[Anna] Fàilte, an toiseach a-nochd Gilleasbuig Fearghasdan. Bidh sibh eòlach air-san bhon obair a bhios e a’ dèanamh air telebhisean agus a thuilleadh air an sin bidh esan a’ ceannachd agus a’ reic seann leabhraichean à seada aig bonn a’ ghàrraidh. Fàilte ort, a Ghilleasbuig. Agus còmhla ris-san tha Catrìona NicRath a bhuineas do Ghabhsann an Eilean Leòdhais ach an-diugh a’ fuireach agus ag obair mar dhotair teaghlaich ann an Glaschu. Fàilte ortsa, a Chatrìona.
[Catrìona] Fàilte.
[Anna] Nis a bharrachd air a bhith a’ bruidhinn air na trì leabhraichean as fheàrr leotha, tha mi air iarraidh orra cuideachd aon dhiubh sin a mholadh do chàch a chèile a leughadh agus gheibh sinn a-mach mu na leabhraichean a tha sin nas fhaide air a’ phrògram. A’ tòiseachadh agadsa a Ghilleasbuig, bha thu ann an Nis airson bhliadhnaichean nuair a bha thu beag. Dè seòrsa saoghail a bh’ agad ann an Leòdhas?
[Gilleasbuig] Uill mar a thuirt tè rium nuair a chaidh mi a chèilidh ann an Nis o chionn goirid “’s math am bainne a fhuair thu”. Bha e math. ’S e àite … àite beòthail a bh’ ann an Nis nuair a bha mi beag. ’S dòcha nach eil uiread de shluagh ann an-diugh ach an uair sin bha tòrr dhaoine a’ fuireach ann agus bha a’ Ghàidhlig bitheanta. ’S i a bh’ aig a’ mhòr-chuid de dhaoine nuair a bha iad a-mach.
[Anna] Agus ’s e d’ athair a thug ann sibh.
[Gilleasbuig] ’S e. Bha m’ athair na mhinistear san Eaglais Stèidhichte ’s bha e an sin nuair a rugadh mise ann an seachdad ’s a còig agus bha sinn ann còig bliadhna gus an d’ fhuair e gairm a Phort Rìgh san Eilean Sgitheanach agus mar sin ...
[Anna] Agus tha mi a’ creidsinn nuair a bha thu ann am mansa, ’s e àite trang a tha sin le daoine a-mach ’s a-steach.
[Gilleasbuig] Daoine a-mach ’s a-steach an-còmhnaidh. Daoine a’ tadhal, ministearan eile, daoine a’ tighinn a choimhead air m’ athair, èildearan, daoine a’ cèilidh an-còmhnaidh.
[Anna] Bhiodh e annasach uaireannan.
[Gilleasbuig] Bha. Tha cuimhne a’m bha Iain Paisley ann turas. Chan eil fhios a’m carson a bha e ann an Nis ach bha ministear, thug e Iain a chèilidh air m’ athair. Tha seòrsa de chuimhne agam air an cruitheachd mhòr a bha seo a’ nochdadh aig an doras.
[Anna] Duine mòr a bh’ ann.
[Gilleasbuig] Duine mòr.
[Anna] Nise, nuair a bha thu ag èirigh, nuair a bha thu a’ fàs suas, dè seòrsa rud a bhiodh tu a’ leughadh?
[Gilleasbuig] Uill an ùidh a bu mhotha a bh’ agamsa nuair a bha mi beag ’s e saoghal nàdair agus beathaichean dhen h-uile seòrsa agus tha mi a’ smaoineachainn gur e an rud, ’s e rud a bu mhotha a ghlac m’ aire nuair a bha mi beag ’s e, cha b’ e leabhar a bh’ ann idir ach cairtean a bha an Reader’s Digest a’ cur a-mach air an robh dealbhan den h-uile seòrsa creutair agus air a’ chùl bha fiosrachadh mu dheidhinn agus bha seòrsa de bhogsa plastaig anns an robh na cairtean seo –ceudan dhiubh – agus mas math mo chuimhne, bha mise air a h-uile gin dhiubh, bha fhios agam dè bh’ annta, bha mi air a h-uile fear ionnsachadh. ’S e sin an seòrsa party piece a bh’ agam – daoine a bhith a’ taghadh agus …
[Anna] “Dè am beathach a tha seo?”
