Scottish Gaelic Column September 1998 - On the Meadows of the Spey

The Scottish Gaelic Column

Tha an colbh Gàidhlig seo air a tharraing à "Cothrom", an ràitheachan dà-chànanach aig CLI. Thèid "Cothrom" fhaighinn an asgaidh le buill ChLI, an carthannas airson luchd-ionnsachaidh is luchd-taic na Gàidhlig.

This Gaelic column is drawn from "Cothrom", the bilingual quarterly magazine from CLI. "Cothrom" is distributed free to members of CLI, the charity for learners and supporters of Scots Gaelic

	Air Dailthean Srath Spè	On the Meadows of the Spey
Ged as ann a Dun Èideann a tha Niall MacGriogair, tha buntanas aige do Shrath Spè a th'air toirt air Gàidhlig ionnsachadh agus dualchas na sgìre air taobh tuath a' Mhonaidh Ruaidh a rannsachadh. Thug e seachad tè de dh'Òraidean ChLI aig a' Mhòd Nàiseanta an-uiridh (Cothrom 14,15) air an robh "Ainmean Àite is Beul-aithris Srath Spè", agus bidh sinn ga foillseachadh uile ann an Cothrom. 'Se seo a' chiad phàirt.	Although hailing from Edinburgh, Neil MacGregor has family connections with Strathspey which spurred him to learn Gaelic and to research the heritage of this district on the north side of the Cairngorms. He delivered one of the CLI Lectures at last year's National Mòd (Cothrom 14,15) entitled "Place-Names and Traditions of Strathspey", and we will be publishing all of this in Cothrom. Here is the first instalment.
Sann mu 15 bliadhna air ais a ghlac mi mòr ùidh ann an Srath Spè, nuair a chaidh mi a dh'fhaicinn an robh luchd dàimh fhathast againn ann. 'Se mo sheanair a thàinig a-nuas a Dhun Èideann, ach bha fhios agam riamh gu robh ceangal fada againn ri Srath Spè. Fhad 's a bha mi air chuairt san sgìre fhuair mi a-mach gu robh Gàidheil fhathast ann, ach gu robh an cànan a' crìonadh as leis a' ghinealach as sine.	My own interest in Strathspey started properly about 15 years ago, when I went up to see if we still had any relations there. It was my grandfather who came down to Edinburgh, but I'd always known we had a long association with Strathspey. While I was going round the district I found there were still Gaelic speakers there, but that the language was slipping away with the older generation.
Mar sin thòisich mi air a dhol timcheall a' tional na bh'air chuimhne – ainmean àite, sgeulachdan, ràdhannan, is eile.	So I started going round gathering whatever folk remembered – place-names, stories, sayings, all sorts of things.
Dh'amais mi air annas neo dhà fhad 's a bha mi ris. Bha mi bruidhinn ri bodach ann an Drochaid Neithich dham b'ainm Luthais Grannd mu dheidhinn obair tuathanais nuair a bha e òg, agus bha e ag innse dhomh mar a rachadh buidhnean fhir, mus robh an diop ann, mu na tuathanasan a' smeuradh nan caorach le teàrr as Archangel – stad e. "Bha mi ann, ceart gu leòr," ars esan. "Cuine?" "1919."	Along the way, there were a few surprises. I was talking to one old man in Nethy Bridge, Lewis Grant by name, about farming when he was a boy, and he was telling me how, before you had sheep-dips, gangs of men would go round the farms smearing the sheep with tar, Archangel tar - then he paused. "Of course, I've been there," he said. "When?" "1919."
An 1919, an dèidh a bhith a' cogadh ann am Blàr na Frainge leis na Camshronaich, bha e sgìth dhen fhaiche aig Gearastan an Àth Ruaidh an Dun Èideann nuair a chunnaic e sanas ag iarraidh saor- thoilich gu sabaid an aghaidh nam Boilseabhaig ann an Cogadh Sìobhalta Ruisia. Thug e sia mìosan sna coilltean deas air Archangel, agus thill e làn de bhàidh ris na daoine a chaidh an cur ann leis na Tsaran gus am beòshlaint fhèin a chosnadh – bu ionann sin agus Bail Ùr an t-Slèibh, thuirt e; stèidhte air fuadaichean. Cuideachd làn de ghràin air Winston Churchill is an t-abhdhar a chuir e saighdearan Breatannach ann.	In 1919, having survived serving with the Camerons on the Western Front, he was square-bashing at Redford Barracks in Edinburgh and was bored with it: he saw a notice wanting volunteers to fight the Bolsheviks in the Russian Civil War. He spent six months in the forests up-river from Archangel, and came back with a great sympathy for the folk who had been sent away to the forests by the Czars and left to do for themselves - it was just like Newtonmore, he told me; founded on clearances. Also a deep hatred of Winston Churchill and his motives for sending British troops there.
