766: Taigh-solais na Sgeir Mhòir (1)
Litir sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is mìneachadh. A weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and explanation.
Tha an litir ag obrachadh leis an fhaclair. Tagh an taba ‘teacsa Gàidhlig’ agus tagh facal sam bith san teacsa agus fosglaidh am faclair ann an taba ùr agus bidh mìneachadh den fhacal ann. The letter is integrated with the dictionary. Select the tab ‘Gaelic text’ and choose any word and the dictionary will open and you will see the English explanation of the Gaelic word.
Taigh-solais na Sgeir Mhòir (1)
Bha mi air an taobh an iar ann am meadhan a’ gheamhraidh seo, goirid às dèidh do stoirm mhòr a bhith ann aig an aon àm ri reothairt agus bruthadh ìosal san àile. Nuair a thachras na trì rudan sin còmhla aig làn na mara, bidh gu tric damaiste air togalaichean faisg air a’ chladach.
’S ann mar sin a bha e anns an sgìre san robh mi. Bha an làn air briseadh a-steach gu taigh no dhà, bha seadaichean air an sgrios, agus chaidh milleadh a dhèanamh air feansa a chumadh fèidh a-mach às a’ bhaile.
Faodaidh e a bhith eagallach a bhith ann an taigh faisg air cladach aig àm mar sin. Ach saoilidh mi gum biodh e fichead turas na b’ eagallaiche a bhith ann an taigh-solais air sgeir a-muigh anns a’ chuan.
’S e fear de na taighean-solais as iongantaiche a th’ againn ann an Alba am fear air an Sgeir Mhòir faisg air Tiriodh. Aig àirde de cheathrad ’s a h-ochd meatair, ’s e am fear as àirde ann an Alba. Anns na stoirmean as miosa bidh na tuinn a tha a’ briseadh air a’ ruigsinn faisg air leth-àird an tùir – fichead meatair os cionn nan creagan.
Tha an Sgeir Mhòr mu dhusan mìle à Tiriodh, agus caogad mìle à tìr-mòr. Bha i gu math cunnartach do luingeas. Thairis air beagan is caogad bliadhna, chaidh còrr is trithead soitheach fodha às dèidh dhaibh bualadh air an sgeir no sgeirean eile faisg oirre. Thug sin air an riaghaltas pàigheadh airson taigh-solais a chur an-àirde air an sgeir. Thogadh e le Ailean Stevenson eadar ochd ceud deug, trithead ’s a h-ochd (1838) agus ochd ceud deug ceathrad ’s a ceithir (1844). Aig an àm b’ e an taigh-solais a b’ àirde san t-saoghal.
Chaidh taigh-fiodha – taigh-còmhnaidh – a thogail ann an Guireag. Bhiodh e mòr gu leòr airson ceathrad duine a bhith a’ fuireach ann. Anns an Lùnastal ochd ceud deug, trithead ’s a h-ochd (1838) thugadh an taigh a-mach don Sgeir Mhòir. Chaidh casan an togalaich a chur ann an tuill a bh’ air an dèanamh sa chreig.
Trì mìosan an dèidh sin, bha an obair air sguir airson a’ gheamhraidh, ach a-mhàin ann an Haoidhnis ann an Tiriodh far an robh clachairean ag obair air na clachan airson an tùir. As t-Samhain, fhuair Ailean Stevenson litir bho fhear an stòir ann an Haoidhnis. Bha an litir ag innse dha gun robh stoirm air sgrios a dhèanamh air an togalach air an Sgeir Mhòir. Cha robh dad air fhàgail dheth.
B’ fheudar do Stevenson taigh ùr a thogail ach an turas seo sheas e an aghaidh stoirmean a’ gheamhraidh. Bha daoine a’ fuireach a-muigh air an Sgeir Mhòir thairis air mìosan obrach an t-samhraidh, agus iad a’ togail an taigh-sholais. Bha an obair cunnartach, agus uaireannan bhiodh am biadh a’ fàs gann oir chan fhaigheadh am bàta-frithealaidh a-mach don sgeir. Ach, gu h-iongantach, agus tha seo na mholadh do Stevenson agus a luchd-obrach, cha robh aon duine air chall fhad ’s a bhathar a’ togail an taigh-sholais.
