Prìomh Bhaile na Gàidhealtachd?	First Town of Gaeldom?
Am measg an luchd bruidhinn san dàrna sreath de dh'Oraidean ChLI, air a chumail aig Mòd Nàiseanta Inbhir Nis an-uiridh (Cothrom 14), bha neach naidheachd is sgeulaiche Gàidhlig Ruairidh MacIlleathain. Le buntanas dhan Chomraich, bha e fuireach ann an Dun Dèagh, Afraga, Sasainn, is Astràilia mus tàinig e a chòmhnaidh sa bhaile as mò a th'air a' Ghàidhealtachd, far a bheil e air ùidh a ghlacadh 'na eachdraidh. Seo riochd gearrte de na bh'aige ri ràdh mu dheidhinn "Inbhir Nis – Prìomh Bhaile na Gàidhealtachd".	Amongst the speakers in the second series of CLI Lectures, held at the National Mòd in Inverness last year (Cothrom 14), was the Gaelic journalist and story-teller Roddy Maclean. With family connections to Applecross, he lived in Dundee, Africa, England, and Australia before making his home in the largest town in the Highlands, where he has become interested in the town's history. Here is an abridged version of his talk on the subject of "Inverness – Principal Town of Gaeldom".
"Bha Inbhir Nis 'na bhaile Sagsanach am measg nan Ceilteach, 'na nead trang de luchd malairt is ciùird am meadhan dùthcha de leisgearan is creachadairean, tuineadh aonaranach de shìobhaltachd ann an ceàrn de bhorbachd." 'Se sin a sgrìobh, sa Bheurla, Tòmas Babington MacAmhlaigh - ogha san 19 linn do mhinistear a Uibhist, sgoilear nan clasaig agus duine le inntinn ghleusta a bha, air a shon sin, air a mhealladh le ceannbhaile na Gàidhealtachd. Bha MacAmhlaigh ag ath aithris barail air baile Inbhir Nis nach seas, a dh'aindeoin tricead a h-aithris, ri dùr sgrùdadh.	“Inverness was a Saxon Colony among the Celts, a hive of traders and artisans in the midst of a colony of loungers and plunderers, a solitary outpost of civilisation in a region of barbarism”. So wrote Thomas Babington Macaulay, the 19th century grandson of a minister from Uist, a classicalscholar and man with a brilliant mind who was, however, duped about the capital of the highlands. Macaulay was repeating a assessment of the town of Inverness which, despite the frequency of its repetition, does not bear close scrutiny.
Thuirt an turasaiche Tòmas Kirk – a thadhail air a' bhaile an 1677 – gun robh Gàidhlig aig a' mhòr mhòrchuid de mhuinntir Inbhir Nis. Tha figearan bho thimcheall air 1704 a' nochdadh nach robh aig 57% de mhuinntir a' bhaile ach Gàidhlig, gu robh i mar a' chiad neo an dara cànan aig 98%, agus nach robh ach 2% ann aig nach robh Gàidhlig idir.	The traveller Thomas Kirk - who visited the town in 1677 - said that the people of Inverness were overwhelmingly Gaelic-speaking. Figures from 1704 or thereabouts, tell us that 57% of the town’s population spoke only Gaelic, 98% were capable of speaking Gaelic - either as a first or second language - and only 2% were incapable of speaking Gaelic.
Chan eil teagamh gun do lean luchd na Gàidhlig a bhith sa mhòrchuid an Inbhir Nis air feadh na cuid as mò dhen 18 linn, ged a bha glè bheag de smachd sòisealta neo poilitigeach aig na Gàidheil; ach mar a dhlùthaich an 19 linn 'sann a bha an suidheachadh ag atharrachadh. An 1798 rinn Tòmas Garnett, Proifeasair de dh'Fheallsanachd Nàdarra is Ceimigeachd ann an Institiut Rìoghail Bhreatainn, cuairt air a' Ghàidhealtachd. Thuirt e mu dheidhinn Inbhir Nis gu robh Beurla is Gàidhlig "gam bruidhinn an-seo le chèile, ach 'se Gàidhlig an cànan air an dùthaich."	The situation of Gaelic numeric dominance in Inverness clearly continued throughout most of the 18th century, even though the Gaels had very little in the way of social or political dominance, although as the 19th century drew close, the situation was changing. In 1798, Thomas Garnett, Professor of Natural Philosophy and Chemistry in the Royal Institution of Great Britain, travelled through the Highlands. He said of Inverness that English and Gaelic “are spoken here promiscuously, though the language of the country people is Gaelic.”
