An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Sruth > Volume 2 > No. 95, 12 November 1970

TWO
SRUTH, Di-ardaoin, 12mh latha de’n t-Samhainn
/n/th
DI-ARDAOIN, 12mh LATHA DE N T-SAMHAINN
THURSDAY. 12th NOVEMBER, 1970
IN WHOSE HANDS THE FUTURE?
ONE of the advantages of living in any part of the
Highlands and Islands, say, one century ago was that the
decline in Man’s state was slow and almost imperceptible.
Of course, those who, by the force of circumstance, found
themselves hard up against an inhuman wall of cruelty,
indifference, and prejudice must have thought that history
was in fact being made in their sufferings. But they were
almost like pinpricks in a universal context. The status of
the “peasant” in the Highlands was no greater, no less,
than that of his counterpart in the remoter areas of the
European Empires and Kingdoms. Their future was,
however, secure, provided a dog-like acceptance of the
kicks and curses of the masters was regarded as being
essential to continuing life.
These days, the decline of Man’s state occurs at a
very fast rate. No longer will people accept the impositions
of any other group. There are nowadays bodies organised
for protest, and more, against most of the impositions and
conditions for life accepted 100 years ago.
But in the Highlands and Islands there still exists a
kind of surrealist living which disregards the acids and
corrosives of our society which is eating out the very heart
of Gaeldom. The age of submissiveness has not yet passed.
The decline in the status of the Gael has just about reached
rock bottom. And it has been the result of the imposition
of the will of the stranger. Who is doing any more than
talking about the H.I.D.B. indifference to the Kyle railway
line? Who is doing any more than talking about the black
future which faces the Western Isles? Who is doing any
more than talking about the complete apathy of the Gael
to his culture and language? Who is challenging the
decisions of the stranger, outwith our region, and the
incomer in our midst, which reflect their alien philosophies?
Who is rising up against the threat of an Anglo-American
culture which can make an impact only by increasing
unopposed its degree of infiltration into the Highland
society of some of its worst forms?
It is obvious that the future of the Highlands is in the
hands of the stranger. History will be written by the
foreigner. Minds will be bent by the incomer. In less than
a century there will be desert: si momentum requiris,
circumspice.
CUfflMNE
AIG an am seo de’n bhliad-
1 hna bithidh sinn a’ cuim-
hneachadh ’nar doighe^n
fhein, air na fir, cuid ’nan
gaisgich ’s cuid nach robh,
a thug seachad am beatha
ach am bitheadh saorsa is
toileachas anns an Roinn
Eorp. Tha a h-uile duine a’
cuimhneachadh na dhoigh
fhein air seann charaid, luehd
daimih air chall, gun fhios
uairean cuin no cait. Tha
cuid a’euimhneachadh a h-
uile latha leis a’chradh nach
fhag iad fhads a bhitheas iad
’san t-saoghal seo. Tha moran
de sheann shaighdearan beo
anns na dachaidhean ion-
mholta tha air an cur a mach
dhaibh .ach ’s iomadh fear
eile nach eil cho fortanach is
a dh’fheumas stirth an agh-
aidh gach bacadh is duilgheas
airson iad fhein ’s an teagh-
lach a chumail ann an deagh
dhoigh.
An deidh na dh’fhuilin-
geadh leis na muilleanan
bheil daoine an latha diugh a’
mealtainn agus a’toirt gu
bull an saorsa a choisinn an
iobhairt aca. Chaidh a radh
uair is uair nach tm choir a
leithid tachairt a rithis. Tha
e tachairt, tha cogadh againn
fad na h-uine, rha daonnan
ceann duthcha le cus cum-
hachd ’na cheann a sgriosas a
dhuthaich fhein is duthchan-
nan eile chum is gum faigh e
fhein barrachd cumhacihd. An
lorg seo air fad thig pian
cuirp is cradh inntinn.
’S docha gu bheil e cruaidh
seo a radh ach aon uair a tha
duine marbh tha e marbh. An
diugh, ’s an duthaich seo tha
sinn a’ faicinn sia no seachd
a mhiltean air am marbhadh
air na raithdean a h-uile
bliadhna.