Tha taigh-solais na Sgeir Mhòir air iomadh soitheach a shàbhaladh, agus tha uisgeachan Thiriodh mòran nas sàbhailte na bhitheadh iad às aonais. Ach tha corra tubaist-mhara air a bhith ann dha aindeoin, agus innsidh mi dhuibh mu thè ainmeil an-ath-sheachdain.
Faclan na Litreach: damaiste: damage; taigh-solais: lighthouse; sgeir: skerry, sea rock; soitheach: vessel; taigh-còmhnaidh: accommodation, barracks; Tiriodh: Tiree; as t-Samhain: in November.
Abairtean na Litreach: goirid às dèidh do stoirm mhòr a bhith ann: shortly after there had been a big storm; aig an aon àm ri reothairt:at the same time as spring tides; nuair a thachras na trì rudan sin còmhla aig làn na mara:when those three things coincide with a high tide; bha an làn air briseadh a-steach gu taigh no dhà: the high tide had broken into one or two houses; bha seadaichean air an sgrios: sheds were wrecked; feansa a chumadh fèidh a-mach às a’ bhaile: a fence that would keep deer out of the township; faodaidh e a bhith eagallach: it can be frightening; fichead turas na b’ eagallaiche: much [20 times] more frightening; bidh na tuinn a tha a’ briseadh air a’ ruigsinn leth-àird an tùir: the waves that break on it reach halfway up the tower; ann an tuill a bh’ air an dèanamh sa chreig: in holes that had been made in the rock; sheas e an aghaidh stoirmean a’ gheamhraidh: it withstood the winter storms; mìosan obrach an t-samhraidh: the working months of the summer; chan fhaigheadh am bàta-frithealaidh a-mach don sgeir: the service boat wouldn’t get out to the rock; tha seo na mholadh do X: this is to praise X; cha robh aon duine air chall fhad ’s a bhathar a’ togail an taigh-sholais: not a person was lost during the building of the lighthouse; tha X air iomadh soitheach a shàbhaladh:X has saved many vessels; tha uisgeachan Thiriodh mòran nas sàbhailte na bhitheadh iad às aonais: the waters of Tiree are much safer than they would be without it.
Puing-chànain na Litreach: tha corra tubaist-mhara air a bhith ann dha aindeoin: there have been a few maritime accidents despite it (masc, referring to ‘taigh-solais’). You will be familiar with the compound preposition a dh’aindeoin ‘in spite of, despite’ which commands a noun in the genitive case. Thàinig iad uile a dh’aindeoin na droch shìde ‘they all came despite the bad weather’. But where we are dealing with a pronoun, rather than a noun, it takes the following forms: dham aindeoin ‘in spite of me’; dhad aindeoin ‘in spite of you’; dha aindeoin ‘in spite of him’; dha h-aindeoin ‘in spite of her’; dhar n-aindeoin ‘in spite of us’; dhur n-aindeoin ‘in spite of you’; dhan aindeoin ‘in spite of them’.
Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: bruthadh ìosal san àile: low atmospheric pressure.
Download the text of this week's letter as a PDF:Thoir a-nuas Litir mar PDF:
PDF documents are especially suited for printing out. Most computers can open PDF files, but if you have problems viewing them you may need to install reader software such as Tha faidhleachan PDF gu sònraichte math airson clò-bhualadh. Tha e furasta gu leòr do chuid de choimpiutairean faidhleachan PDF fhosgladh, ach ma tha trioblaid agad ‘s dòcha gum biodh e feumail bathar-bog mar Adobe Acrobat Reader. fhaighinn.
Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh
This letter corresponds to Tha an Litir seo a’ buntainn ri An Litir Bheag 462
Podcast
BBC offers this litir as a podcast: Visit the programme page for more info and to download or subscribe. Tha am BBC a’ tabhainn seo mar podcast. Tadhail air an duilleag-phrògraim airson barrachd fiosrachaidh no airson podcast fhaighinn