Cotton mills in Stanley
Stanley
is in Perthshire. It is beside the River Tay, near Perth. It’s famous for two things.
Firstly, there were cotton mills there. They were very big. Many people worked in them. They were using equipment made by Richard Arkwright. It’s from
England he was. He was very famous.
The mills were running on water power. They started in seventeen eighty six (1786).
Many Gaels worked in Stanley. They were from the glens in Perthshire. Gaelic was still strong there at that time.
The mills closed in nineteen eighty nine (1989). Thus, they were going for two hundred years. Now Historic Scotland has taken over the place. They have
a centre for tourists (a visitor centre).
That’s Stanley as it is today. But the place is also famous in the ancient history of Scotland. It’s connected with the thistle [cluaran and fòghnan
both mean thistle]. And how it is the thistle that is the national plant of Scotland.
Near Stanley there is a weir in the river. At one time it went across the river. People walked across the weir from bank to bank. A hole was made in
the middle of the weir in the nineteenth century. That was to let salmon swim up the river. Close to the weir the army of Scotland was camped. A
Scandinavian army was close by. But they were on the other side of the river.
At night the Scandinavians crossed the river on the weir. They weren’t wearing shoes. They were going to attack the Scots. They reached the other bank. But
one of the Scandinavians stood on a thistle. He had no shoes on. It was painful. He shouted. The Scots heard him. There was fighting. The Scots defeated
the Scandinavians. And that is why the thistle is the national plant of Scotland.
Muileann-cotain ann an Stanley
Tha Stanley ann an Siorrachd Pheairt. Tha e ri taobh Abhainn Tatha, faisg air Peairt. Tha e ainmeil airson dà rud.
Anns a’ chiad dol a-mach bha muilnean-cotain ann. Bha iad gu math mòr. Bha mòran ag obair annta. Bha iad a’ cleachdadh uidheamachd a rinn Ridseard
Arkwright. ’S ann à Sasainn a bha e. Bha e gu math ainmeil.
Bha na muilnean a’ ruith air cumhachd an uisge. Thòisich iad ann an seachd ceud deug, ochdad ’s a sia (1786).
Bha mòran Ghàidheal ag obair ann an Stanley. Bha iad às na glinn ann an Siorrachd Pheairt. Bha a’ Ghàidhlig fhathast làidir an sin aig an àm sin.
Sguir na muilnean ann an naoi ceud deug, ochdad ’s a naoi (1989). Mar sin, bha iad a’ dol airson dà cheud bliadhna. A-nise tha Alba Eachraidheil air an
t-àite a ghabhail thairis. Tha ionad aca do luchd-turais.
Sin Stanley mar a tha e an-diugh. Ach tha an t-àite ainmeil ann an seann eachdraidh na h-Alba cuideachd. Tha e co-cheangailte ris a’ chluaran no fòghnan.
Agus mar as e an cluaran lus nàiseanta na h-Alba.
Faisg air Stanley tha eileach anns an abhainn. Aig aon àm bha e a’ dol tarsainn na h-aibhne. Bha daoine a’ coiseachd thairis air an eileach bho bhruach gu
bruach. Chaidh toll a chur ann am meadhan an eilich anns an naoidheamh linn deug. Bha sin airson leigeil le bradain snàmh suas an abhainn. Faisg air an
eileach bha arm na h-Alba a’ campachadh. Bha arm Lochlannach faisg air làimh. Ach bha iad air taobh eile na h-aibhne.
Air an oidhche chaidh na Lochlannaich tarsainn na h-aibhne air an eileach. Cha robh brògan orra. Bha iad a’ dol a thoirt ionnsaigh air na h-Albannaich.
Ràinig iad am bruach eile. Ach sheas fear de na Lochlannaich air cluaran. Cha robh brògan air. Bha e piantail. Dh’èigh e. Chuala na h-Albannaich e. Bha
sabaid ann. Rinn na h-Albannaich a’ chùis air na Lochlannaich. Agus ’s e sin as coireach gur e an cluaran lus nàiseanta na h-Alba.