A rèir nan leabhraichean is muinntir an àite, tha Srath Spè a' gabhail a-staigh 25 mìle dhen t-srath, bhon Agaidh Mhòir sìos gu timcheall air Baile nan Granndach. Tha trì parraistean ann – Daodhal is Ràta Mhurchais; Obar Neithich is Ceann Chardain; agus Cromdail (le Inbhir Ailein agus Àbhaidh). Suas an srath tha Bàideanach - "Bainyoch" aig mòran dhe na seann daoine - agus sìos tha Taobh Spè.	Strathspey is, according to most books and to local opinion, about a 25 mile stretch of the valley of the Spey, from Aviemore down to the Grantown area. It covers three parishes - Duthil and Rothiemurchus; Abernethy and Kincardine; and Cromdale (which incorporates Inverallan and Advie). Upstream is Badenoch, or "Bainyoch" as a lot of older folk call it, and downstream Speyside.
Ged nach lèir dhuinn ciall cuid de dh'ainmean nam parraistean, tha iad a' toirt beachd dhuinn air eachdraidh na sgìre.	Although the meaning of some of the parish names is not clear, they do give some clues as to the history of the district.
Bheireadh Iain MacAonghais is eile "Daoghal" air Daodhal – ach chan eil gin dhe na beachdan air a' chiall freagarrach.	Duthil is "Daoghal", according to John McInnes and others - but none of the various theories for the name seem to fit.
Bhathas dhen bheachd gur e Rathad a' Mhòr Ghiuthais [magh na mòr ghiùthsaich] a bu chiall do Ràta Mhurchais, ach tha sgeul fhathast air a' Ghàidhlig ionadail, "Racht", agus tha an dàrna eileamaid coltach ri ainm duine.	Rothiemurchus was supposed to be Rathad a' Mhòr Ghiuthais [plain of the great pine wood], but the local Gaelic is still known, "Racht" Mhurchais, and the second bit sounds more like someone's name.
Tha dà àite ann agus Obar Neithich [inbhir Neithich] mar ainm dhaibh, am fear eile faisg air Peairt. Bha an t-ainm ann mus ro na Gàidheil san sgìre, is e dol air ais gu linn nan Cruithneach.	Abernethy is Obar Neithich [mouth of the River Nethy], one of two places of this name, the other being near Perth. The name predates the coming of the Gaels, and goes back to the Picts.
'Se measgachadh a th'ann an Ceann ("cin") Chardain. 'Se seann fhacal P-Cheilteach cardden [coille] a th'aig bun "cardain", a gheibhear cuideachd ann am Pluscardan faisg air Eilginn. Uile gu lèir tha seachd àitichean dhen ainm ann an Alba, eadar Fìobha agus Drochaid a' Bhannath, uile ann an tìr nan Cruithneach.	Kincardine is a hybrid, Ceann ("kin") Chardain [wood end]. The first part is from the Gaelic ceann, and the second is an older P-Celtic word cardden, meaning wood, as in Pluscarden near Elgin. It is one of seven Kincardines in Scotland, scattered between Fife and Bonar Bridge, all within the territory formerly held by the Picts.
Tha Àbhaidh 'na ainm doirbh, ach 's dòcha gu bheil gnothach aig a' bheachd aig a' Phroif Uilleam MacBhàtair air Albhaidh ris. A rèir choltais 'se "aig creag-mhagh" as ciall dha, le -bhaidh mar a gheibhear san ainm Muigh.	The name Advie is a puzzle, but what Prof WJ Watson has to say about Alvie in Badenoch may be relevant here. This apparently means "at rock plain", and the -vie may be the same word as Moy, a plain.
Tha a' chiall aig (a') "Chromdail", air lùb mhòr ann an Spè, follaiseach gu leòr: dail [cluain] a tha crom.	Cromdale, on a huge bend of the Spey is straightforward: (a') "Chromdail", the crooked meadow.
