737: An Uamh Mhòr (1) 737: The Big Cave (1)
Litir shìmplidh sheachdaineach do luchd-ionnsachaidh le clàr-fuaime, tar-sgrìobhadh is eadar-theangachadh. A simple weekly letter to Gaelic learners with audio, transcription and translation.
Tha an litir bheag 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 little 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.
The Big Cave (1)
Bu toigh leam innse dhuibh mun Uaimh Mhòir sear air Ceann a’ Ghiùthsaich. Tha i faisg air baile-fearainn air a bheil Raitts, no Ràt ann an Gàidhlig. Tha mòran de mhuinntir an àite a’ gabhail ‘Raitts Cave’ oirre. Ach chan eil i nàdarrach. ʼS e seòrsa de thaigh fo-thalamh a tha innte.
Air mapaichean an latha an-diugh, chì sibh ‘souterrain’ far a bheil i. Air seann mhapaichean, ge-tà, chì sibh ‘Pict House’ no ‘ Pictish House’ no ‘Earth-house’. Ann an ochd ceud deug, trithead ʼs a còig (1835), bha am fear-saidheans ainmeil Sir Daibhidh Brewster a’ fuireach ann am Baile a’ Bhile, faisg air làimh. Bha e pòsta aig Juliet, nighean an uachdarain, Seumas Bàn, no James ‘Ossian’ MacPherson.
Bha Brewster gu math aithnichte ri a linn. ʼS e a chruthaich an kaleidoscope. Thug e sùil air an Uaimh Mhòir. Bha i làn chlachan is sprùilleach. Thug iad an sprùilleach a-mach. Lorg iad taigh fo-thalamh a bha iongantach. Bha e fada is caol, le leacan cloiche air gach taobh. Bha am mullach air a dhèanamh de leacan cuideachd. Tha e ann an cruth crudha-eich agus an-diugh ann am meadhan pàirc ionaltraidh.
Bha cuid a’ gabhail Uamh Chlann ʼic Ille Naoimh oirre – MacNiven’s Cave. Tha mi airson innse dhuibh carson.
O chionn fhad an t-saoghail, bha Clann ʼic Ille Naoimh cumhachdach ann am Bàideanach. Bha iad ann an caidreabh leis na Cuimeanaich – Iarlan Bhàideanach. Thug Clann ʼic a’ Phearsain à Loch Abar taic do Rìgh Raibeart am Brusach ann a bhith a’ smachdachadh nan Cuimeanach. Thug an Rìgh fearann dhaibh ann am Bàideanach. Bha am fearann sin roimhe leis na Cuimeanaich.
Dh’èirich naimhdeas, mar sin, eadar na Cuimeanaich agus Clann ʼic a’ Phearsain. Bha sin a’ ciallachadh gun robh Clann ʼic Ille Naoimh cuideachd nan nàimhdean aig Clann ʼic a’ Phearsain.
A rèir beul-aithris, thog Clann ʼic Ille Naoimh creach air fearann aig Mac a’ Phearsain à Cluainidh, taobh an Lagain. An toiseach, cha do chuir Mac a’ Phearsain feachd ri chèile. An àite sin, chuir e a nighean gu ruige Clann ʼic Ille Naoimh mar theachdaire. Ach, mar a chì sinn anns an ath Litir, cha do shoirbhich leatha.
An Uamh Mhòr (1)
I would like to tell you about the ‘Big Cave’ east of Kingussie. It’s near a farm called Raitts, or Ràt in Gaelic. Many local people call it ‘Raitt’s Cave’. But it’s not natural. It’s a sort of underground house.
On today’s maps, you’ll see ‘souterrain’ where it is. On old maps, however, you’ll see Pict House’ or ‘Pictish House’ or ‘Earth-house’. In 1835, the famous scientist Sir David Brewster was taking holidays in Balavil nearby. He was married to Juliet, the daughter of the landlord, Seumas Bàn, or James ‘Ossian’ MacPherson .
