[Iain Macaonghais – Preaseantair] A-nis, a’ chiad ann an sreath de dh’aithrisean mu Eilean an Scarp. A-nochd agus gach oidhche dhen t-seachdain seo, gheibh sinn sealladh air an Eilean, mar a bha e, mar a tha e an-diugh agus iomradh air tasglann de dheilbh agus làmh-sgrìobhaidhean a thàinig am follais bho chionn ghoirid. A-nochd tha Ruaraidh Rothach a’ toirt Ùisdean MacIllinnein air ais dhan Eilean, far an do chuir e seachad làithean-saora an t-Samhraidh na òige.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Tha ainm an Scarp a’ tighinn bhon sean-fhacal Lochlannach airson talamh creagach, cruaidh no talamh nach eil buileach torrach agus gu dearbha, a’ coimhead mu chuairt, chan eil mòran talamh àitich an seo. Ach a-rèir nan Scarpach fhèin, bha deagh bhith-beò aca. Cha robh dìth sam bith orra tha iad ag ràdha. Ach, a dh’aindeoin sin, aig deireadh an dàrna cogaidh thòisich àireamh an t-sluaigh a’ crìonadh gu mòr an seo. Bha daoine air beagan dhen t-saoghal mhòr fhaicinn agus na goireasan a bh’ aig daoine eile nach robh acasan an seo. A dh’aindeoin sin ge-tà, tha na daoine a dh’fhalbh agus na daoine le ceanglaichean ris an eilean dhen aon bharail. ‘S e sin, gu bheil tarraing làidir aig an Scarp fhathast.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Ùisdean MacIllinnein a’ tilleadh dhan Scarp, dachaigh a mhàthar, ‘s i an tè as sine tha beò fhathast a rugadh sa Scarp. Ged a thogadh Ùisdean air tìr-mòr, chuir e seachad samhraidhean còmhla ri chàirdean san eilean.
[Ùisdean MacIllinnein] Tha tòrr dhaoine smaoineachadh gun do rugadh ‘s gun do thogadh mise anns an Scarp agus tha sin fhèin annasach ann an dòigh ‘s tha mi cinnteach gur ann air sgàth nan rudan a tha mi dèanamh ‘s cho tric ‘s a tha mi bruidhinn mun Scarp agus an ceangal a th’ agam ris an Scarp.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Ged a tha Ùisdean air tilleadh dhan Scarp corra-uair bhon uair sin, cha robh e am broinn taigh Dhòmhnaill Sheoc, taigh bràthair a mhàthair, bho na trì ficheadan.
[Ùisdean MacIllinnein] Seo far an do chuir mise seachad tòrr dhen òige agam a thaobh saor-làithean agus tha mi smaoineachadh gun do lean tòrr dhe na rudan a chunnaic mi ‘s a chuala mi agus na fuaimean agus na fàilidhean, bidh mi an còmhnaidh bruidhinn air sin, rudan a chunnaic mi agus rudan a lean rium ‘s cha robh mise am broinn an taighe a bha seo bho na trì ficheadan.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Mar a thuraichear, bha iuchair aig aon de na daoine aig a bheil dachaigh samhraidh air an Scarp.
[Ùisdean MacIllinnein] Uill thàinig e air ais thugam air an spot, a h-uile càil agus na fuaimean agus mar a bha mi ag ràdh a thaobh an taobh a-muigh, na fàilidhean agus na rudan a bha dol am broinn an taighe. ‘S e taighe teaghlaich a bh’ ann.
[Ùisdean MacIllinnein] The outline is exactly the same as it was and the big window and the view, the view is just amazing.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Air cuairt gu ceann eile an eilein, stad sinn air càrn Choinnich airson anail a tharraing agus airson clach a chur air a chàrn.
