Colin Campbell, Architect
Recently I was in two stately homes that are connected to each other.
One is Brodie Castle in Moray. The other is Stourhead on the borders of
Wiltshire and Somerset in England. They are connected by an architect.
Stourhead is beautiful. It was built early in the eighteenth century.
And the architect who designed it was Colen [sic] Campbell. He was born
in Brodie Castle.
Colen belong to the Campbells who owned Cawdor Castle. He was trained
in law in the University of Edinburgh. But he left his career, and
Scotland, to be an architect in England. He was a disciple of the
classical architecture of the Italian, Andreas Palladio.
Campbell wrote the book
Vitruvius Britannicus
about architecture. His career as an architect didn’t last long. But he
was famous when he died in 1729.
However, his life was not without controversy. He was a Deputy
Surveyor-General at the Royal Board of Works. He examined the state of
the House of Commons. He said the building required a lot of work. But
information was spread that he was involved in deceit. He was hoping to
get a contract for repair work on the building – which was not in as
bad a state as he was claiming!
The day I was in Brodie Castle, there was a drink and food festival
there. I went to a stall where mead was being sold. My wife and I were
chatting in Gaelic. We were in front of the man who was selling the
drink. And he spoke to us in Gaelic!
Chris Mullin is based in Perthshire, with his work facility in
Blairgowrie. He sources his honey in Strathardle. He brews the drink in
a natural way, based on research he performed on old ways of brewing.
I enjoyed meeting him. And his drink was good too!
Cailean Caimbeul, Ailtire
O chionn ghoirid bha mi ann an dà dhachaigh mhòr stàiteil a tha ceangailte
ri chèile. ʼS e fear dhiubh Caisteal Bhrothaigh – Brodie Castle –
ann am Moireibh. ʼS e am fear eile Stourhead air crìochan
Wiltshire is Somerset ann an Sasainn. Tha iad ceangailte ri chèile le
ailtire.
Tha Stourhead brèagha. Chaidh a thogail às ùr tràth anns an ochdamh linn
deug. Agus bʼ e an t-ailtire a dhealbhaich e – Cailean Caimbeul. Rugadh e
ann an Caisteal Bhrothaigh.
Bhuineadh Cailean do na Caimbeulaich leis an robh Caisteal Challadair.
Fhuair e oideachadh ann an lagh ann an Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann. Ach dh’fhàg e
an dreuchd aige, agus Alba, airson a bhith na ailtire ann an Sasainn. Bha e
a’ leantainn ailtireachd chlasaigeach an Eadailtich, Andreas Palladio.
Sgrìobh an Caimbeulach an leabhar Vitruvius Britannicus mu
dheidhinn ailtireachd. Cha do mhair an dreuchd aige mar ailtire fada. Ach
bha e cliùmhor nuair a chaochail e ann an seachd ceud deug, fichead ’s a
naoi (1729).
Ge-tà, cha robh a bheatha às aonais connspaid. Bha e na
Leas-àrd-shuirbhidhear aig a’ Bhòrd Obrach Rìoghail. Rinn e sgrùdadh air
staid Thaigh nan Cumantan. Thuirt e gun robh obair mhòr a dhìth air an
togalach. Ach chaidh fios a sgaoileadh gun robh e ri foill. Bha e an dùil
an cùmhnant fhaighinn airson obair-càraidh air an togalach – nach robh ann
an staid cho dona ’s a bha e a’ cumail a-mach!
An latha a bha mi ann an Caisteal Bhrothaigh, bha fèill dhibhe is bhìdh
ann. Chaidh mi gu stàile far an robhar a’ reic mil-dheoch, no mead. Bha mi fhìn is a’ bhean agam a’ còmhradh ann an Gàidhlig.
Bha sinn air beulaibh an duine a bha a’ reic na dibhe. Agus bhruidhinn e
rinn ann an Gàidhlig!
Tha Crìsdean Mac a’ Mhaoilein stèidhichte ann an Siorrachd Pheairt, le
ionad-obrach ann am Blàr Ghobharaidh. Tha e a’ faighinn na meala aige ann
an Srath Àrdail. Bidh e a’ grùdadh na dibhe ann an dòigh nàdarrach,
stèidhichte air rannsachadh a rinn e air seann dòighean-grùdaidh.
Chòrd e rium coinneachadh ris. Agus bha an deoch aige math cuideachd!