Ma thèid sinn air ais ann an tìm gun deach Inbhir Nis stèidheachadh, chì sinn gu bheil smior na fìrinn anns an fhaoinsgeul gur e "baile Sagsanach" a bh'ann an Inbhir Nis riamh. A bharrachd air Rìgh Bruide nan Cruithneach, agus 's dòcha air a' Ghàidheal Macbeatha aig an robh, a rèir aithris, caisteal sa bhaile, 'se a' chiad duine ann an Inbhir Nis air a bheil iomradh ann an eachdraidh fear Geoffrey Blund, bùirdeasach, a tha nochdadh ann an cùmhnant rìoghail mu AD1200. Is lèir nach e Gàidheal a bh'ann – gu dearbh cha mhòr nach eil e cinnteach gur e ainm Norman-Fhrangach a bh'ann bho thùs.	If we go back in time to the establishment of Inverness, we find that the myth of Inverness as a “Saxon colony” throughout its history was actually based on a firm foundation. Apart from Brude, King of the Picts, and possibly the Gaelic-speaking Macbeth who, according to tradition, had a castle in the town, the first recorded inhabitant of Inverness was one Geoffrey Blund, a burgess, mentioned in a royal charter in about AD1200. He was clearly not a Gael - in fact the name is almost certainly Norman French in origin.
Tha na h-ainmean eile as sine bhon bhaile a' leigeil ris nàdar an àite aig an àm shean seo mar thuineadh cèin san Taobh Tuath – le ceanglaichean cultarach bho dheas. Tha seo ri fhaicinn ann am feadhainn dhe na sloinnidhean eile sa bhaile san 13 linn - Noreys, Monte-alto, de Grant, de Braytoft, de la Haye, Pilchys. Ri ùine chaidh cuid aca, leithid nan Granndach ("de Grants") 'nan Gàidheil, ach aig an àm seo is lèir gu robh iad de ghnè Normanach agus an eisimeil ri rìghrean Albannach nach robh Ceilteach tuilleadh ach Angla-Normanach.	The other early names of the town give away the status of Inverness, at this early stage, as a colonial implant in the north - belonging culturally tothe south. Some other surnames from the 13th century in the town - Noreys, Monte-alto, de Grant, de Braytoft, de la Haye, Pilchys - give this away. Some of those such as the de Grants (or the Grants; na Granndaich) were to become thoroughly Gaelicized in time, but at this stage they were clearly Norman in character and beholden to the de-Celticized, Anglo-Normanized monarchy of Scotland.
Ach cuimhnich gur iad seo an seòrsa dhaoine as trice a th'air an clàradh an eachdraidh – na siorraidhean, riaghladair a' chaisteil, na sagartan. Chan eil dòigh ann air son faighinn a-mach an robh muinntir chumanta a' bhaile cuideachd Normanach, neo 's dòcha 'nan Goill neo à Mòrthir na h-Eòrpa – neo, gu dearbh, Ceilteach. 'Se an aon suidheachadh a bha sa 14 linn, ach sa 15 linn bha e tòiseachadh air atharrachadh. Fiù 's am measg urraidhean mòra baile Inbhir Nis tha an ochdamh cuid dhe na sloinnidhean gu follaiseach Gàidhlig, mar a bha uiread de dh'ainmean pearsanta. Mar sin dheth, a bharrachd air Henry is Richard bha Dòmhnall, Donnchadh, Dùghall, Fearchar, Fionnlagh, Aonghas is Pàdraig ann.	These of course were the type of people who usually feature in the historical record - the sheriffs, the Castle governor, the priests. We have no way of knowing whether the common people of the town were similarly Norman, or perhaps Lowland or from the European continent - or indeed were Celtic. A similar situation obtains in the 14th century, but in the 15th century the picture begins to change. Even in the higher echelons of Inverness society, one-eighth of the names in the records are now clearly Gaelic, as are a similar proportion of personal names. So in addition to such as Henry and Richard, we have Donald, Duncan, Dugall, Farquhar, Finlay, Angus and Patrick.
Rinn neach eachdraidh cliùiteach a' bhaile, Eòghann Baran nach maireann, tuairmse nach robh sna bùirdeasaich ach an còigeamh cuid de shluagh Inbhir Nis sa 15 linn. 'Se bha sna ceithir còigeamh eile ach "daoine de gach seòrsa is gach staid, gu h-àraidh dhen dh'fheadhainn as bochda – dubh-chosnaichean, iasgairean, seirbheisich, luchd fine fo chàrn, agus beagairean." Saoil dè an cànan a bh'acasan?	The respected Inverness historian - the late Evan Barron - estimated that the burgesses of the town in the 15th century formed only about one-fifth of the population. The other four-fifths “were persons of all sorts and conditions, mainly of the poorest class - labourers, fishers, servants, broken men from the clans, and beggars." I wonder what language they spoke?