[Gilleasbuig] … dh’innsinn dhaibh. Mar sin, agus lean sin rium fad làithean na sgoile agus gu h-àraidh bha ùidh agam ann an eòin, eunlaith. ’S e an cuspair a b’ fheàrr a chòrd rium nuair a bha mi san sgoil, agus mar sin lean mi orm ’s chaidh mi, rinn mi bith-eòlas, biology, anns an oilthigh ann an Obar Dheathain.
[Anna] ’S tha sinn a’ fuireach ann an Nis airson a’ chiad leabhair agadsa. ’S e leabhar sònraichte a th’ ann leat fhèin. Nach seall thu dhomh an leabhar ’s innis dhomh dè th’ ann.
[Gilleasbuig] Uill tha dà lethbhreac agam dheth an seo. ’S e “A’ suathadh ri iomadh rubha” le Aonghas Caimbeul - no “Am Puilean”, am far-ainm a bh’ air – agus ‘s e seo ’s dòcha an còmhdach as fheàrr as aithne do dhaoine a tha eòlach air an leabhar ach sin an aon rud mun leabhar nach do chòrd riumsa agus seach gu bheil mi ...
[Anna] Tha e gu math seann-fhasanta, nach eil? An seòrsa còmhdaich a tha sin.
[Gilleasbuig] Tha, còmhdach car … Chan aithne thu bhon chòmhdach cho prìseil ’s a tha an leabhar ach, agus tha e bog cuideachd. ’S fheàrr leamsa còmhdach cruaidh ’s chuir mi còmhdach cruaidh air an lethbhreac agam fhèin.
[Anna] Thu fhèin a rinn sin?
[Gilleasbuig] Mi fhèin a rinn ... Bha mi a’ dèanamh, tha mi air a dhà no trì cùrsaichean a dhèanamh ann an ceangal leabhraichean agus chuir mi aodach agus leathar air an fhear seo. Bha mi a’ smaoineachadh gun robh an leabhar gu math airidh air còmhdach nas spaideile.
[Anna] Nise, tha fhios gum bi feadhainn eòlach air a’ Phuilean ach dè th’ anns an leabhar a tha sin agus thoir beachd dhuinn air an t-seòrsa farsaingeachd a th’ ann.
[Gilleasbuig] Uill tha … bha … an rud a rinn Am Puilean ’s e rud nach do rinn duine a-riamh ron a sin. Gàidheal a sgrìobh mu a bheatha fhèin, na chànan fhèin agus mar sin ’s e leabhar uabhasach cudromach a th’ ann anns an t-seagh sin fhèin, ach a thuilleadh air an sin chan ann a-mhàin gun robh beatha iongantach aig an duine bho òige suas tro na … tro a bheatha a’ fàs suas agus a’ gluasad air feadh an t-saoghail ann an diofar obraichean mar shaighdear, mar bhuachaille, mar sheòladair, agus mu dheireadh a’ gluasad air ais a Nis ach gu bheil e air a sgrìobhadh ann an cainnt cho brìoghmhor, cho inntinneach ’s cho àlainn agus cha chreid mi gun do leugh mi càil a-riamh a thug bàrr air an leabhar anns an t-seagh sin cuideachd so leabhar …
[Anna] Thoir beachd dhuinn ma-thà. Nach leugh thu pìos beag dhuinn? Tha thu air cuibhreann dheth a thaghadh.
[Gilleasbuig] Mar a thuirt mi ’s e seòladair a bh’ ann agus seo dìreach earrann beag airson sealltainn an seòrsa cainnt a bhiodh e a’ cleachdadh
Chaidh am prògram seo, Leugh Mi, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2015.