Chan eil Inbhir Ailein follaiseach an toiseach, oir chan eil abhainn air a bheil Ailean fhathast ann. Ge-tà, tha nota ann an leabhraichean latha an Ordnance Survey sna 1860n ag ràdh gur e "Allan" a bh'air an allt sin gu bho chionn ghoirid, agus 'se Tobar Ailein a th'air a thobar fhathast.	Inverallan is, at first sight, not obvious, as there is no longer a stream called the Allan. However, a note in the Ordnance Survey logbooks of the 1860s notes that the burn there had until lately been known as the Allan, and its source is still called Tobar Ailein [Allan well].
Tha làmh an uachdar air bhith aig cultar na Gàidhlig air Srath Spè faisg air mìle bliadhna agus bha gus a' cheud bliadhna mu dheireadh neo mar sin. A rèir sheann daoine san sgìre bha Gàidhlig ga bruidhinn aig tòrr, co-dhiù gu timcheall àm a' Chiad Chogaidh, agus ann an àitichean fada an dèidh sin. A-nis tha an cànan 'na suain gun a bhith ga cluinntinn tric, ach tha an fheadhainn aig a bheil i tìtheach air gach cothrom a bruidhinn.	For the best part of a thousand years, Gaelic culture has dominated Strathspey and it is only in the last hundred years or so that it has broken down. According to older folks in the area Gaelic was widely spoken, certainly up to and beyond the First War, and in some parts much more recently. Nowadays the language is dormant and not often heard, but those who do have it are glad of any chance to speak it.
Ro na 1790n bha a' chrìoch eadar Gàidhlig is Beurla air liùgadh suas Spè gu na parraistean dìreach fo Chromdail, agus bha am ministear an dùil ri bàs na Gàidhlig. Ach a rèir a' mhinisteir ann an Obar Neithich bha a h-uile nì dòigheil: "Se a' Ghàidhlig cànan beò nan daoine anns an dèan iad còmhradh is an cuid gnothaich agus anns an tèid an oideachadh, agus tha na h-ainmean àite uile sa Ghàidhlig."	By the 1790s the line between Gaelic and English had crept up the Spey to the parishes just below Cromdale, and the minister was predicting the end of Gaelic. But according to the minister in Abernethy everything seemed secure: "The common living language of the people, in which they converse, do their business and are instructed, is the Gaelic, and the names of the places are all Gaelic ones."
Ann an cuid a sgìrean air a' Ghàidhealtachd, leithid Siorrachd Pheairt, canaidh daoine tric nach "ceart" a' Ghàidhlig a th'aca; gur "dona" an dualchainnt aca. Chan eil seo fìor am measg na th'air fhàgail de Ghàidheil ann an Srath Spè, agus cha robh riamh. Seo naidheachd a Daodhal, a rèir choltais bho thràth san 18 linn. Nochd i sa phàipear The Highlander air 30 Sultain 1876, agus i a-mach air fear Iain Cuimein, neo "Iain na Gàidhlig". Bha praban aig Iain aig àite ann an Daodhal air a bheil Lochan an Eich Bhàin. Aon oidhche chaidh dithis chustamair am bad a chèile, agus nuair a chaidh a' chùis dhan taigh chùirte an Eilginn chaidh a ghairm ann mar fhianais.	In some parts of the Highlands, such as Perthshire, people will often say that they do not speak "proper" Gaelic, and that the dialect there is "bad". This is not so among the few remaining Gaelic speakers in Strathspey, nor was it so in earlier times. The following story comes from Duthil, and probably dates back to the early 1800s. It was printed in the newspaper The Highlander on 30 September 1876, and concerns a certain Iain Cumming, or "Iain na Gàidhlig". Iain kept a shebeen at a place in Duthil called Lochan an Eich Bhàin. One night, two of his customers came to blows, and when the case came to court in Elgin, he was called as a witness.
"Thoir am mionnan, a dhaoine," thuirt an neach lagh sa Bheurla. "A' Ghàidhlig, a' Ghàidhlig," ars Iain sa Ghàidhlig, "si a' Ghàidhlig as docha leam" – agus thug e am mionnan sa Ghàidhlig. An uair sin thug e car as an neach lagh uiread 's gun do thuit a' chùis. Bhon àm sin a-mach b'e "Iain na Gàidhlig" a chainte ris.	"Take the oath, sir" said the lawyer in English. "The Gaelic, the Gaelic," said Iain in Gaelic, "it's the Gaelic that I prefer" - and he took the oath in Gaelic. He then led the lawyer such a dance that they gave up and the case collapsed. From that time on he was known as "Iain na Gàidhlig" [Iain of the Gaelic].