An 1605 bha am measg bùirdeasaich a' bhaile feadhainn le sloinn-ainmean a tha gu follaiseach Gàidhlig – fianais shoilleir de threasad a' chànan sa bhaile. Mar eisimpleir, "Findlay dhu-Vic Phaill" (Fionnlagh Dubh mac Phàil) agus "Andrew Vic-William-Mor" (Anndra mac Uilleim Mhòir).	IIn 1605, we have among the burgesses of the town some with clear Gaelic patronymics - clear evidence of the strength of the language in the town. Examples are "Findlay dhu-Vic Phaill" (black Finlay MacPhail) and "Andrew Vic-William-Mor" (Andrew, son of big William).
Bha na sloinn-ainmean cuideachd pailt sna clasaichean sòisealta fo na bùirdeasaich. Mar eisimpleir, am measg na feadhainn a fhuair cead diofar stàilichean reic a chur an-àird bha an 1574 fear John Dow McRorye (Iain Dubh mac Ruairidh), agus an 1579 chaidh gabhail ri fear Allister McConquhie (Alastair mac Dhonnchaidh) mar neach stàile.	The patronymics were also much in evidence at social levels below that of the burgers. Examples among those permitted to set up stalls for the sale of various articles of merchandise in 1574 was one John Dow McRorye ( (black John, son of Roddy), and in 1579 one Allister McConquhie (Alexander, son of Duncan) is admitted as a booth-holder.
Ro thoiseach na 19 linn, ge-tà, bha an seòl mara air tionndadh gu muir làn Beurla agus, thar na h-ath cheud bliadhna, ged nach robh san dùthaich mun cuairt bha a' Ghàidhlig a' traoghadh gu mòr sa bhaile. Ach fiù 's anmoch san 19 linn bha a' Ghàidhlig làidir ann an ceàrnaidhean dhen bhaile.	By the early 19th century, however, the pendulum was swinging back in favour of the English language, and over the following hundred years Gaelic fell away to a large degree in the town, although not in the country areas around it. But even in the late 19th century, pockets of the town were strongly Gaelic.
An 1882 bha an Celtic Magazine, air fhoillseachadh sa bhaile, a' gearan mun stiùireadh a chaidh a thoirt do luchd clàraidh Cunntas Sluaigh na bliadhna roimhe a thaobh measadh de luchd bruidhinn na Gàidhlig: "… chaidh teaghlaichean uile … san robh ach gann aon neach as urrainn am beachd as cumanta a chur an cèill sa Bheurla – a tha sa h-uile seagh luchd Gàidhlig a-mhàin – air an clàradh le luchd a' Chunntais mar luchd Beurla…."	In 1882, the locally-published Celtic Magazine complained about the instructions given to census enumerators in the previous year regarding their assessment of whether or not somebody was a Gaelic speaker: "... whole families .... scarcely any member of whom can express the commonest idea intelligently in English - who are in every sense Gaelic-speaking people only - were returned by the enumerators as English-speaking…."
Aig an àm seo an eachdraidh a' bhaile bu lèir gu robh an fheadhainn de shliochd a' Ghàidheil sa mhòrchuid. Ann an sgrùdadh dhe na h-ainmean ann an clàr a' bhaile an 1895, fhuair Alasdair MacBheathain gu robh sloinneadh Gàidhealach air 70% dhen t-sluagh – agus sin gun chunntas air ainmean mar Mhorrison, Smith is Anderson a dh'fhaodadh a bhith air Gàidheil. Ach ron àm sin cha b'ionann ainm Gàidhealach agus cainnt Ghàidhlig aig duine a bha fuireach an Inbhir Nis.	By this stage in the history of the town, the ethnic Gaelic element was patently in the majority. In a survey of the names in the burgh directory in 1895, Alexander MacBain found that over 70% of the inhabitants carried Highland surnames - and that was excluding such names as Morrison, Smith and Anderson which may well have represented Gaels. But by then, one could no lo nger assume that a person with a Highland name living in Inverness spoke Gaelic.