[Anne] Welcome, first tonight is Gilleasbuig Ferguson. You will know him from the work he does on television and more than that he buys and sells old books from a seat at the bottom of his garden. Welcome, Gilleasbuig. And with him is Catriona MacRae that belongs to Galson in the Isle of Lewis but todays lives and works as a GP in Glasgow. Welcome, Catriona.
[Catriona] Welcome.
[Anne] Now as well as talking about their three favourite books, I have also asked them to recommend one of them to each other to read and we will find out about those books further into the programme. Starting with you Gilleasbuig, you were in Ness for years when you were little. What sort of world did you have in Lewis?
[Gilleasbuig] Well as a woman said to me when I was visiting in Ness recently “the milk that you got was good”. It was good. It is a … place … Ness was a lively place when I was little. Maybe there isn’t as many people there today but then lots of people lived there and Gaelic was common. Most people spoke it when they were out and about.
[Anne] And it was your father that took you there.
[Gilleasbuig] It was. My father was a minister in the Established Church and he was there when I was born in seventy five and we were there for five years until he was called to Portree in the Isle of Skye and so …
[Anne] And I guess when you were in a manse, that is a busy place with people in and out.
[Gilleasbuig] Always people in and out. People visiting, other ministers, people coming to see my father, elders, always people visiting.
[Anne] It would be strange sometimes.
[Gilleasbuig] It was. I remember Ian Paisley being there one. I don’t know why he was in Ness but a minister was, he took Ian to visit my father. I have a sort of memory of this big creation appearing at the door.
[Anne] He was a big man.
[Gilleasbuig] A big man.
[Anne] Now, were you were growing up, what sort of thing would you read?
[Gilleasbuig] Well my greatest interest when I was little was the natural world and animals of every sort and I think that the thing, the thing that caught my attention the most when I was little was, it wasn’t a book at all but cards that the Reader’s Digest produced that had pictures of every sort of creature and on the back there was information about it and there was a sort of plastic boxes in which these cards were – the hundreds of them – and if I remember correctly, I had [learnt] every one of them, I knew what they were, I had learnt every one. That was my sort of party piece – people picking and …
[Anne] “What animal is this?”
[Gilleasbuig] … I would tell them. So that followed me through my school days and I was especially interested in birds. It was my favourite subject when I was in school, and so I followed on and I went, I did biology at university in Aberdeen.
[Anne] And we are staying in Ness for your first book. It is an important book for you. Why not show me the book and tell me what it is.
[Gilleasbuig] Well I have two copies of it here. It is “A’ suathadh ri iomadh rubha” by Angus Campbell – or “Am Puilean”, his nickname – and this is maybe the most well-known cover for people that know the book but that is the one thing about the book that I didn’t like and since I am …
[Anne] It is very old fashioned, isn’t it? That sort of cover.
[Gilleasbuig] It is, quite a … cover … You don’t realise from the cover how precious the book is but, and it is soft too. I prefer a hardback and I put a hardback on my own copy.
[Anne] You yourself did that?
[Gilleasbuig] Myself that did ... I was doing, I have done two or three book binding courses and I put fabric and leather on this one. I thought that the book was very deserving of a fancier cover.
[Anne] Now, I know that some people will know the Puilean but what is that book and give us an idea of its sort of scope.
[Gilleasbuig] Well the thing that the Puilean does … did … is something that nobody had previously done. A Gael writing about his own life, in his own language and so in that sense alone it is a terribly important book, but more than that the man didn’t just have a remarkable life from his youth up through the … through his life growing up and travelling throughout the world in different jobs such as a solider, a shepherd, a sailor, and finally moving back to Ness but it is written in such meaningful, such interesting and such beautiful language and I don’t think that I have ever read anything that outdid the book in that sense too so a … book …
[Anne] Give us an idea then. Why not read us a small piece? You have chosen a part of it.
[Gilleasbuig] As I said he was a sailor and this is just a little extract to show the sort of language that he would use.
This programme, Leugh Mi, was first broadcast in 2015.
