann: Kinlochleven; b貌idhchead n脿darrach: natural beauty; gu saor: cheaply; leaghadair: smelter; pr矛osanaich-chogaidh Ghearmailteach: German prisoners-of-war; .

Abairtean na seachdaine: ron cheann-uidhe anns a鈥� Ghearastan: before the journey鈥檚 end in Fort William; tha coltas laghach air: it鈥檚 got a nice appearance (laghach brings in more than physical appearance 鈥� also atmosphere); gu bheil an t-脿m ann an t-脿ite a 鈥渞eic鈥�: that it鈥檚 time to 鈥渟ell鈥� the place; airson cur-seachadan a鈥� mhonaidh: for outdoor (hill) pastimes (eg hillwalking); bha iad airson sgeama dealain-uisge a thogail: they wanted to build a hydro-electric scheme; a鈥� cleachdadh cumadh na t矛re: using the topography; a鈥� gabhail brath air an uisge mh貌r: taking advantage of the high rainfall; far nach robh ann roimhe ach: where there was nothing before but; a dh脿 uiread 鈥檚 a bh鈥� air a chleachdadh: twice as much as was consumed; dh鈥櫭爎daich an t-iarrtas airson na meatailt: (the) demand for the metal rose; b鈥� fheudar dhaibh tuilleadh dealain a dh猫anamh: they had to make more electricity; leis gu robh m貌ran fhear 貌ga air falbh: because many young men were away; ann am farpais an aghaidh aluminium shaor: in competition with (against) cheap aluminium; far an robh na h-uibhir uaireigin: where there were once many; cha robh X coltach ri iomhaigh: X was not like its image; airson tighinn nam chois: for accompanying me.

iomhaigh: X was not like its image; airson tighinn nam chois: for accompanying me.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: eadhon am broinn t猫 de na b霉than: even inside one of the shops. Do you understand why I said 鈥渢猫鈥� here. It is because b霉th is a feminine noun; in these cases an individual item is thought of as a feminine object, ie t猫. On the other hand, if the noun is masculine, as in taigh, we would use 鈥渇ear鈥� eg am broinn fear de na taighean. In order to work out which to use, you need to know whether the noun you are about to discuss is masculine or feminine 鈥� and this may be difficult in the early days. Don鈥檛 worry 鈥� you will get familiar with noun gender with increasing familiarity with the language, and if you make a mistake you will still be understood. Sometimes people take a shortcut and use the non-gender-specific 鈥渁on鈥� (ie 鈥渙ne鈥�) eg am broinn aon de na b霉than. This is acceptable and understandable although it is not as attractive to the fluent listener鈥檚 ear. Gender is important, as it is in many languages and I would suggest that when you learn a new word, you try to remember whether it is masculine or feminine.

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: Bha uair ann (nuair a bha e na bhaile gr脿nda tionnsgalach): there was a time (when it was an ugly industrial town).