Tha e air a radh gun deach
tuilleadh a mharbhadh air na
raithdean anns na Staitean na
chailleadh anns an Darna
Cogadh. Tha a h-uile tubaist
a’fagail bochdain is bron as a
dheidh. Dh’fhag iomadh peil-
ear is slig bron is cradh as a
dheidh. Chan ann buileach
anns a’chorp ach anns an inn¬
tinn, oir ged a tha iomadh
droch bheus co-cheangailte
ri cogadh ’s e an tionndadh
agus na breislidhean a tha e
a’ fagail air an inntinn is
miosa dhiubh. Cha robh
riamh ann an cunnart is igab-
hadh cogaidh nach robh
leointe ’s an inntinn.
Tha cuimhne duine meall-
tanach le uine agus ged a
theirtear gun leighas an uine
gach ni tha rudan ann- nach
leigheas. Tha am beam anns
an teaghlach, tha a’chathair ri
taobh an teallaich falamh ach
tha uaigh lan. Dh’aindeoin
iadsan bha comhla is thainig
triomh ghabhadh comhla tha
blathi is daimh eatorra gu
siorruidh tha sinn an drasda
a’cuimhneachadh air na dh’
fhalbh agus a’toirt taing do’n
Ni Math gun do dh’fhag iad
dualchas as an deidh nach
muchar gu siorruidh. Nis
feumaidh sinn a bhith ’nar
gaisgich a chum is gun toir
sinn gu buil an saoghal ur
bh’anns na suilean aig an
fheadhainn a dh’fhalbh.
AN T-UDAL
Aiste air aite air a bheil Eachdraidh
A cheud duaise: Domhnall Camshron, Acadamaidh Rioghail, Inbhirnis
’J'HA mu shia bliadhna a nis tuigse a’gnothaich. ’sa bh’aca. Cnuir iad ruaig I
bho’n a nochd fear sgru- An latha bha so co dhiubh, air Siol Ghorraidh agus I
daidh talmhainn, Iain Craw- bha Siol Ghorraidh a’faireach- mharbh iad le faobhar a’ I
ford, uidh anns a’choilleig dainn gu math cruaidh-chrid- chlaidheimh iad. Shabhail aon j
mhoir seo anns a’Mhachair heach, cumhachdach agus an Uibhist a Deas agus tha
Leathainn an Sollas ann an chaidhiad a null gu BaiP-an- cuid an sin de a dhaoine
Uibhst a Tuath. Tha a’ choil- Locha. Nis mar a chaidh an fhathast. ’Se Loch Hosta an
leig mu mhile bho’n taigh sgeulachd tha Beinn Bail’-an- t-ainm a th’air an loch sin an I
againne agus tha e gle thla- Locha ag eirigh suar air cul an diugh agus tha cuid ag radh I
chdmhor leamsa a bhith aite far an robh seann aite gur ann air oidhche bhreagha I
’faicinn a’chladhaich a rinn coimhnaidh Siol Mhurchaidh. gheallaich mun’ cheud shea- I
iad, agus na thionndaidh iad Anns na laithean sin bha loch chdainn ’san Dubhlachd a I
suas. ’S e chuir an Crabhar- beag shuas gu h-ard anns a' chithear chun an latha diugh j
tach air toir an Udail bho biheinn. B’e duil Shiol Ghor- tobhtaichean seann bhaile I
thoisich seann sgeulachd a raidh an loch beag sin a Shiol Mhurchaidh.