Brewster was well known in his day. He invented the kaleidoscope. He examined the Big Cave. It was full of stones and rubble. They took the rubble out. They found an underground house that was amazing. It was long and narrow, with stone slabs on each side. The roof was built of slabs also. It’s in the form of a horseshoe and today in the middle of a grazing field.
Some called it MacNiven’s Cave. I want to tell you why.
A long time ago, the MacNivens were powerful in Badenoch. They were in association with the Cummings – the Earls of Badenoch. The MacPhersons from Lochaber helped King Robert the Bruce in controlling the Cummings. The King gave them land in Badenoch. That land was previously owned by the Cummings.
An enmity thus arose between the Cummings and the MacPhersons. That meant that the MacNivens were also the enemies of the MacPhersons.
According to oral tradition, the MacNivens raided the cattle on the land of MacPherson of Cluny, over Laggan way. To begin with, MacPherson did not put together an armed band. Instead of that, he sent his daughter to MacNiven as a messenger. But, as we shall see in the next Litir, she wasn’t successful.
The Big Cave (1)
Bu toigh leam innse dhuibh mun Uaimh Mhòir sear air Ceann a’ Ghiùthsaich. Tha i faisg air baile-fearainn air a bheil Raitts, no Ràt ann an Gàidhlig. Tha mòran de mhuinntir an àite a’ gabhail ‘Raitts Cave’ oirre. Ach chan eil i nàdarrach. ʼS e seòrsa de thaigh fo-thalamh a tha innte.
Air mapaichean an latha an-diugh, chì sibh ‘souterrain’ far a bheil i. Air seann mhapaichean, ge-tà, chì sibh ‘Pict House’ no ‘ Pictish House’ no ‘Earth-house’. Ann an ochd ceud deug, trithead ʼs a còig (1835), bha am fear-saidheans ainmeil Sir Daibhidh Brewster a’ fuireach ann am Baile a’ Bhile, faisg air làimh. Bha e pòsta aig Juliet, nighean an uachdarain, Seumas Bàn, no James ‘Ossian’ MacPherson.
Bha Brewster gu math aithnichte ri a linn. ʼS e a chruthaich an kaleidoscope. Thug e sùil air an Uaimh Mhòir. Bha i làn chlachan is sprùilleach. Thug iad an sprùilleach a-mach. Lorg iad taigh fo-thalamh a bha iongantach. Bha e fada is caol, le leacan cloiche air gach taobh. Bha am mullach air a dhèanamh de leacan cuideachd. Tha e ann an cruth crudha-eich agus an-diugh ann am meadhan pàirc ionaltraidh.
Bha cuid a’ gabhail Uamh Chlann ʼic Ille Naoimh oirre – MacNiven’s Cave. Tha mi airson innse dhuibh carson.
O chionn fhad an t-saoghail, bha Clann ʼic Ille Naoimh cumhachdach ann am Bàideanach. Bha iad ann an caidreabh leis na Cuimeanaich – Iarlan Bhàideanach. Thug Clann ʼic a’ Phearsain à Loch Abar taic do Rìgh Raibeart am Brusach ann a bhith a’ smachdachadh nan Cuimeanach. Thug an Rìgh fearann dhaibh ann am Bàideanach. Bha am fearann sin roimhe leis na Cuimeanaich.
Dh’èirich naimhdeas, mar sin, eadar na Cuimeanaich agus Clann ʼic a’ Phearsain. Bha sin a’ ciallachadh gun robh Clann ʼic Ille Naoimh cuideachd nan nàimhdean aig Clann ʼic a’ Phearsain.
A rèir beul-aithris, thog Clann ʼic Ille Naoimh creach air fearann aig Mac a’ Phearsain à Cluainidh, taobh an Lagain. An toiseach, cha do chuir Mac a’ Phearsain feachd ri chèile. An àite sin, chuir e a nighean gu ruige Clann ʼic Ille Naoimh mar theachdaire. Ach, mar a chì sinn anns an ath Litir, cha do shoirbhich leatha.
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 Litir do Luchd-ionnsachaidh 1041
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