Presenter: Derek MacAoidh (Derek Mackay)
[DEREK] Tha mi an seo còmhla ri Peigi NicNeacail a tha an-diugh a' fuireach anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Ach, a Pheigi, cò às a tha sibh bho thùs?
[PEIGI] 'S ann à Eilean Lios Mòr a tha mi, eilean beag, faisg air an Òbain.
[DEREK] Cò ris a bha e coltach nuair a bha sibh beag ann?
[PEIGI] 'S e àite gu math sàmhach, socair a bh' ann agus a th' ann an-dràsta cuideachd. Chaidh mi dhan a' bhun-sgoil an-sin.
[DEREK] Agus cia mheud a bh' air an eilean fhèin?
[PEIGI] Gu math faisg air ceud 's trì fichead.
[DEREK] Dè a bhiodh daoine a' dèanamh? Dè an cosnadh a bh' aca?
[PEIGI] 'S e obair tuathanas a' chuid as motha. Bha beagan iasgach ann cuideachd, ach 's e tuathanas, obair tuathanas, crodh agus caoraich.
[DEREK] Agus an ann leotha fhèin a bha an talamh?
[PEIGI] 'S ann leotha fhèin - a' chuid as motha, ach tha pìos aig ceann a deas an eilein agus 's ann le Diùc Earra-Ghàidheil a tha e.
[DEREK] Dè seòrsa cur-seachadan a bh' agaibh nur cloinn air an eilean?
[PEIGI] Bha sinn ... Nuair a bha sinn sa bhun-sgoil, dìreach a' cluiche còmhla ri nàbaidhean a bh' againn agus bha "youth club" ann cuideachd dhuinn agus badmantan cuideachd.
[DEREK] Dè cho fad 's a dh'fhuirich sibh air an eilean ma-thà?
[PEIGI] Chanadh mo mhàthair dìreach airson dusan bliadhna, a chionn 's an uairsin dh'fhalbh mi gu Àrd-sgoil an Òbain agus bha againn ri fuireach air falbh fad na seachdain.
[DEREK] Nuair a dh'fhàg sibh airson an Òbain, cò ris a bha sin coltach?
[PEIGI] Bha e gu math doirbh, gu h-àraid airson a' chiad bhliadhna agus gu hàraid a' chiad mhìos, a chionn 's bha againn ri fuireach san ostail agus 's e dòigh beatha eile a bha sin. Cha robh e coltach ri bhith aig an taigh idir. Bha againn ri bhith a-staigh aig còig uairean airson biadh 's an uairsin, bha obair-dachaigh againn airson uair a thìde.
[DEREK] An robh an cianalas oirbh?
[PEIGI] Bha airson a' chiad mhìos gu h-àraid, ach an uairsin bha sinn a' fàs cleachdte ris an routine ùr againn, agus cha robh dòigh eile ann. Bha againn ri bhith ann agus dìreach faighinn air adhart leis.
[DEREK] An robh daoine ann nur measg a thuirt, "Sin e. Chan fhuiling mi an còrr. Tha mi ag iarraidh dhachaigh"?
[PEIGI] Uill, tha fhios gu robh, ach cha robh an cothrom ann faighinn dhachaigh. Bha agad ri fuireach agus sin mar a bha e.
[DEREK] Cuin a dh'fhàg sibh an sgoil?
[PEIGI] Dh'fhàg mi an sgoil aig deireadh a' chòigeamh bliadhna. Cha robh ùidh agam a' falbh dhan cholaiste no dhan an oilthigh aig an àm sin, agus bha fhios agam nach robh obair air an eilean dhomh so bhiodh agam ri falbh. Bha sanas anns a' phàipear airson obair aig Taigh-Òsta Eilean Iarmain agus chuir mi a-staigh air a shon agus, gu fortanach, fhuair mi an obair. 'S ann airson sia mìosan a bha an obair aig an toiseach, ach dh'fhuirich mi ann airson ochd bliadhna.
[DEREK] Agus bha a' Ghàidhlig mar phàirt dhan adhbhar a fhuair sibh an obair.
[PEIGI] Bha. Bha an sanas gu h-àraid a' canail gun fheumadh Gàidhlig a bhith aig na daoine a bha ag obair san taigh-òsta aig an àm sin.
[DEREK] Carson?
[PEIGI] Tha mi a' smaoineachadh ... Uill, bha e fhèin air Gàidhlig ionnsachadh ...
[DEREK] Sir Iain Noble?
[PEIGI] Sir Iain Noble, agus bha e airson Gàidhlig a bhrosnachadh agus shaoil e gur e rud math a bhiodh seo gu robh an luchd-obrach a' bruidhinn Gàidhlig.
