An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Sruth > Volume 2 > No. 60, 10 July 1969

Two
Sruth, Di-ardaoin, 10 latha de'n luchar 1969
fruth
Di-ardaoin, 10 latha de’n luchar
Thursday, 10th July 1969
An Sgeadachadh
Ma bha duine anns an rioghachd aig nach robh fios
gu robh am Prionnsa Tearlach gu bhith air a sgeadachadh
mar Phrionnsa na Cuimrigh air an t-seachdain seo chaidh
cha b’e coire nam paipearan-naidheachd agus Buidheann
a’Chraobh-sgaoilidh a bha ann.
Nis, chan eil cail agam-sa an aghaidh an teaghlaich
rioghail. A reir a h-uile coltais ’s e daoine modhail, stolda
a tha annta, ach feumaidlh gur ann le ’n cead a chuir an
Riaghaltas air adhart a leithid a bhrosnachadh, agus chan
eil teagamh nach robh iad a’fiachainn ri dilseachd dha’n
Chrun a chur gu feum an aghaidh naiseantachd.
A bharrachd air a’chunnart gum bi daoine air an
searbhachadh, tha cunnart mor ann, mar a thuirt aon
phaipear naidheachd co-dhiubh, ann a bhith toirt an teagh¬
laich rioghail a stigh ann an gnothaichean poiliticeach. ’S
e gun do chum iad a mach as na gnothaichean seo a bu
choireach gun mhair Breatann ’na rioghachd. Agus dha
b’e seo a’cheud uair a chaidh feum a dheanamh dhiubh
mar seo. Air aon rud bha iomradh ann an oraid na Ban-
righinn aig an Nollaig air ’eas-aontachd ag eirigh eadar-
ainn’ nadh b’urrainn do dhuine eadar-mhineachadh ach
mar ionnsaigh air naiseantachd.
Fhuair sinn ar suilean fhosgladh cuideachd mu’n
doigh anns a bheil na modhannan craobh-sgoilidh a’gab-
hail comhairle an Riaghaltais. Cha leig iad a leas an deidh
seo uibhir a dh’othail a bhith orra air mar a tha reidio is
telebhisean ann an duthchannan eile mar a tha an Fhraing
fo spogan an riaghaltais aca-san.
Chuala sinn gu leor cuideachd mu dheidhinn ‘extrem¬
ists’ a bha an aghaidh an sgeadachaidlh, ach chan eil dol as
ann o’n fhirinn gur ann air gniomh a’cheud Righ lomhair
a’glaodhaich a mhic fhein ’na Phrionnsa air Cuimrigh an
deidh lamh-an-uachdar fhaighinn air na Cuimrioh a bha
sgeadachadh na seachdain seo chaidh air a steidheadhadh.
A Gleam in the North
What must be the quietest Press Conference on record
was staged in Inverness at the presentation of the Third
Annual Report of the Highlands and Islands Development
Board. Complacency ? Disinterest ? Nine-days’ wonder
finally fizzled out ? Intransigence with the Press ? Or is
the Board now part of the establishment and is therefore
not news ?
On the basis of what is contained in the Third Report,
it may well be that the early hungry years of the HIDE
are now over and it is being allowed to settle down to
perform its task on behalf of the Highlands and Islands.
Certainly there is, for the first time, a feeling of general
satisfaction all round, both on the Board’s part and on the
part of those who are affected, directly and indirectly, by
the Board’s activity among them. This is not to say that
there is nothing new to do. There will always be challenges,
and there will always be failures. But on balance a level
of thinking has been achieved which must now act as a
base from which a fully-integrated plan must rise, with all
its various elements working to create a new Highland
whole.
Professor Sir Robert Grieve has spoken of the need
to preserve the ‘ texture of Highland life.’ This is somehow
much better than saying that the Highland way of life
must be preserved. The latter implies stagnation. Sir
Robert’s term implies that no forward step must be taken
without a long, cool and dispassionate look at the past.
And when the step is taken, the Highland community will
pace out its future with a confidence that springs from
knowing that it is participating in the general—and one
hopes humane—progress of society.
From its initial concern with economics, the Board
now seems to be more and more concerned with
problems wihich have socio-economic bases. There is
a great deal of work yet to be done on the social
problems which exist and those which will arise as
development techniques are applied. One of the difficulties
is the rapidity with which the mutations of the ‘ Highland
problem ’ both appear and disappear to give place to
others. This is particularly so in the three areas designated
as major growth areas: Lodhaber, Moray Firth and Wick-
Thurso. Inevitably people are affected by these mutations
and the result may well be that whatever the Board does
successfully will be cancelled out by effects which have not
been foreseen.
So far as the Hebrides are concerned, we hope that
those who handle the purse-strings in Edinburgh will
realise that the bulb-scheme in North Uist will allow these
islands to be designated a major growth area. If the scheme
goes forward and the necessary cash is provided the
Government may well win all seven Highland seats at the
next election. That’s the way it goes. On the other hand,
if no financial incentive is provided . . .
