Understand the boat
Understand the boat and the boat
will understand you. Understand the
boat and the boat will understand
you. Understand the boat and the
boat will understand you.
I saw that proverb in a hotel on Mull. I was on
a cruise [sailing journey] at the
time. I was staying the night in
Tobermory. But was the boat
understanding me? And was I
understanding the boat?
I saw the proverb in the
Mishnish Hotel in Tobermory. There
are other proverbs also written on
the walls. And “Caileagan” [lasses]
and “Balaich” [lads] are written on
the toilet doors. It’s good to see
Gaelic in a place like that. I mean in
the hotel, rather than in the toilet!
Before I reached Tobermory I
was sailing for a fortnight. I started
in Orkney. Orkney was very nice,
and the people were nice.
On the way to Mull I saw many
mountains. I had a beautiful day
between Kinlochbervie and Poolewe. In the one view, I was seeing
the mountains between Foinaven
and Torridon. What a view! The day was calm. The mountains appeared
as if they were painted on a canvas.
I saw dolphins and porpoises. I
saw one whale. And I saw lots of
sea-birds as well. There were puffins, and gannets, fulmars, razorbills,
common guillemots, black guillemots and bonxies (great skuas).
And close to the Small Isles, there
were Manx shearwaters. They nest
on Rum.
And I heard one bird, although
I didn’t see it. I was near the Rubha
Rèidh. That’s north of Gairloch
[“the short loch”]. There was a
frightful sound. It was as if a woman
were screaming. That was the red-throated diver. The old people were
saying, when the diver sings, that
rain will come. And a bit of rain did
come. When you are sailing, an
understanding of the boat – and of
the weather – is very useful.
Tuig thus’ an t-eathar agus tuigidh an t-eathar thu
Tuig thus’ an t-eathar agus tuigidh an t-
eathar thu. Understand the boat and the
boat will understand you. Tuig thus’ an
t-eathar agus tuigidh an t-eathar thu.
Chunnaic mi an seanfhacal sin ann an
taigh-òsta ann am Muile. Bha mi air
cuairt-mhara aig an àm. Bha mi a’
fuireach na h-oidhche ann an Tobar
Mhoire. Ach an robh an t-eathar gam
thuigsinn? Agus an robh mise a’ tuigsinn
an eathair?
Chunnaic mi an seanfhacal ann an
Taigh-òsta Mhishnish ann an Tobar
Mhoire. Tha seanfhaclan eile sgrìobhte
air na ballachan cuideachd. Agus tha
“Caileagan” is “Balaich” sgrìobhte air
dorsan nan taighean-beaga. Tha e math a
bhith a’ faicinn Gàidhlig ann an àite mar
sin. Tha mi a’ ciallachadh san taigh-òsta,
seach san taigh-bheag!
Mus do ràinig mi Tobar Mhoire,
bha mi a’ seòladh airson ceala-deug.
Thòisich mi ann an Arcaibh. Bha
Arcaibh glè shnog, agus bha na daoine
laghach.
Air an t-slighe a Mhuile chunnaic
mi tòrr bheanntan. Bha latha àlainn
agam eadar Ceann Loch Biorbhaidh
agus Poll Iù. Anns an aon sealladh, bha
mi a’ faicinn nam beann eadar Foinne
Bheinn agus Toirbheartan. Abair
sealladh! Bha an latha ciùin. Bha coltas
air na beanntan gun robh iad air am
peantadh air canabhas.
Chunnaic mi leumadairean agus
peileagan. Chunnaic mi aon mhuc-mhara. Agus chunnaic mi eòin-mhara gu
leòr cuideachd. Bha buthaidean ann,
agus sùlairean, fulmairean, coltraichean,
eòin dubha sgadain, calltagan agus
fasgadain. Agus faisg air na h-Eileanan
Beaga, bha fachaich ann. Tha iad a’
neadachadh ann an Rùm.
Agus chuala mi aon eun ged nach
fhaca mi e. Bha mi faisg air an Rubha
Rèidh. Tha sin gu tuath air a’ Gheàrr
Loch. Bha fuaim eagallach ann. Bha e
mar gun robh boireannach a’ sgreuchail.
B’ e sin an learga mhòr – no red-throated diver. Bha na seann daoine ag
ràdh, nuair a bhios an learga a’ seinn,
gun tig an t-uisge. Agus thàinig beagan
uisge. Nuair a tha thu a’ seòladh, tha
tuigse air an eathar – agus air an aimsir –
gu math feumail.