[DEREK] Agus cò ris a bha a' Ghàidhlig anns an Eilean coltach an taca ri ... an taca ris a' Ghàidhlig Liosach?
[PEIGI] A' Ghàidhlig Liosach? Tha ... Tha diofaraichean ann. Can an-seo, bidh iad a' canail, "Bha sinn a' coimhead air rudeigineach," ach chanadh mise, "Bha mi a' coimhead air rudeigineach," so bha faclan ann a bha eadardhealaichte.
[DEREK] A bheil a' Ghàidhlig agaibh air atharrachadh?
[PEIGI] Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil. Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil, beagan, thairis air na bliadhnaichean.
[DEREK] Cò ris a tha a' Ghàidhlig ann an Lios Mòr coltach an-diugh ma-thà?
[PEIGI] Chan eil e cho pailt 's a bha e nuair a bha mi òg. Can airson an ginealach agamsa, chan eil ...cha robh ... cha robh sinn uile a' bruidhinn Gàidhlig. Bha mi fhìn 's mo bhràthair fortanach gu robh Gàidhlig aig na pàrantan againn le chèile, ach airson teaghlaichean eile, can, bhiodh Gàidhlig aig a' mhàthair ach cha robh aig an athair, 's mar sin, cha robh iad a' cumail suas a' Ghàidhlig cho math 's a bha e againne.
[DEREK] 'S an e Gàidhlig Earra-Ghàidheil a th' ann no an e Gàidhlig Loch Abair, no cò ris a tha i coltach?
[PEIGI] 'S e Gàidhlig Earra-Ghàidheil a th' ann. 'S e. Ach tha i gu math faisg air Gàidhlig Loch Abair cuideachd. Tha.
[DEREK] 'S a bheil mòran dhaoine ann an-diugh aig a bheil i? Aig a bheil a' Ghàidhlig?
[PEIGI] Tha beagan ann fhathast, an ginealach as sine, chanainn, ach tha an fheadhainn òga, tha iad airson Gàidhlig ionnsachadh agus tha iad a' faighinn beagan sa bhun-sgoil agus bidh clasaichean Gàidhlig aca thairis air a' gheamhradh.
[DEREK] Agus am bi sibh a' dol air ais ann tric?
[PEIGI] Tha, ach bu thoil leam a dhol ann nas trice na tha mi, ach bidh mi a' dol ann trì no ceithir tursan sa bhliadhna. 'S tha an teaghlach agam ann fhathast. Tha mo mhàthair ann, 's an uncail agam, agus bidh mo bhràthair a' dol ann cuideachd.
[DEREK] 'S e an dachaigh a th' ann.
[PEIGI] 'S e. Gu dearbha.
[DEREK] A Pheigi, tapadh leibh gu mòr.
[PEIGI] 'S e do bheatha.
Presenter: Derek MacAoidh (Derek Mackay)
[DEREK] I'm here with Peggy Nicolson who now lives on the Isle of Skye. But, Peggy, where are you from originally?
[PEGGY] I'm from Lismore, a small island, near Oban.
[DEREK] What was it like there when you were little?
[PEGGY] It was a small, quiet, relaxed place and it still is too. I went to primary school there.
[DEREK] And how many people lived on the island?
[PEGGY] Close to one hundred and sixty.
[DEREK] What did people do? How did they earn a living?
[PEGGY] Mostly farm work. There was a little fishing too, but farming, farm work, cattle and sheep.
[DEREK] And was the land their own?
[PEGGY] Yes, it was their own - most of it, but a section at the south end of the island belongs to the Duke of Argyll.
[DEREK] What sorts of pastimes did you have as children on the island?
[PEGGY] We were ... When we were in primary school, we just played with our neighbours and we also had a youth club as well as badminton.
[DEREK] For how long did you live on the island, then?
[PEGGY] My mother would say for only 12 years, because then I went to Oban High School and we lived away from home during the week.
[DEREK] What was it like when you left for Oban?
[PEGGY] It was pretty difficult, especially for the first year, and particularly the first month, because we had to stay in the hostel and that was a completely different way of life. It wasn't at all like being at home. We had to be in at five for tea and then we did homework for an hour.
[DEREK] Were you homesick?
[PEGGY] Yes, especially for the first month, but then we got used to our new routine and there was no other option. We had to be there and just had to get on with it.
[DEREK] Were there people among you who said, "That's it. I can't take any more. I want to go home"?
[PEGGY] Well, yes, there were, but we had no opportunity to go home. You had to stay and that was that.
[DEREK] When did you leave school?