FAICINN BHUAM
Cumaidh na h-eileanan,
mor is beag, ruinn, agus co a
dh’fhasadh sgith de bhith
nam measg. Air an t-seadh-
dain sa dhaidh bha mi an
Eilean Leodhais. Ghabh mi
an triall furasda gach rathad,
air a’ phleuna.
Tha rathad ur a dh’ionn-
saidh nan eilean ann a mise,
cuimseach ur co-dhiu. Trein
no rathad mor gu Malaig. Bat
aiseig, le car ma thogras tu
(agus mureil am faradh ro
dhaor leat) gu Aramadal anns
an Eilean Sgiathanach. An car
a rithist, no baos, gu Uige
agus an sin bat aiseig eile gu
Tairbeart na Hearadh. Ni thu
Steornabhagh dhetlh as a sin,
no faodaidh tu cumail air a’
bhata gu Lochnamadadh.
Oha do ghabh mise an t-
slighe seo chun nan eilean
fhathast agus mun cuir mi
duine sa bith air seacharan,
bu choir dhomh a radh gu
feumar fiosrachadh cinnteadh
fhaotainn o’n bhuidhinn ain-
meil ud, Mac Breun. Bha mi
an duil an toiseach an doigh
ud a ghabhail air Leodhas a
ruigheachd, ach air a’ cheann
thall ghabh mi an doigh fhar-
asda, mar a thuirt mi.
Bha duil gun deanadh an
t-slighe ur feum mor nuair a
chuireadh m’ ar comhair i an
toiseach, ach dha do mheas-
adh i cho freagarrach sa bha
san ainm. Tha an sealladh gu
dearbh bho ’n trein eadar an
Gearasdan agus Malaig cho
alainn ’nam bheachd—sa sa
chithear an aite sa bith. Ach
chan e sealladh a h-uile rud.
Do luchd nan caraichean
chaneil an rathad ach caol
cuagach. Tha an dail agus am
faradh a Malaig ’na chuis
ghearain. Saoilidh na Sgiath-
anaich nach urrainn naoh bi
an turus a Aramadal gu Uige
na thoil inntinn ach their na
Leodhasaich, theagamh le
tomhas de fhealladha, gun
cuireadh seo iad an aghaidh
an turuis air fad.
gun chuala mi, s docha anns
an sgoil, gum b’e “ Eilean
Dhiarmaid ” a bu chiall da.
Cha chreid mi gun seas am
breithneachadh sin. Air mo
shon fhin, gabhaidh mi a
rithist beachd Alasdair Mhic
Neacail, se sin gur e “ Eilean
Tioramain” as ciall da, no
eilean do’m faod thu cois-
eachd aig muir-traigh, aite
nacheil ’na eilean ach aig
pairt no deireadh lionaidh.
Tha gu leor dlhe na h-eil¬
eanan tioramain sin timcheall
nan cladaichean seo. Tha
taigh-soluis Eilean larmain
air fear dhiubh. Tha fear eile
dhiubh agamsa a nise. Chan¬
eil e ach mu acaire am
meudaohd, le creagan glasa
ag eirigh gu h-ard na theis
meadhon, ach bithidh taigh
goireasach, seasgair, air a
dh’ aithghearr, ma chumas
Danny MacLeoid agus a
chuideachd a Portnalong
orra.
Chaneil e fada bho ’n
rathad mhor. An aite cumail
ort sios a dh’ Eilean larmain,
ma thionndaidheas tu gu do
laimh dheis air a rathad gu
Camaschros, chi thu e mu
leth-cheud slat a nunn an
traigh. B’e “Eilean Ealasaid”
a bh’ aca air ri mo chiad
chuimhne, agus “Ailsa” a
chum feum oifis a’ phuist.
Chan aithne dhomh co a
thainig an toiseach. Ealasaid
no Ailsa, no co i Ealasaid.
Sioma uair a dhunnaic mi
an teaghlach a bh’ air a’ cur
feum air a’ gheola a nunn sa
nail. Mar a rinneadh an ait-
eachan a b’ iomraitiche, thog-
adh cabhsair coise a nunn ga
ionnsaidh o chionn bliadlhna
no dha. A dh’aindeoin cabh¬
sair b’ fheudar dhuinne feith-
eamh uair a thide feasgar as
t-fhoghar seo chaidh, is roth-
aid a ’cur an lain mhoir
thairis air a’ cheann a b’
fhaisge.
