大象传媒

Bidh fios agaibh gu bheil oighreachd Cheann a Tuath Na Hearadh air a鈥� mhargaidh an-dr脿sta. Tha Caisteal Amhuinnsuidhe mar ph脿irt dhen oighreachd, agus tha an t-uachdaran leis a bheil e, agus am fearann mu thimcheall, ag iarraidh co-dhi霉 ceithir gu leth millean not air an son. Tuigidh sibh, aig pr矛s mar sin, gu bheil cuid de mhuinntir Na Hearadh teagmhach mu dheidhinn an oighreachd a cheannach dhaibh fh猫in. Air an l脿imh eile, tha feadhainn gu l脿idir dhen bheachd gur e rud math a bhiodh ann nan robh smachd aig a鈥� choimhearsnachd air an oighreachd air a bheil iad a鈥� fuireach. 鈥橲 e t矛de a dh鈥檌nnseas d猫 thachras.

Bha ceann a tuath Na Hearadh, agus Caisteal Amhuinnsuidhe, uaireigin ann an l脿mhan Bodach an t-Siabainn. B鈥� e sin am far-ainm a bh鈥� aig feadhainn, co-dhi霉 ann an Le貌dhas, air a shon 鈥� Bodach an t-Siabainn 鈥� the soap-man. Am Morair Leverhulme. Anns an Litir seo, agus anns an d脿 litir a tha a鈥� leantainn oirre, bheir sin s霉il air a鈥� Mhorair Leverhulme, agus mar a thug e buaidh air Le貌dhas agus Na Hearadh. Agus aig deireadh ghnothaich, innsidh mi dhuibh d猫 an luach a bh鈥� air ceann a tuath Na Hearadh ann an naoi deug, is c貌ig ar fhichead (1925). Cha robh e faisg air ceithir millean not.

Rugadh Uilleam Hesketh Lever ann an ochd deug, leth-cheud 鈥檚 a h-aon (1851) agus dh鈥櫭╥rich e gu bhith na cheannard air companaidh mh貌r mh貌r eadar-n脿iseanta a bha st猫idhichte, co-dhi霉 anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach, air siabann. Ach chaidh e fada na b鈥� fhaide na sin agus bha Lever Brothers an s脿s ann an iomadach se貌rsa gn矛omhachais. Agus anns na h-Eileanan an Iar, 鈥檚 e gn矛omhachas st猫idhichte air 猫isg na mara a bha fa-near do dh鈥橴illeam, am Morair Leverhulme mar a bh鈥� air aig an 脿m sin. Cha b鈥� ann anns Na Hearadh a th貌isich e, ge-t脿, ach ann an Le貌dhas.

Cheannaich e Le貌dhas agus Na Hearadh c貌mhla anns a鈥� Ch猫itean, naoi-deug is ochd-deug (1918) bhon uachdaran a bh鈥� ann roimhe, Donnchadh MacMhathain. Thuirt e an toiseach nach robh c脿il fa-near dha ach 脿ite-fuirich snog a lorg am measg dhaoine air an robh sp猫is mh貌r aige. Uill, bha sin anns a鈥� chiad dol a-mach. As d猫idh greis, cho-dh霉in e gum b鈥� urrainn dha Eilean Le貌dhais a dh猫anamh fada na b鈥� fhe脿rr na bha e, le bhith a鈥� st猫idheachadh gn矛omhachas m貌r ann am baile Ste貌rnabhaigh. Bha e ag iarraidh Ste貌rnabhagh a dh猫anamh na bhaile m貌r m貌r br猫agha. Ach airson sin, shaoil e, bhiodh feum aige air tuathanasan taobh a-muigh a鈥� bhaile airson bainne a dh猫anamh is a reic do luchd-obrach nam factaraidhean aige.

Gu m矛-fhortanach dha, cha do thuig e eachdraidh an fhearainn anns na h-eileanan agus bha e airson na tuathanasan m貌ra, gu h-脿raidh ann an Coll agus Griais, gu tuath air Ste貌rnabhagh, a ghl猫idheadh, a dh鈥檃indeoin 鈥檚 gu robh m貌ran de mhuinntir Le貌dhais air a bhith ag iarraidh croitean a chruthachadh orra.