[Anna] Fàilte, an toiseach a-nochd Gilleasbuig Fearghasdan. Bidh sibh eòlach air-san bhon obair a bhios e a’ dèanamh air telebhisean agus a thuilleadh air an sin bidh esan a’ ceannachd agus a’ reic seann leabhraichean à seada aig bonn a’ ghàrraidh. Fàilte ort, a Ghilleasbuig. Agus còmhla ris-san tha Catrìona NicRath a bhuineas do Ghabhsann an Eilean Leòdhais ach an-diugh a’ fuireach agus ag obair mar dhotair teaghlaich ann an Glaschu. Fàilte ortsa, a Chatrìona.
[Catrìona] Fàilte.
[Anna] Nis a bharrachd air a bhith a’ bruidhinn air na trì leabhraichean as fheàrr leotha, tha mi air iarraidh orra cuideachd aon dhiubh sin a mholadh do chàch a chèile a leughadh agus gheibh sinn a-mach mu na leabhraichean a tha sin nas fhaide air a’ phrògram. A’ tòiseachadh agadsa a Ghilleasbuig, bha thu ann an Nis airson bhliadhnaichean nuair a bha thu beag. Dè seòrsa saoghail a bh’ agad ann an Leòdhas?
[Gilleasbuig] Uill mar a thuirt tè rium nuair a chaidh mi a chèilidh ann an Nis o chionn goirid “’s math am bainne a fhuair thu”. Bha e math. ’S e àite … àite beòthail a bh’ ann an Nis nuair a bha mi beag. ’S dòcha nach eil uiread de shluagh ann an-diugh ach an uair sin bha tòrr dhaoine a’ fuireach ann agus bha a’ Ghàidhlig bitheanta. ’S i a bh’ aig a’ mhòr-chuid de dhaoine nuair a bha iad a-mach.
[Anna] Agus ’s e d’ athair a thug ann sibh.
[Gilleasbuig] ’S e. Bha m’ athair na mhinistear san Eaglais Stèidhichte ’s bha e an sin nuair a rugadh mise ann an seachdad ’s a còig agus bha sinn ann còig bliadhna gus an d’ fhuair e gairm a Phort Rìgh san Eilean Sgitheanach agus mar sin ...
[Anna] Agus tha mi a’ creidsinn nuair a bha thu ann am mansa, ’s e àite trang a tha sin le daoine a-mach ’s a-steach.
[Gilleasbuig] Daoine a-mach ’s a-steach an-còmhnaidh. Daoine a’ tadhal, ministearan eile, daoine a’ tighinn a choimhead air m’ athair, èildearan, daoine a’ cèilidh an-còmhnaidh.
[Anna] Bhiodh e annasach uaireannan.
[Gilleasbuig] Bha. Tha cuimhne a’m bha Iain Paisley ann turas. Chan eil fhios a’m carson a bha e ann an Nis ach bha ministear, thug e Iain a chèilidh air m’ athair. Tha seòrsa de chuimhne agam air an cruitheachd mhòr a bha seo a’ nochdadh aig an doras.
[Anna] Duine mòr a bh’ ann.
[Gilleasbuig] Duine mòr.
[Anna] Nise, nuair a bha thu ag èirigh, nuair a bha thu a’ fàs suas, dè seòrsa rud a bhiodh tu a’ leughadh?
[Gilleasbuig] Uill an ùidh a bu mhotha a bh’ agamsa nuair a bha mi beag ’s e saoghal nàdair agus beathaichean dhen h-uile seòrsa agus tha mi a’ smaoineachainn gur e an rud, ’s e rud a bu mhotha a ghlac m’ aire nuair a bha mi beag ’s e, cha b’ e leabhar a bh’ ann idir ach cairtean a bha an Reader’s Digest a’ cur a-mach air an robh dealbhan den h-uile seòrsa creutair agus air a’ chùl bha fiosrachadh mu dheidhinn agus bha seòrsa de bhogsa plastaig anns an robh na cairtean seo –ceudan dhiubh – agus mas math mo chuimhne, bha mise air a h-uile gin dhiubh, bha fhios agam dè bh’ annta, bha mi air a h-uile fear ionnsachadh. ’S e sin an seòrsa party piece a bh’ agam – daoine a bhith a’ taghadh agus …
[Anna] “Dè am beathach a tha seo?”