Ach fiù 's an-seo, ann am meadhan Srath Spè, cha tug e mòran gus atharrachadh a thoirt air cùisean. An 1845 tha sgrìobhadair Ràta Mhurchais air son Cunntas Ùr na Stàite ag ràdh gu robh, an dèidh do mhòran choigrich a' tighinn a-steach gu obair na coille, "an òigridh a' nochdadh miann mhòr gus a' Bheurla a thogail, is i nas fheumaile." Air a shon sin, seall air figearan a' Chunntais Sluaigh an 1891, 30 bliadhna an dèidh dhan rèile an sgìre fhosgladh. A-mach a Cromdail bha Gàidhlig aig 60% dhen t-sluagh.	"But even here, in the heart of Strathspey, it didn't take a lot for things to start changing. In 1845 the writer of the New Statistical Account for Rothiemurchus comments that, following an influx of strangers who came to work in the forest, "the young manifest great anxiety to acquire the knowledge of the more useful English." Even so, the Census figures for 1891, 30 years after the railway opened up the district, are interesting. With the exception of Cromdale, more than 60% of the population were Gaelic speakers.
A thaobh cànain, tha Gàidhlig Srath Spè 'na dualchainnt fhèin. Tha feartan aice a tha ri'm faighinn ann an sgìrean eile de Thaobh Sear na Gàidhealtachd, leithid deireadh fhacail is fuaimreagan meadhanach air an call. Mar eisimpleir, canar "droch'tch" ri drochaid. Thug Dòmhnall Gobh' ann an Obar Neithich an t-eisimpleir seo dhomh: "Chaith mi'n oidhch' air a' mhon' agus bha mi dia'l de fuar". Chuala mi an aon seòrsa rud ann an Siorrachd Pheairt – canaidh iad "deir' na bliadhn'" ri deireadh na bliadhna.	In terms of language, Strathspey Gaelic is a dialect in its own right. It is marked by certain features also found in other parts of the East Highlands, such as the loss of endings of words and of intermediate vowels. Drochaid, for example, is pronounced "droch'tch". Donald Smith in Abernethy gave me the following example: "Chaith mi'n oidhch' air a' mhon' agus bha mi diabhalta fuar" [I spent the night on the hill and I was devilish of cold]. I heard a similar thing in Perthshire - for deireadh na bliadhna", they say "deir' na bliadhn'".
A bharrachd air a' Ghàidhealtachd an Ear, caillear cuid a dheiridhean mar an ceudna ann an Leòdhas. Theagamh gun tèid feartan mar seo air ais gun àm a thàinig Gàidhlig dhan Ghàidhealtachd an toiseach, agus 's dòcha gur e seo buaidh a' chànain a bh'ann ron Ghàidhlig.	And this is not just in the East Highlands, but also in Lewis, where some endings are lost. Features such as this may go back to the time when Gaelic first came to the Highlands, and may indeed reflect some aspects of the language spoken here before Gaelic.
A rèir muinntir an àite chan eil Gàidhlig Srath Spè ro fhada bhon Ghàidhlig a bh'aca an Srath Èireann neo Gleann Urchadain – ach a thaobh an nàbannan ann am Bàideanach…. Rachadh Dòmhnall Gobh' dhan fhèill an Ceann a' Ghiùthsaich nuair a bha e òg, agus thuirt e "gu robh blas diofraichte de Ghàidhlig an-sin; nas àirde, gèire… tha fiù 's a' Bheurla eadar-dhealaichte. Aithnichidh tu Bàideanach air a Bheurla."	According to local folk, the Gaelic in Strathspey isn't too different from the Gaelic spoken in Strathdearn or in Glen Urquhart - but as for their close neighbour, Badenoch…. Donald Smith used to go to the sales in Kingussie when he was a boy, and said that "they had a different twang of Gaelic there; higher pitched, sharper… the English even is a different dialect. You can tell a native of Bainyoch even by his English."