chual’ e bho chaillich ann an stiuireadh a nuas fir bade beag Chuir an sgeulachd sin an 1
Uibhist. B’i sin an sgeulachd Shiol Mhurchaidh chum am Crabhartach air toir an Udail j
a leanas. bathadh. Sin mar x rinneadh agus thoisich e fhein agus j
Mu choig ceud bliadhna air agus thainig an loch a nuas grunnan sgoileirean a Oil-
ais bha sliochd d’am b’ainm air a’bhaile agus dh’fhalbh thigh Dhun-Eideann, far a
Siol Ghorraidh a’fuireach far Siol Gorraidh dhachaidh bheil e fhein a’teagasg, air ]
a bheil a nis, coilleagan an sasaichte. rannachadh ’s air clad’hach I
Udail. Bha mu leth cheud Ach chan ann mar sin a ann an coilleagan an Udail. 1
diubh ann agus bha culsean bha gu bhith. De ach nach Tha e air dearbhadh fhaighinn j
a’dol dhaibh gu ro-mhath. h-ann a bha fir. Shioi Gorraidh anns an Udal air pairt de’n j
Aclh mar a bha cumanta’s na cearr. Nuair a leig :ad an locha sgeulachd co dhiubh. ’S e sin j
h-aimannan sin agus’s iad bha a nuas air a’ bhaile bha fir tobhtaichean thighean leis an I
fiadhaich, bha iad cho cruaidh Shiol Mhurchaidh a mach ’sa’ luadha fhathast anns an aite I
’s cho fuilteach ’s a bha na mhointich agus thainig an teine mar gum bitheadh dao- j
slichd eile mun cuairt. Bha loch a nuas air am paisdean ine air an aite fhagail gu j
eud riamh eadar iad fhein ’s am mnathan. Nuair a chun- cabhagach (cabhag eagal an j
agus Sliochd Mhurchaidh a naic iad mar a thachair d’an cridhe bho’n bhas). Fhuair j
bha ‘comhnaidh thall mu shia luchd gaoil ghoil am full nan iad cuideachd seann chlaid-
mile ri taobh an iar thuath an cuislean le feirg agus bha iad heamh mheirgeacih a chunnaic
eilein ris an canar an diugh coma ach an cuid fhein fhaig- mi fhein agus cir chnaimhe
Bail’-an-Locha. Tha mar a hinn air an t-seann naimhdean agus cnamhan bheathaichean i
fhuair an t-aite sin an t-ainm —Siol Gorraidh. Chaidh iad a eile agus cuideachd mur a
gu math riantanach a thaobh null dhun an Udail cho luath tha ro-chumanta aig seann j
tobhtaichean moran de shli-
gean falamh. Tha mi’n duil
gu bheil an Crabhartach a’
sgriobhadh leabhar mu na
fhuair e agus bithidh sin anns
na buithean mu bhliadhna
eile.
Tha mu dha fhichead sgoil-
leir tighinn a Dun Eideann a
h-uile samhradh agus tha iad |
a’comhnaidh ann an sgoil
Dun Sgeallair far an deach mi
fhein ionnsachadh nuair a bha
mi na b’oige. Tha an t-aite a’
cordadh riutha uile agus tha
iad a’faighinn deagh laithean
saora oir chaneil an obair ach
aotrom. Tha uidh a’Chrabh- \
artaich air beatha ui a thoir
do Shollas aigs airson sin tha
sinn uile taingeil.
GRAMPIAN CHEMICALS
LTD. FINANCES
(Continued from page 1)
It is pointed out that the
liability of Grampian Chemi¬
cals Ltd. is only £100. The
only asset is Delny and
Castlecraig, land bought for
£486,250. It is most unlikely
to be sold at such a price,
which was some five times
the agricultural value of the
land.
The whole venture seems to
smaqk of the worst kind of
speculative interest to which
the Highlands and Islands
may be subjected to if there
is no watchdog to prevent
the wholesale exploitation for
people outside the region of
the resources, natural and
people, of the Highlands. The
question may be raised why
the H.I.D.B. actively encour¬
aged this Company to create
such a hiatus in Highland
development.
The smoke has yet to be
cleared away.
CACH
Chiur thu inntinn air a bbord car critheanach,
Cha b’ann leat fhein a bha i,
Cha b’ann leat na bha ’na broinn;
Dh’fhoillsich thu titr chaich car luaisgeanach
A’ feuchainn ri mo shasachadh
Mar dh’innseadh tu do chloinn.
Facail Shiona, ’s braithran dearg’
A bh’agad air a’ bhjdrd,
’S nuair chunnaic thu nach d’aontaich mi
Chuir thu iad fo’n ffood.
Cha b’ann leat fhein a bha iad,
Ged phaisg thu iad an inntinn;
Theagaisgeadh tu dh'omhsa iad
Ged nach b’e m’iarrtas cluinntinn.
FUADACH
Dh’fhuadaich tanasg a’ chinn mhoir
’S a’ chinn bhig
Freiceadan a dhion ’s a threoir,
Nach till ’s nach tig
Gu’n mhur a theannaich cuislean firinn
Tha ’nan tosd,
An diugh mar bhalla-dion do sgrlobhaidh
Nach bi aig fois.
Comiran na Canain Albannaich
Scottish Language Society
The Comunn exists to foster an interest
in Gaelic as a spoken language and to
increase an awareness in Scotland gene¬
rally of our country’s Gaelic - based
heritage. Annual membership is only 5/-.
Donations welcome. Contact the Secre¬
tary at:
31 Braeside Park, Balloch, Inverness.