[PEGGY] I left school at the end of fifth year. I had no interest in going to college or university at that time, and I knew that there wasn't a job on the island for me so I had to leave. There was an advert in the paper for a job at Hotel Eilean Iarmain and I applied for that and, fortunately, I got the job. The job was initially for six months, but I stayed there for eight years.
[DEREK] And Gaelic was part of the reason you got that job.
[PEGGY] Yes. The advert specified that all of the people working in the hotel at that time had to be Gaelic speakers.
[DEREK] Why?
[PEGGY] I think ... Well, he himself had learnt Gaelic ...
[DEREK] Sir Iain Noble?
[PEGGY] Sir Iain Noble, and he wanted to promote Gaelic and he thought it would be a good thing if the staff spoke Gaelic.
[DEREK] And what was the Gaelic on Skye like in comparison with ... in comparison with Lismore Gaelic?
[PEGGY] Lismore Gaelic? There ... There are differences. For example, here, they say, "We were looking at something," but I'd say, "I was looking at something," [different pronunciation] so some of the words were different.
[DEREK] Has your Gaelic changed?
[PEGGY] I'm sure it has. I'm sure it has, over the years.
[DEREK] What is the Gaelic on Lismore like nowadays, then?
[PEGGY] There's less of it than there was when I was young. For example, in my generation, there aren't ... there weren't ... we didn't all speak Gaelic. My brother and I were fortunate that both of our parents spoke Gaelic, but in other families, the mother spoke Gaelic, but the father didn't, and so they didn't keep up their Gaelic as well as we did.
[DEREK] And is it Argyll Gaelic or Lochaber Gaelic, or what's it like?
[PEGGY] It's Argyll Gaelic. Yes. But it's very similar to Lochaber Gaelic too. Yes.
[DEREK] And are there many people nowadays who speak it? Who speak Gaelic?
[PEGGY] There's still a little, among the older generation, I'd say, but the little ones, they want to learn Gaelic, and they get a little in primary school and they have Gaelic classes over the winter.
[DEREK] And do you go back there often?
[PEGGY] Yes, but I'd like to return more often than I do, but I go there three or four times a year. And my family is still there. My mother is there, and my uncle, and my brother goes there too.
[DEREK] It's still home.
[PEGGY] Yes. It is indeed.
[DEREK] Peggy, thank you very much.
[PEGGY] You're welcome.
Presenter: Derek MacAoidh (Derek Mackay)
[DEREK] Tha mi an seo còmhla ri Peigi NicNeacail a tha an-diugh a' fuireach anns an Eilean Sgitheanach. Ach, a Pheigi, cò às a tha sibh bho thùs?
[PEIGI] 'S ann à Eilean Lios Mòr a tha mi, eilean beag, faisg air an Òbain.
[DEREK] Cò ris a bha e coltach nuair a bha sibh beag ann?
[PEIGI] 'S e àite gu math sàmhach, socair a bh' ann agus a th' ann an-dràsta cuideachd. Chaidh mi dhan a' bhun-sgoil an-sin.
[DEREK] Agus cia mheud a bh' air an eilean fhèin?
[PEIGI] Gu math faisg air ceud 's trì fichead.
[DEREK] Dè a bhiodh daoine a' dèanamh? Dè an cosnadh a bh' aca?
[PEIGI] 'S e obair tuathanas a' chuid as motha. Bha beagan iasgach ann cuideachd, ach 's e tuathanas, obair tuathanas, crodh agus caoraich.
[DEREK] Agus an ann leotha fhèin a bha an talamh?
[PEIGI] 'S ann leotha fhèin - a' chuid as motha, ach tha pìos aig ceann a deas an eilein agus 's ann le Diùc Earra-Ghàidheil a tha e.
[DEREK] Dè seòrsa cur-seachadan a bh' agaibh nur cloinn air an eilean?
[PEIGI] Bha sinn ... Nuair a bha sinn sa bhun-sgoil, dìreach a' cluiche còmhla ri nàbaidhean a bh' againn agus bha "youth club" ann cuideachd dhuinn agus badmantan cuideachd.
[DEREK] Dè cho fad 's a dh'fhuirich sibh air an eilean ma-thà?
[PEIGI] Chanadh mo mhàthair dìreach airson dusan bliadhna, a chionn 's an uairsin dh'fhalbh mi gu Àrd-sgoil an Òbain agus bha againn ri fuireach air falbh fad na seachdain.
[DEREK] Nuair a dh'fhàg sibh airson an Òbain, cò ris a bha sin coltach?