[Ùisdean MacIllinnein] Chaidh seo a thogail le fear de mhinistearean an Scarp nuair a bha e na bhalach beag, Coinneach Saor, Coinneach MacIllinnein a bh’ ann agus tha mi cinnteach ann an dòigh gu bheil a' chàrn fhèin agus an duine a’ samhlachadh tòrr de dh’eachdraidh an eilein a tha seo oir bha Scarp ainmeil riamh airson na bha de dhaoine le ceumannan oilthigh agus gu sònraichte na bha de mhinistearan a’ tighinn às airson àite beag agus tha an càrn fhèin, tha e annasach mar a chaidh a thogail agus an dèanamh a th’ air agus nuair a smaoinicheas tu air, cuimhnich gur ann uair a bha e na bhalach beag a thog e an càrn agus chan ann uair a bha e na dhuine no ag obair le sgioba de fhir-ciùird. Tha e annasach dha-rìribh agus cha do dh’fhalbh aon chlach às fhad ‘s a thill mise fhathast.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] As dèidh an dàrna cogaidh, thòisich daoine a’ falbh, àireamh clann-sgoile a’ dol sìos agus bha e coimhead coltach fiù ‘s an uair sin gu robh làithean na coimhearsnachd seo a’ teannadh gu crìoch.
[Ùisdean MacIllinnein] Nuair a thàinig an outboard, bha e ciallachadh ann an dòigh annasach gu robh e nas fhasa agus nas goireasaiche a dhol a-null. Dh’fhaodadh iad a dhol a dh’iarraidh a’ phuist, dh’fhaodadh iad a dhol a dh’iarraidh biadh aig An Tairbeart tòrr nas sgiobalta agus bha e fuasgladh saoghal eile dhaibh ‘s chan eil agad ach coimhead mu thimcheall oirnn ann an seo far a bheil a’ bhùth agus a’ phost oifis. Feumaidh tu cuimhneachadh cuideachd nuair a dh’fhalbh na daoine às an seo cha robh an t-uisge tighinn a-steach dha na taighean, cha robh cumhachd an dealain ann, bha an dealan air a dhèanamh gu math soilleir nach robh iad dol a chur càball air a’ chaolas, cha robh ann ach aon fòn; mar sin bha iad a’ faicinn an t-saoghail a’ gluasad seachad orra, h-uile duine eile faighinn nan goireasan sin agus chan eil mi ag ràdh gun robh iad ann an dòigh sam bith sunndach ach bha iad ag ràdh “tha sinn airidh air an aon seòrsa goireasan ‘s a tha coimhearsnachdan eile air feadh na Hearadh a’ faighinn ach chan fhaigh sinn iad mura gluais sinn às an seo” ‘s tha sin nàdarrach do dhaoine sam bith a bhith coimhead, gu h-àraidh nan òigridh.
[Iain Macinnes – Presenter] Now, the first in a series of reports about the Isle of Scarp. Tonight and each night this week, we’ll take a look at the island; as it was, as it is today and at the archive of photos and literature that were discovered recently. Tonight, Roddy Munro takes Hugh Dan MacLennan back to the island where he spent the summer holidays of his youth.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Scarp’s name comes from a Viking proverb meaning rocky, hard ground or ground that isn’t quite fertile and indeed, looking around there is not much cultivable land here. But according to the people of Scarp , they had a good livelihood. They didn’t want for anything, they’d say. But, despite that, at the end of the Second World War the population here started to decline enormously. People had seen some of the outside world and the amenities others had, that they didn’t have here. Despite that though, the people who left and the people with ties to the island are of the same opinion. That is, that Scarp is still very attractive.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Hugh Dan MacLennan returning to Scarp, the home of his mother who is the oldest living person born in Scarp. Although Hugh was brought up on the mainland, he spent his summers with relatives on the island.
[Hugh Dan MacLennan] Lots of people think I was born and raised on Scarp and that in itself is strange in a sense and I’m sure it’s because of the things I do and I often speak about Scarp and the ties I have with it.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Although Hugh has returned to Scarp many times since then, he hasn’t been inside Dòmhnall Sheoc’s house, his mother’s brother’s house, since the 60’s.
