Corryvreckan (1)
There’s a famous place on Jura called
Cnoc an t-Sabhail
. People are more familiar with it in its English guise – Barnhill.
It’s famous because that’s where George Orwell wrote his famous novel
1984.
North of Barnhill there is another famous place – the Corryvreckan. The
Corryvreckan is the most famous whirlpool in Scotland, and the third
most powerful in the world. It is north of Jura, in the narrows between
Jura and Scarba. It is a danger to mariners.
You’ll understand that it’s ‘whirlpool’ I mean by ‘
cuairt-shruth’
. Does the Corryvreckan, however, really swallow mariners? Well,
according to a report I read on the internet, a film crew did a test.
They threw a mannequin into the Corryvreckan. It had on a lifejacket,
and also a depth gauge.
The mannequin was swallowed up by the current and it disappeared under
the sea. When it appeared again on the surface, it was a distance away.
The depth gauge showed that it had gone down to eight hundred feet
below the surface of the sea! Now, my marine chart tells me that the
depth does not exceed two hundred metres. But, anyway, apparently, the
mannequin went into the depths.
A year or two ago, my son told me he was going to swim in the
Corryvreckan. He is very competent at swimming in challenging places.
But the Corryvreckan is exceptionally challenging. Before I had a
chance to question him, he said, ‘It will be at slack tide!’ But slack
tide does not last long. It’s the flood tide that’s most dangerous,
particularly during spring tides. The whirlpool appears, as does a sea
current running at eight knots.
The Corryvreckan is only six kilometres from the house in which George
Orwell was living. One summer’s day, the famous writer almost lost his life
there. I’ll tell you more about what happened next week.
Coire Bhreacain (1)
Tha àite ainmeil ann an Diùra air a bheil Cnoc an t-Sabhail mar ainm. Tha e
nas aithnichte do dhaoine le dreach na Beurla air – Barnhill. Tha
e ainmeil a chionn ʼs gur ann an sin a sgrìobh George Orwell an nobhail
aige 1984.
Gu tuath air Cnoc an t-Sabhail tha àite ainmeil eile – Coire Bhreacain. ʼS
e Coire Bhreacain an cuairt-shruth as ainmeile ann an Alba, agus an treas
fear as cumhachdaiche anns an t-saoghal. Tha e gu tuath air Diùra, anns a’
chaolas eadar Diùra agus Sgarba. Tha e na chunnart do mharaichean.
Tuigidh sibh gur e whirlpool a tha mi a’ ciallachadh le
‘cuairt-shruth’. Am bi Coire Bhreacain, ge-tà, dha-rìribh a’ slugadh
mharaichean? Uill, a rèir aithris a leugh mi air an eadar-lìon, rinn sgioba
filmidh deuchainn. Thilg iad corp fuadain a steach a Choire Bhreacain. Bha
seacaid-sàbhalaidh air a’ chorp, agus inneal-tomhais doimhneachd cuideachd.
Chaidh an corp a shlugadh leis an t-sruth agus dh’fhalbh e fon mhuir. Nuair
a nochd e a-rithist air uachdar, bha e pìos air falbh. Sheall an
t-inneal-tomhais doimhneachd gun robh e air a dhol sìos gu ochd ceud troigh
fo uachdar na mara! Nise, tha a’ chairt-mhara agam ag innse dhomh nach eil
an doimhneachd a’ dol seachad air dà cheud meatair. Ach, co-dhiù, a rèir
choltais, chaidh an corp fuadain don aigeann.
Bliadhna no dhà air ais, thuirt mo mhac rium gun robh e a’ dol a shnàmh ann
an Coire Bhreacain. Tha e gu math comasach a bhith a’ snàmh ann an
àiteachan dùbhlanach. Ach tha Coire Bhreacain tuilleadh is dùbhlanach. Mus
d’ fhuair mi cothrom ceist a chur air, thuirt e, ‘Aig àm an eadar-shruth a
bhitheas e!’ Ach cha mhair an t-eadar-shruth fada. ʼS e an sruth-lìonaidh
as cunnartaiche, gu h-àraidh aig àm an reothairt. Nochdaidh a’
chuairt-shruth, agus sruth-mara a tha a’ dol aig ochd mìle-mara san uair.
Tha Coire Bhreacain dìreach sia cilemeatairean air falbh bhon taigh anns an
robh George Orwell a’ fuireach
.
Aon latha samhraidh, cha mhor nach do chaill an sgrìobhadair ainmeil a
bheatha ann. Innsidh mi dhuibh tuilleadh mu na thachair an-ath-sheachdain.