[PEIGI] Bha e gu math doirbh, gu h-àraid airson a' chiad bhliadhna agus gu hàraid a' chiad mhìos, a chionn 's bha againn ri fuireach san ostail agus 's e dòigh beatha eile a bha sin. Cha robh e coltach ri bhith aig an taigh idir. Bha againn ri bhith a-staigh aig còig uairean airson biadh 's an uairsin, bha obair-dachaigh againn airson uair a thìde.
[DEREK] An robh an cianalas oirbh?
[PEIGI] Bha airson a' chiad mhìos gu h-àraid, ach an uairsin bha sinn a' fàs cleachdte ris an routine ùr againn, agus cha robh dòigh eile ann. Bha againn ri bhith ann agus dìreach faighinn air adhart leis.
[DEREK] An robh daoine ann nur measg a thuirt, "Sin e. Chan fhuiling mi an còrr. Tha mi ag iarraidh dhachaigh"?
[PEIGI] Uill, tha fhios gu robh, ach cha robh an cothrom ann faighinn dhachaigh. Bha agad ri fuireach agus sin mar a bha e.
[DEREK] Cuin a dh'fhàg sibh an sgoil?
[PEIGI] Dh'fhàg mi an sgoil aig deireadh a' chòigeamh bliadhna. Cha robh ùidh agam a' falbh dhan cholaiste no dhan an oilthigh aig an àm sin, agus bha fhios agam nach robh obair air an eilean dhomh so bhiodh agam ri falbh. Bha sanas anns a' phàipear airson obair aig Taigh-Òsta Eilean Iarmain agus chuir mi a-staigh air a shon agus, gu fortanach, fhuair mi an obair. 'S ann airson sia mìosan a bha an obair aig an toiseach, ach dh'fhuirich mi ann airson ochd bliadhna.
[DEREK] Agus bha a' Ghàidhlig mar phàirt dhan adhbhar a fhuair sibh an obair.
[PEIGI] Bha. Bha an sanas gu h-àraid a' canail gun fheumadh Gàidhlig a bhith aig na daoine a bha ag obair san taigh-òsta aig an àm sin.
[DEREK] Carson?
[PEIGI] Tha mi a' smaoineachadh ... Uill, bha e fhèin air Gàidhlig ionnsachadh ...
[DEREK] Sir Iain Noble?
[PEIGI] Sir Iain Noble, agus bha e airson Gàidhlig a bhrosnachadh agus shaoil e gur e rud math a bhiodh seo gu robh an luchd-obrach a' bruidhinn Gàidhlig.
[DEREK] Agus cò ris a bha a' Ghàidhlig anns an Eilean coltach an taca ri ... an taca ris a' Ghàidhlig Liosach?
[PEIGI] A' Ghàidhlig Liosach? Tha ... Tha diofaraichean ann. Can an-seo, bidh iad a' canail, "Bha sinn a' coimhead air rudeigineach," ach chanadh mise, "Bha mi a' coimhead air rudeigineach," so bha faclan ann a bha eadardhealaichte.
[DEREK] A bheil a' Ghàidhlig agaibh air atharrachadh?
[PEIGI] Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil. Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil, beagan, thairis air na bliadhnaichean.
[DEREK] Cò ris a tha a' Ghàidhlig ann an Lios Mòr coltach an-diugh ma-thà?
[PEIGI] Chan eil e cho pailt 's a bha e nuair a bha mi òg. Can airson an ginealach agamsa, chan eil ...cha robh ... cha robh sinn uile a' bruidhinn Gàidhlig. Bha mi fhìn 's mo bhràthair fortanach gu robh Gàidhlig aig na pàrantan againn le chèile, ach airson teaghlaichean eile, can, bhiodh Gàidhlig aig a' mhàthair ach cha robh aig an athair, 's mar sin, cha robh iad a' cumail suas a' Ghàidhlig cho math 's a bha e againne.
[DEREK] 'S an e Gàidhlig Earra-Ghàidheil a th' ann no an e Gàidhlig Loch Abair, no cò ris a tha i coltach?
[PEIGI] 'S e Gàidhlig Earra-Ghàidheil a th' ann. 'S e. Ach tha i gu math faisg air Gàidhlig Loch Abair cuideachd. Tha.
[DEREK] 'S a bheil mòran dhaoine ann an-diugh aig a bheil i? Aig a bheil a' Ghàidhlig?
[PEIGI] Tha beagan ann fhathast, an ginealach as sine, chanainn, ach tha an fheadhainn òga, tha iad airson Gàidhlig ionnsachadh agus tha iad a' faighinn beagan sa bhun-sgoil agus bidh clasaichean Gàidhlig aca thairis air a' gheamhradh.
[DEREK] Agus am bi sibh a' dol air ais ann tric?