[Hugh Dan MacLennan] This is where I spent a lot of my childhood holidays and I think a lot of the things I saw and heard and the noises and smells remained with me, I always talk about that, the things I saw and the things that remained with me, and I haven’t been inside this house since the 60’s.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] As it happened, one of the holiday home owners on Scarp had a key.
[Hugh Dan MacLennan] It came back to me on the spot, all of it and the noises and as I said about the outside, the smells and the things that were happening inside the house. It was a family home.
[Hugh Dan MacLennan] The outline is exactly the same as it was and the big window and the view, the view is just amazing.
[Hugh Dan MacLennan] On a walk to the other end of the island, we stopped at Kenneth’s cairn to catch breath and to place a stone on the cairn.
[Hugh Dan MacLennan] This was built by one of the ministers on Scarp when he was a little boy, Kenneth ‘Saor’, Kenneth MacLennan and I’m sure in a way the cairn itself and the people symbolise a lot of the island’s history, as Scarp was famous for its people with degrees and especially for the amount of ministers that came from the small area. And the cairn, it’s fascinating how it was built and it’s form when you think of it, as remember it was as a little boy he built the cairn and not when he was a man or working with a team of tradespeople. It’s fascinating indeed and not one stone has fallen off since I’ve returned yet.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] After the second world war, people started to leave, the school roll declined and it looked likely even then that this community’s days were coming to an end.
[Hugh Dan MacLennan] When the outboard came, it meant in a strange way that is was easier and more convenient to go over. They could go over and collect their post, they could go to get food in Tarbert much quicker and it opened up another world and you only have to look around us here where the shop and post office are. You have to remember too when the people left Scarp there was no water supply to the houses, there was no electricity, the electricity company had made it very clear that they wouldn’t install a cable across the strait, there was only one phone; therefore they could see the world moving past them, everyone else receiving these amenities and I’m not saying that they were happy, but they were saying “we deserve the same amenities that’s been given to other communities in Harris but we won’t get them unless we move from here” and that’s a natural view for anyone, particularly young people.
[Iain Macaonghais – Preaseantair] A-nis, a’ chiad ann an sreath de dh’aithrisean mu Eilean an Scarp. A-nochd agus gach oidhche dhen t-seachdain seo, gheibh sinn sealladh air an Eilean, mar a bha e, mar a tha e an-diugh agus iomradh air tasglann de dheilbh agus làmh-sgrìobhaidhean a thàinig am follais bho chionn ghoirid. A-nochd tha Ruaraidh Rothach a’ toirt Ùisdean MacIllinnein air ais dhan Eilean, far an do chuir e seachad làithean-saora an t-Samhraidh na òige.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Tha ainm an Scarp a’ tighinn bhon sean-fhacal Lochlannach airson talamh creagach, cruaidh no talamh nach eil buileach torrach agus gu dearbha, a’ coimhead mu chuairt, chan eil mòran talamh àitich an seo. Ach a-rèir nan Scarpach fhèin, bha deagh bhith-beò aca. Cha robh dìth sam bith orra tha iad ag ràdha. Ach, a dh’aindeoin sin, aig deireadh an dàrna cogaidh thòisich àireamh an t-sluaigh a’ crìonadh gu mòr an seo. Bha daoine air beagan dhen t-saoghal mhòr fhaicinn agus na goireasan a bh’ aig daoine eile nach robh acasan an seo. A dh’aindeoin sin ge-tà, tha na daoine a dh’fhalbh agus na daoine le ceanglaichean ris an eilean dhen aon bharail. ‘S e sin, gu bheil tarraing làidir aig an Scarp fhathast.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Ùisdean MacIllinnein a’ tilleadh dhan Scarp, dachaigh a mhàthar, ‘s i an tè as sine tha beò fhathast a rugadh sa Scarp. Ged a thogadh Ùisdean air tìr-mòr, chuir e seachad samhraidhean còmhla ri chàirdean san eilean.