[Gilleasbuig] … dh’innsinn dhaibh. Mar sin, agus lean sin rium fad làithean na sgoile agus gu h-àraidh bha ùidh agam ann an eòin, eunlaith. ’S e an cuspair a b’ fheàrr a chòrd rium nuair a bha mi san sgoil, agus mar sin lean mi orm ’s chaidh mi, rinn mi bith-eòlas, biology, anns an oilthigh ann an Obar Dheathain.
[Anna] ’S tha sinn a’ fuireach ann an Nis airson a’ chiad leabhair agadsa. ’S e leabhar sònraichte a th’ ann leat fhèin. Nach seall thu dhomh an leabhar ’s innis dhomh dè th’ ann.
[Gilleasbuig] Uill tha dà lethbhreac agam dheth an seo. ’S e “A’ suathadh ri iomadh rubha” le Aonghas Caimbeul - no “Am Puilean”, am far-ainm a bh’ air – agus ‘s e seo ’s dòcha an còmhdach as fheàrr as aithne do dhaoine a tha eòlach air an leabhar ach sin an aon rud mun leabhar nach do chòrd riumsa agus seach gu bheil mi ...
[Anna] Tha e gu math seann-fhasanta, nach eil? An seòrsa còmhdaich a tha sin.
[Gilleasbuig] Tha, còmhdach car … Chan aithne thu bhon chòmhdach cho prìseil ’s a tha an leabhar ach, agus tha e bog cuideachd. ’S fheàrr leamsa còmhdach cruaidh ’s chuir mi còmhdach cruaidh air an lethbhreac agam fhèin.
[Anna] Thu fhèin a rinn sin?
[Gilleasbuig] Mi fhèin a rinn ... Bha mi a’ dèanamh, tha mi air a dhà no trì cùrsaichean a dhèanamh ann an ceangal leabhraichean agus chuir mi aodach agus leathar air an fhear seo. Bha mi a’ smaoineachadh gun robh an leabhar gu math airidh air còmhdach nas spaideile.
[Anna] Nise, tha fhios gum bi feadhainn eòlach air a’ Phuilean ach dè th’ anns an leabhar a tha sin agus thoir beachd dhuinn air an t-seòrsa farsaingeachd a th’ ann.
[Gilleasbuig] Uill tha … bha … an rud a rinn Am Puilean ’s e rud nach do rinn duine a-riamh ron a sin. Gàidheal a sgrìobh mu a bheatha fhèin, na chànan fhèin agus mar sin ’s e leabhar uabhasach cudromach a th’ ann anns an t-seagh sin fhèin, ach a thuilleadh air an sin chan ann a-mhàin gun robh beatha iongantach aig an duine bho òige suas tro na … tro a bheatha a’ fàs suas agus a’ gluasad air feadh an t-saoghail ann an diofar obraichean mar shaighdear, mar bhuachaille, mar sheòladair, agus mu dheireadh a’ gluasad air ais a Nis ach gu bheil e air a sgrìobhadh ann an cainnt cho brìoghmhor, cho inntinneach ’s cho àlainn agus cha chreid mi gun do leugh mi càil a-riamh a thug bàrr air an leabhar anns an t-seagh sin cuideachd so leabhar …
[Anna] Thoir beachd dhuinn ma-thà. Nach leugh thu pìos beag dhuinn? Tha thu air cuibhreann dheth a thaghadh.
[Gilleasbuig] Mar a thuirt mi ’s e seòladair a bh’ ann agus seo dìreach earrann beag airson sealltainn an seòrsa cainnt a bhiodh e a’ cleachdadh
Chaidh am prògram seo, Leugh Mi, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2015.