Bhon Linn Deigh tha Srath Spè air a bhith fo choilltean mòra, ainmeil air son giuthas is aiteann gu h-àraidh. Tha buaidh air a bhith aige seo air eaconamaidh, cultar, cànan is ainmean àite na sgìre. Tha clàradh ann a chaidh a thogail an 1951 dhan Sgrùdadh Chànanach Ghàidhlig sa bheil an neach agallaimh a' faighneachd: "Dè a' Ghàidhlig a th'air wood?" Thugadh an fhreagairt gun dàil – "giuthas".	Since the Ice Age Strathspey has been heavily forested, pine and juniper being the most distinctive plants. This has influenced the economy, culture, language and place-names of the district. There is a recording made in 1951 for the Gaelic Linguistic Survey where the interviewer asks: "What is the Gaelic for wood?" The answer comes straight back – "giuthas" [pine].
Agus tha facail ann, mar chamas is cladach, ris am biodh dùil air an oirthir. An-seo, fad a-staigh air an dùthaich, tha ciall eile orra. Air a' Chost an Iar 'se bàgh a th'ann an camas; air an dùthaich 'se lùb leathann aibhne a th'ann, mar ann an Camas Mòr agus Camas Bàn air Spè aig an Agaidh Mhòir.	Then there are certain words, such as camas and cladach, which are usually associated with coastal regions. Here, far inland, they change their meaning to suit. Camas could on the West Coast be a bay; inland it refers to a wide bend of a river, as at Camas Mòr and Camas Bàn on the Spey near Aviemore.
Tha cleachdadh cladach cuideachd ag atharrachadh. Latha is mi a' tadhail air Ailig Morlay, croitear an Tulach, chunnaic e ainm air map a chroit. 'Se Caochan a' Choin [dhen dòbhran fhireann?] a bh'aig an Ordnance Survey air a' bhad a bha seo, ach cha chuala e riamh sin. "Cladach na Cook'hourn" a bh'aig a sheanmhair air; is math dh'fhaodte Cladach nan Craogh [ie craobh] Chaorainn. Agus 'se tha sa chladach ach raon sgrìodan morghain air an leathad. Tha seo air a dhaingneachadh le map oighreachd bho 1809 – an-seo tha e comharrachadh "morghan air a chaitheamh an-àird leis an allt."	The use of cladach also changes. Once when I was visiting Alec Morlay, a crofter in Tulloch, he spotted a name on the map of his croft. The Ordnance Survey had called the spot Caochan a' Choin [stream of the dog (dog otter?)], but he had never heard of this. "Cladach na Cook'hourn", his granny called it, which would be Cladach nan Craogh (for craobh) Chaorainn [of the rowan trees]. And cladach was a run of gravel scree on the slope there, rather than a seashore. An estate map of 1809 backs this up - it notes here "gravel cast out by the burn".
Mu dheireadh, àirdean na combaist. Tha àird a-tuath is àird a-deas mar as àbhaist, ach cha nochd iad tric ann an ainmean àite. Ge-tà – mar ann an Siorrachd Pheairt – tha sìos air sear agus suas air siar. Air dhà dhe na tacaichean ann an Tulach air am fàsachadh an 1868 bha "Rynerich" a-Shìos agus "Rynerich" a-Shuas. Tha suas is sìos air an cur gu sìmplidh mar an-àird ("artch") agus a-bhàn.	Finally, there are points of the compass. North is tuath and south deas, as usual, but they rarely appear in place-names. However - as in Perthshire - east is sìos and west is suas. In Tulloch two of the holdings cleared in 1868 were Easter and Wester Rynerick. In local Gaelic they are "Rynerich" a-Shìos and "Rynerich" a-Shuas. Up and down are simplified to an-àird ("artch") and a-bhàn.
San ath phàirt dhen òraid agam bidh mi a' dol tron diofar seòrsa ainmean àite a gheibhear ann an Srath Spè, agus cuid dhe na sgeulachdan a thèid 'nan cois.	In the next part of my talk I am going to go through the various types of place-names which you find in Strathspey, and some of the stories connected to them.

Niall MacGriogair (Beurla) Gheibhear tuilleadh fios air dualchas Gàidhlig Srath Spè anns na h-aistidhean aig Niall ann an Leabhraichean Chomann Gàidhlig Inbhir Nis 58 is 59.

Further details of the Gaelic heritage of Strathspey are to be found in the essays by Neil in the Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness 58 & 59.

You can find more articles in the archive under Gaelic Column and information on the organization at C.L.I.

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