[Ùisdean MacIllinnein] Tha tòrr dhaoine smaoineachadh gun do rugadh ‘s gun do thogadh mise anns an Scarp agus tha sin fhèin annasach ann an dòigh ‘s tha mi cinnteach gur ann air sgàth nan rudan a tha mi dèanamh ‘s cho tric ‘s a tha mi bruidhinn mun Scarp agus an ceangal a th’ agam ris an Scarp.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Ged a tha Ùisdean air tilleadh dhan Scarp corra-uair bhon uair sin, cha robh e am broinn taigh Dhòmhnaill Sheoc, taigh bràthair a mhàthair, bho na trì ficheadan.
[Ùisdean MacIllinnein] Seo far an do chuir mise seachad tòrr dhen òige agam a thaobh saor-làithean agus tha mi smaoineachadh gun do lean tòrr dhe na rudan a chunnaic mi ‘s a chuala mi agus na fuaimean agus na fàilidhean, bidh mi an còmhnaidh bruidhinn air sin, rudan a chunnaic mi agus rudan a lean rium ‘s cha robh mise am broinn an taighe a bha seo bho na trì ficheadan.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Mar a thuraichear, bha iuchair aig aon de na daoine aig a bheil dachaigh samhraidh air an Scarp.
[Ùisdean MacIllinnein] Uill thàinig e air ais thugam air an spot, a h-uile càil agus na fuaimean agus mar a bha mi ag ràdh a thaobh an taobh a-muigh, na fàilidhean agus na rudan a bha dol am broinn an taighe. ‘S e taighe teaghlaich a bh’ ann.
[Ùisdean MacIllinnein] The outline is exactly the same as it was and the big window and the view, the view is just amazing.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] Air cuairt gu ceann eile an eilein, stad sinn air càrn Choinnich airson anail a tharraing agus airson clach a chur air a chàrn.
[Ùisdean MacIllinnein] Chaidh seo a thogail le fear de mhinistearean an Scarp nuair a bha e na bhalach beag, Coinneach Saor, Coinneach MacIllinnein a bh’ ann agus tha mi cinnteach ann an dòigh gu bheil a' chàrn fhèin agus an duine a’ samhlachadh tòrr de dh’eachdraidh an eilein a tha seo oir bha Scarp ainmeil riamh airson na bha de dhaoine le ceumannan oilthigh agus gu sònraichte na bha de mhinistearan a’ tighinn às airson àite beag agus tha an càrn fhèin, tha e annasach mar a chaidh a thogail agus an dèanamh a th’ air agus nuair a smaoinicheas tu air, cuimhnich gur ann uair a bha e na bhalach beag a thog e an càrn agus chan ann uair a bha e na dhuine no ag obair le sgioba de fhir-ciùird. Tha e annasach dha-rìribh agus cha do dh’fhalbh aon chlach às fhad ‘s a thill mise fhathast.
[Ruaraidh Rothach – Neach-aithris] As dèidh an dàrna cogaidh, thòisich daoine a’ falbh, àireamh clann-sgoile a’ dol sìos agus bha e coimhead coltach fiù ‘s an uair sin gu robh làithean na coimhearsnachd seo a’ teannadh gu crìoch.
[Ùisdean MacIllinnein] Nuair a thàinig an outboard, bha e ciallachadh ann an dòigh annasach gu robh e nas fhasa agus nas goireasaiche a dhol a-null. Dh’fhaodadh iad a dhol a dh’iarraidh a’ phuist, dh’fhaodadh iad a dhol a dh’iarraidh biadh aig An Tairbeart tòrr nas sgiobalta agus bha e fuasgladh saoghal eile dhaibh ‘s chan eil agad ach coimhead mu thimcheall oirnn ann an seo far a bheil a’ bhùth agus a’ phost oifis. Feumaidh tu cuimhneachadh cuideachd nuair a dh’fhalbh na daoine às an seo cha robh an t-uisge tighinn a-steach dha na taighean, cha robh cumhachd an dealain ann, bha an dealan air a dhèanamh gu math soilleir nach robh iad dol a chur càball air a’ chaolas, cha robh ann ach aon fòn; mar sin bha iad a’ faicinn an t-saoghail a’ gluasad seachad orra, h-uile duine eile faighinn nan goireasan sin agus chan eil mi ag ràdh gun robh iad ann an dòigh sam bith sunndach ach bha iad ag ràdh “tha sinn airidh air an aon seòrsa goireasan ‘s a tha coimhearsnachdan eile air feadh na Hearadh a’ faighinn ach chan fhaigh sinn iad mura gluais sinn às an seo” ‘s tha sin nàdarrach do dhaoine sam bith a bhith coimhead, gu h-àraidh nan òigridh.