Uaireannan bidh daoine a鈥� smaoineachadh gur ann tro bhliadhnaichean d貌rainneach a鈥� Chogaidh Mh貌ir a dh鈥櫭╥rich an t-iarrtas airson an fhearainn sin. Ach chan eil sin f矛or idir. Mura

b鈥� e gu robh an t-uachdaran a bh鈥� ann roimhe cho m矛-dhe貌nach, bha B貌rd an 脌iteachais air croitean a chruthachadh far an robh grunn thuathanasan, Griais nam measg, mus do th貌isich an cogadh. Agus don fheadhainn a th脿inig be貌 tron chogadh, cha robh duine sam bith a鈥� dol a chur stad orra bho bhith a鈥� faighinn fearann dhaibh fh猫in. Bha a h-uile c脿il deasaichte airson str矛 mh貌r mun fhearann agus, 鈥檚 d貌cha, str矛 mh貌r airson cridhe Gaidhealach an eilein.

Faclan na seachdaine: Caisteal Amhuinnsuidhe: Amhuinnsuidhe Castle; uachdaran: landlord, landowner; teagmhach: dubious; far-ainm: nickname; am Morair Leverhulme: Lord Leverhulme; luach: value; siabann: soap.

Abairtean na seachdaine: gu bheil oighreachd Cheann a Tuath Na Hearaidh air a鈥� mhargaidh: that the North Harris estate is for sale (on the market); nan robh smachd aig a鈥� choimhearsnachd air an oighreachd air a bheil iad a鈥� fuireach: if the community controlled the estate on which they live; bha X an s脿s ann an iomadach se貌rsa gn矛omhachais: X was involved in many types of business; 鈥檚 e gn矛omhachas st猫idhichte air 猫isg na mara a bha fa-near do dh鈥橴illeam: William had determined upon [establishing] a business based on the fish of the sea; cheannaich e Le貌dhas agus Na Hearadh c貌mhla bhon uachdaran a bh鈥� ann roimhe, Donnchadh MacMhathain: he bought Lewis and Harris together from the previous landlord, Duncan Matheson; nach robh c脿il fa-near dha ach 脿ite-fuirich snog a lorg: that it was only his intention to find a nice place to live; am measg dhaoine air an robh sp猫is mh貌r aige: among people whom he greatly respected; bhiodh feum aige air tuathanasan taobh a-muigh Ste貌rnabhaigh airson bainne a dh猫anamh is a reic: he would need farms outside Stornoway to make and sell milk; bha e airson na tuathanasan m貌ra, gu h-脿raidh ann an Coll is Griais, a ghl猫idheadh: he wanted to preserve the big farms, particularly in Coll and Gress; gur ann tro bhliadhnaichean d貌rainneach a鈥� Chogaidh Mh貌ir a dh鈥櫭╥rich an t-iarrtas airson an fhearainn sin: that it was during the harrowing years of the Great War that the demand for that land arose; bha B貌rd an 脌iteachais air croitean a chruthachadh: The Board of Agriculture would have created crofts; mus do th貌isich an cogadh: before the war began; bha a h-uile c脿il deasaichte airson str矛 mh貌r mun fhearann: everything was set for a big struggle for the land; airson cridhe Gaidhealach an eilein: for the Gaelic heart of the island.

Puing-ghr脿mair na seachdaine: [tha X] ag iarraidh co-dhi霉 ceithir gu leth millean not air an son: X wants at least four and a half million pounds for them. You will be familiar with the compound preposition airson. It is today spelt as one unhyphenated word in normal circumstances. But the two elements become separated in certain instances, ie when a possessive adjective intervenes. Thus we say air mo shon (for me); air do shon (for you), air a shon (for him), air a son (for her), air ar son (for us), air ur son (for you pl.) and air an son (for them). Learners sometimes forget this and try to say eg airson iad for 鈥渇or them鈥� or airson mise for 鈥渇or me鈥�. These are wrong constructions. The more you get familiar with old Gaelic proverbs, the easier it will be to remember such things. For example, there is a proverb, sometimes directed at selfish humans, which goes: 鈥橲 ann air a shon fh猫in a n矛 an cat cr貌nan (it鈥檚 for himself that the cat purrs). The fh猫in commonly goes with this construction eg air mo shon fh猫in, tha mi coma mu dheidhinn (as for me myself, I am indifferent about it).

Gn脿ths-cainnt na seachdaine: 鈥檚 e t矛de a dh鈥檌nnseas d猫 thachras: it鈥檚 time that will tell what happens. Sometimes you just hear 鈥檚 e t矛de a dh鈥檌nnseas (time will tell).