[PEIGI] Tha, ach bu thoil leam a dhol ann nas trice na tha mi, ach bidh mi a' dol ann trì no ceithir tursan sa bhliadhna. 'S tha an teaghlach agam ann fhathast. Tha mo mhàthair ann, 's an uncail agam, agus bidh mo bhràthair a' dol ann cuideachd.
[DEREK] 'S e an dachaigh a th' ann.
[PEIGI] 'S e. Gu dearbha.
[DEREK] A Pheigi, tapadh leibh gu mòr.
[PEIGI] 'S e do bheatha.
Presenter: Derek MacAoidh (Derek Mackay)
[DEREK] I'm here with Peggy Nicolson who now lives on the Isle of Skye. But, Peggy, where are you from originally?
[PEGGY] I'm from Lismore, a small island, near Oban.
[DEREK] What was it like there when you were little?
[PEGGY] It was a small, quiet, relaxed place and it still is too. I went to primary school there.
[DEREK] And how many people lived on the island?
[PEGGY] Close to one hundred and sixty.
[DEREK] What did people do? How did they earn a living?
[PEGGY] Mostly farm work. There was a little fishing too, but farming, farm work, cattle and sheep.
[DEREK] And was the land their own?
[PEGGY] Yes, it was their own - most of it, but a section at the south end of the island belongs to the Duke of Argyll.
[DEREK] What sorts of pastimes did you have as children on the island?
[PEGGY] We were ... When we were in primary school, we just played with our neighbours and we also had a youth club as well as badminton.
[DEREK] For how long did you live on the island, then?
[PEGGY] My mother would say for only 12 years, because then I went to Oban High School and we lived away from home during the week.
[DEREK] What was it like when you left for Oban?
[PEGGY] It was pretty difficult, especially for the first year, and particularly the first month, because we had to stay in the hostel and that was a completely different way of life. It wasn't at all like being at home. We had to be in at five for tea and then we did homework for an hour.
[DEREK] Were you homesick?
[PEGGY] Yes, especially for the first month, but then we got used to our new routine and there was no other option. We had to be there and just had to get on with it.
[DEREK] Were there people among you who said, "That's it. I can't take any more. I want to go home"?
[PEGGY] Well, yes, there were, but we had no opportunity to go home. You had to stay and that was that.
[DEREK] When did you leave school?
[PEGGY] I left school at the end of fifth year. I had no interest in going to college or university at that time, and I knew that there wasn't a job on the island for me so I had to leave. There was an advert in the paper for a job at Hotel Eilean Iarmain and I applied for that and, fortunately, I got the job. The job was initially for six months, but I stayed there for eight years.
[DEREK] And Gaelic was part of the reason you got that job.
[PEGGY] Yes. The advert specified that all of the people working in the hotel at that time had to be Gaelic speakers.
[DEREK] Why?
[PEGGY] I think ... Well, he himself had learnt Gaelic ...
[DEREK] Sir Iain Noble?
[PEGGY] Sir Iain Noble, and he wanted to promote Gaelic and he thought it would be a good thing if the staff spoke Gaelic.
[DEREK] And what was the Gaelic on Skye like in comparison with ... in comparison with Lismore Gaelic?
[PEGGY] Lismore Gaelic? There ... There are differences. For example, here, they say, "We were looking at something," but I'd say, "I was looking at something," [different pronunciation] so some of the words were different.
[DEREK] Has your Gaelic changed?
[PEGGY] I'm sure it has. I'm sure it has, over the years.
[DEREK] What is the Gaelic on Lismore like nowadays, then?
[PEGGY] There's less of it than there was when I was young. For example, in my generation, there aren't ... there weren't ... we didn't all speak Gaelic. My brother and I were fortunate that both of our parents spoke Gaelic, but in other families, the mother spoke Gaelic, but the father didn't, and so they didn't keep up their Gaelic as well as we did.
[DEREK] And is it Argyll Gaelic or Lochaber Gaelic, or what's it like?
[PEGGY] It's Argyll Gaelic. Yes. But it's very similar to Lochaber Gaelic too. Yes.
[DEREK] And are there many people nowadays who speak it? Who speak Gaelic?
[PEGGY] There's still a little, among the older generation, I'd say, but the little ones, they want to learn Gaelic, and they get a little in primary school and they have Gaelic classes over the winter.
[DEREK] And do you go back there often?
[PEGGY] Yes, but I'd like to return more often than I do, but I go there three or four times a year. And my family is still there. My mother is there, and my uncle, and my brother goes there too.
[DEREK] It's still home.
[PEGGY] Yes. It is indeed.
[DEREK] Peggy, thank you very much.
[PEGGY] You're welcome.