A’ lorg ainm no seoladh
puist, on a bha fhios agam
gle mhath cait a robh Air-
Mu ochd mile a Aramadal
tha rathad a’ gearradh sios
air do laimh dheis gu Eilean
larmain. Co dhiu a ghabhas
tu seachad gu cabhagach no
theid thu tacan gu taobh an
seo, cha sheachainn thu
sealladh air aite cho mais-
eacih sa chi thu air do chu-
airt. Gun teagamh cha bhi
duil an comhnaidh ri breth
earbsail bho neach air an aite
air an eolaiche e fhein. Bith-
eadh sin mar sin, a thaobh
Eilean larmain, gu h-araidh
is an lan a staigh, bheirinn
dubhlan, ged a shiubhladh
neach fad is farsainn, nach
fhaicear oisean a bh’air ban-
air ann am maise.
Chan e eilean a tha an Eilean
larmain idir, ach tha e air
ainmeachadh, mar as trie a
thachras, air eilean chaorach
a tha thall mu acarsaid air an
taobh as fhaisge do’n Linne
Shleitich. Tha an t-ainm
beurla a th’air an eilean seo,
“Isleornsay,” ga chur am
measg an aireimh aig an robh
ceangal air choireigin ris an
Naomh Oran.
Chuala mi beachd no dha
mu bhrigh an ainm Ghaidhlig.
Bha e dol troimh m’ inntinn
Cuil nan Ceist-7
7 — BEANNTAN NA
GAIDHEALTACHD
1. De a’ bheinn as airde ’s
na h-Eileanan-a-Muigh ?
2. Ainmich tri aiteachan co
dhiubh anns am bheil
beinn ris an canar “A’
Bheinn Mhpr ?”
3. Cuir ainm beinne anns
gach beum a dhaidh fhag-
ail anns na sreathan bard-
achd a leanas:
(a) “ Bha mi’n de 'm
’S ’na coir cha robh mi
aineolach.”
(b) “ Chi mi
eamh 2, Camaschros, agus
gun sgeul tuilleadh air Air-
eamh 1, de a b’ fhearr na
coir iarraidh air an t-seoladh,
“Aireamh 1, Camaschros,”
agus sin mar a bha.
Ged a sh'aoilear air a’ chiad
shealladh am faradh-adhair a’
Glasehu gu Steomabhagh a
bhith daor, tha e soirbh a
thuigsinn carson a tha
daoine a’ fas measail air an
doigh siubhail seo. Tha an
doigh eile thar tir is muir
fadalach is sgitheil agus tha
coisgisean bidh ri chunntas
nach eirich idir air a’
phleuna. Tha cleadhdadh
cuideachd a ’cur as do’ n
fhiamh a bha nadarrach do
dhaoine aon uair ag eirigh os
cionn na talmhainn. Tha
deagh aobhar air an earbsa
ur seo nuair a chithear air an
aon laimh cho sabhailte sa
tha na pleunachan agus air
an laimh eile cho cunnartach
sa tha na fathaidean mora
fhein a’ fas.
Dihaoine a’ dol suas cha
robh an latha ach cedthach
agus aig an airde aig an robh
sinn, corr is 10,000 troidh,
cha robh adh corra shealladh
ri fhaotainn air an duthaich
gu h-iseal. Cha cheadaich-
uine ach beagan eolais a chur
air comhnardan Bheinn-a-
faoghla nuair a thearnaich
sinn. Neartaicheadh sin fhein
durachd duine an tuilleadh
eolais a chur air machairean
is lodhain is cabhsairean nan
eilean. Tha am maise fhein
orra nach ceadaich leth-
bhreas air uachdar an domh-
ain.
Bha Disatharna a’ tilleadh
na bu sihoilleire agus abair gu
robh e sgiobalta. Ach cha
mhor gu robh Calum Robas-
dan is mi fhin sgiobalta gu
leor, oir mhaoidh iad oimn
aig port-adhair Steornabhaigh
nadh fhaigheamaid aite anns
a’ phleuna a chionn nach
robh sinn a lathair fichead
mionaid roimh am fagail.
Ach rinn iad trocair oirnn;
nuair a chunnaic sinn na bha
de shuidheachain fhalamh
anns a’ phleuna, cha robh e
soirbh aobhar na h-othail a
thuigsinn.
Mar leoghann gun tioma.”
(c) “ Soraidh gu —— uam,
on ’si fhuair urram nam
beann.”
4. Ciamar a fhuair Sgurr
Alasdair ’san Eilean Sgia-
thanadh an t-ainm ?
5. Bha Iain MacCodrum, am
bard, a’ fuireach fo sgaile
na beinne seo.
Fuasgladh air t. d. 11
ADVERTISEMENTS for
SRUTH are accepted only
on conditions that the
advertiser does not in any
way contravene the pro¬
visions of the Trade
Descriptions Act, 1968.
NOW
is the time to book for
your Winter sunshine holiday
or cruise.
Brochures available on request
_ NESS
TRAVEL
78 CHURCH ST
A"'’ INVERNESS
Affiliated Member Tel. 34777 or 34888