[Iain Macinnes – Presenter] Now, the first in a series of reports about the Isle of Scarp. Tonight and each night this week, we’ll take a look at the island; as it was, as it is today and at the archive of photos and literature that were discovered recently. Tonight, Roddy Munro takes Hugh Dan MacLennan back to the island where he spent the summer holidays of his youth.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Scarp’s name comes from a Viking proverb meaning rocky, hard ground or ground that isn’t quite fertile and indeed, looking around there is not much cultivable land here. But according to the people of Scarp , they had a good livelihood. They didn’t want for anything, they’d say. But, despite that, at the end of the Second World War the population here started to decline enormously. People had seen some of the outside world and the amenities others had, that they didn’t have here. Despite that though, the people who left and the people with ties to the island are of the same opinion. That is, that Scarp is still very attractive.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Hugh Dan MacLennan returning to Scarp, the home of his mother who is the oldest living person born in Scarp. Although Hugh was brought up on the mainland, he spent his summers with relatives on the island.
[Hugh Dan MacLennan] Lots of people think I was born and raised on Scarp and that in itself is strange in a sense and I’m sure it’s because of the things I do and I often speak about Scarp and the ties I have with it.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] Although Hugh has returned to Scarp many times since then, he hasn’t been inside Dòmhnall Sheoc’s house, his mother’s brother’s house, since the 60’s.
[Hugh Dan MacLennan] This is where I spent a lot of my childhood holidays and I think a lot of the things I saw and heard and the noises and smells remained with me, I always talk about that, the things I saw and the things that remained with me, and I haven’t been inside this house since the 60’s.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] As it happened, one of the holiday home owners on Scarp had a key.
[Hugh Dan MacLennan] It came back to me on the spot, all of it and the noises and as I said about the outside, the smells and the things that were happening inside the house. It was a family home.
[Hugh Dan MacLennan] The outline is exactly the same as it was and the big window and the view, the view is just amazing.
[Hugh Dan MacLennan] On a walk to the other end of the island, we stopped at Kenneth’s cairn to catch breath and to place a stone on the cairn.
[Hugh Dan MacLennan] This was built by one of the ministers on Scarp when he was a little boy, Kenneth ‘Saor’, Kenneth MacLennan and I’m sure in a way the cairn itself and the people symbolise a lot of the island’s history, as Scarp was famous for its people with degrees and especially for the amount of ministers that came from the small area. And the cairn, it’s fascinating how it was built and it’s form when you think of it, as remember it was as a little boy he built the cairn and not when he was a man or working with a team of tradespeople. It’s fascinating indeed and not one stone has fallen off since I’ve returned yet.
[Roddy Munro – Reporter] After the second world war, people started to leave, the school roll declined and it looked likely even then that this community’s days were coming to an end.
[Hugh Dan MacLennan] When the outboard came, it meant in a strange way that is was easier and more convenient to go over. They could go over and collect their post, they could go to get food in Tarbert much quicker and it opened up another world and you only have to look around us here where the shop and post office are. You have to remember too when the people left Scarp there was no water supply to the houses, there was no electricity, the electricity company had made it very clear that they wouldn’t install a cable across the strait, there was only one phone; therefore they could see the world moving past them, everyone else receiving these amenities and I’m not saying that they were happy, but they were saying “we deserve the same amenities that’s been given to other communities in Harris but we won’t get them unless we move from here” and that’s a natural view for anyone, particularly young people.