[Anne] Welcome, first tonight is Gilleasbuig Ferguson. You will know him from the work he does on television and more than that he buys and sells old books from a seat at the bottom of his garden. Welcome, Gilleasbuig. And with him is Catriona MacRae that belongs to Galson in the Isle of Lewis but todays lives and works as a GP in Glasgow. Welcome, Catriona.
[Catriona] Welcome.
[Anne] Now as well as talking about their three favourite books, I have also asked them to recommend one of them to each other to read and we will find out about those books further into the programme. Starting with you Gilleasbuig, you were in Ness for years when you were little. What sort of world did you have in Lewis?
[Gilleasbuig] Well as a woman said to me when I was visiting in Ness recently “the milk that you got was good”. It was good. It is a … place … Ness was a lively place when I was little. Maybe there isn’t as many people there today but then lots of people lived there and Gaelic was common. Most people spoke it when they were out and about.
[Anne] And it was your father that took you there.
[Gilleasbuig] It was. My father was a minister in the Established Church and he was there when I was born in seventy five and we were there for five years until he was called to Portree in the Isle of Skye and so …
[Anne] And I guess when you were in a manse, that is a busy place with people in and out.
[Gilleasbuig] Always people in and out. People visiting, other ministers, people coming to see my father, elders, always people visiting.
[Anne] It would be strange sometimes.
[Gilleasbuig] It was. I remember Ian Paisley being there one. I don’t know why he was in Ness but a minister was, he took Ian to visit my father. I have a sort of memory of this big creation appearing at the door.
[Anne] He was a big man.
[Gilleasbuig] A big man.
[Anne] Now, were you were growing up, what sort of thing would you read?
[Gilleasbuig] Well my greatest interest when I was little was the natural world and animals of every sort and I think that the thing, the thing that caught my attention the most when I was little was, it wasn’t a book at all but cards that the Reader’s Digest produced that had pictures of every sort of creature and on the back there was information about it and there was a sort of plastic boxes in which these cards were – the hundreds of them – and if I remember correctly, I had [learnt] every one of them, I knew what they were, I had learnt every one. That was my sort of party piece – people picking and …
[Anne] “What animal is this?”
[Gilleasbuig] … I would tell them. So that followed me through my school days and I was especially interested in birds. It was my favourite subject when I was in school, and so I followed on and I went, I did biology at university in Aberdeen.
[Anne] And we are staying in Ness for your first book. It is an important book for you. Why not show me the book and tell me what it is.
[Gilleasbuig] Well I have two copies of it here. It is “A’ suathadh ri iomadh rubha” by Angus Campbell – or “Am Puilean”, his nickname – and this is maybe the most well-known cover for people that know the book but that is the one thing about the book that I didn’t like and since I am …
[Anne] It is very old fashioned, isn’t it? That sort of cover.
[Gilleasbuig] It is, quite a … cover … You don’t realise from the cover how precious the book is but, and it is soft too. I prefer a hardback and I put a hardback on my own copy.
[Anne] You yourself did that?
[Gilleasbuig] Myself that did ... I was doing, I have done two or three book binding courses and I put fabric and leather on this one. I thought that the book was very deserving of a fancier cover.
[Anne] Now, I know that some people will know the Puilean but what is that book and give us an idea of its sort of scope.
[Gilleasbuig] Well the thing that the Puilean does … did … is something that nobody had previously done. A Gael writing about his own life, in his own language and so in that sense alone it is a terribly important book, but more than that the man didn’t just have a remarkable life from his youth up through the … through his life growing up and travelling throughout the world in different jobs such as a solider, a shepherd, a sailor, and finally moving back to Ness but it is written in such meaningful, such interesting and such beautiful language and I don’t think that I have ever read anything that outdid the book in that sense too so a … book …
[Anne] Give us an idea then. Why not read us a small piece? You have chosen a part of it.
[Gilleasbuig] As I said he was a sailor and this is just a little extract to show the sort of language that he would use.
This programme, Leugh Mi, was first broadcast in 2015.