Tha dualchas nan ainmean àite agus sgeulachdan Gàidhlig Inbhir Nis cuideachd 'nam fianais air cho làidir 's a bha an cànan sa bhaile uair. A thuilleadh air sin tha fianais eachdraidh creideamh a' bhaile. Nì aon eisimpleir a' chùis. Aig ceann na 18 linn bha coitheanal mòr, is mòran aca gun Bheurla, aig ministear gun Ghàidhlig an t-Urramach Raibeart Baillie. Bha e fhèin mothachail air cho amaideach 's a bha e gun deach a shuidheachadh air a' choitheanal sin, agus sgrìobh e gun Choimisean a Tuath aig Eaglais na h-Alba a ghearan mun ghnothach. Bha an gnothach, sgrìobh e, air cruadal cianail a thoirt a-nuas mu mhòran Ghàidheil san àite.	The place-name heritage and Gaelic stories of Inverness are further evidence of the strength of the language historically. We also have much evidence from the religious history of the town. One example will suffice. At the turn of the 18th century, the Reverend Robert Baillie, who spoke no Gaelic, ministered to a large congregation, many of whom spoke no English. He himself was aware of the ridiculousness of his being appointed there as minister and wrote to the Church of Scotland’s Commission for the North complaining of the situation. His appointment, he wrote, had brought many Gaels “in this place to a deplorable hardship.”
Agus chan urrainn cunntas sam bith air eachdraidh Inbhir Nis Clach na Cùdainn, a tha an-diugh air beulaibh Taigh a' Bhaile, a chur air dhìochuimhne. A rèir aithris, 'si a' chlach air an leigeadh na bana-nigheadairean an cùdainnean air an slighe gun is bhon an abhainn, agus mar sin 'se ionad coinneachaidh a bh'ann, àite airson gobaireachd is naidheachd. Tha mòran air pallaidium Inbhir Nis a thoirt oirre cheana agus sgrìobh a' bhana-bhàrd ainmeil Ghàidhlig Màiri Mhòr nan Òran, a thug iomadh bliadhna an Inbhir Nis agus a chaidh a tiodhlagadh ann, tric mu mhuinntir a' bhaile mar Chlann na Cloiche.	And no account of the history of Inverness can ignore "Clachnacuddin" - the stone of the tub - which sits today outside the Town House. It was the stone on which the washer lassies reputedly laid their cùdainnean - their washing tubs - on their way to and from the river, and thus became a meeting point, a place to gossip and exchange news. It has been referred to by many as the palladium of Inverness and the famous Gaelic poet, Màiri Mhòr nan Oran, who spent many years in Inverness and is buried there, wrote often of the people of Inverness as Clann na Cloiche (the Children of the Stone).
Mas e 's gum bu dual do dh'Inbhir Nis a bhith na bhaile Beurla, mar a chanas cuid dhe na cunntasan eachdraidheil, car son a rachadh clach - nì glè Cheilteach – le ainm Gàidhlig a thaghadh le dhaoine mar am pallaidium aca?	If Inverness was traditionally an English-speaking town, as some of the historical accounts would have it, why would Invernessians have chosen as their palladium a stone - a very Celtic object - with a Gaelic name?
Chan eil mi idir a' cumail a-mach gu robh Inbhir Nis riamh 100% Gàidhlig – cha robh e sin. Ach chan eil e 100% Beurla an latha an-diugh nas mò, a thaobh a' chiad seach an dàrna cànan. Tha e air a bhith dà-chànanach fad linntean agus tha e sin fhathast. Aig diofar amannan 'na eachdraidh tha làmh àireamhail air a bhith an uachdar aig cànan Gearmailteach – Beurla na h-Alba neo gnàth Bheurla. Aig amannan eile tha an ceannas àireamhail air a bhith aig cànan Ceilteach – a' Ghàidhlig againn fhìn, ar teanga dhùthchasach Ghàidhealach fhèin.	I make no claim that at any point was Inverness 100% Gaelic-speaking - it was not. But neither today is it 100% English-speaking, if we consider first, rather than second, languages. It has been bilingual for centuries and it still is today. At various times in its history a Teutonic language - Scots English or Standard English - has been numerically dominant. At other times a Celtic language - our own Gaelic, our own native Highland tongue - has held sway numerically.
An latha an-diugh, ge-tà, tha a' Ghàidhlig ga làimhseachadh an Inbhir Nis mar chainnt shuaraich. Tha mi dhen bheachd gum biodh e 'na chuideachadh gus barailean a leasachadh gu math an cànan agus gu math iomlanachd iol-chultarach ceannbhaile na Gàidhealtachd nam biodh tuigse nas coileanta aig muinntir Inbhir Nis air eachdraidh am baile mar choimhearsnachd dhà-chànanach.	Today, however, Gaelic is still treated as a second-class language in Inverness. I feel that a more thorough appreciation by Invernessians of the history of their town as a bilingual community would assist in changing attitudes for the better to the benefit both of the language and the general cultural integrity of the Highland capital.

Ruairidh MacIlleathain (Beurla)