Go to the home page of Electric Scotland Read about our terms and conditions for using te site and out privacy policy Gte our contact information here Find accommodation in Scotland Get information on Scottish agriculture and wildlife Find hundreds of historical articles about Scotland Beth's monthly publication about the Scots diaspora and genealogy Hundreds of online books for you to read Learn something about business in Scotland We have some 800 children's stories for you to read This is where you'll learn all about Scottish clans and families and their history Learn about Scottish culture and also our old Scots language A collection of material from a native Indian writer on Indian lore, poems, recipes and lots more This is Alastair's personal site with his travel journals and loads of pictures taken on his travels in Scotland and abroad Hundreds of biographies of famous Scots A weekly publication from the Scots Independent Newspaper on matters to do with Scottish independence This is where you can message with others on any topic you wish and interact in a social network Great place to get those great Scottish recipes We do need some relaxation from time to time so enjoy some of our online games This is our six volume gazetteer of Scotland Get advice and resources to help with your genealogy research Learn all about Scotland's famous Haggis Learn about prevntative health care from old Scottish texts This is where we've profiled some Highland Games in Scotland and around the world Explore historic places and castles in Scotland Tons of information on the history of Scotland and the Scots Looing for a wee humour or humor story then enjoy our great collection here Poems and stories from the pen of John Henderson and also many of his own dorric poems Lots of interesting material for kids and children of all ages A bit of a catch all for things that don't have there own menu Some music and radio programs for you to listen to and lots of great sheet music Get up to date Scottish news and find all the local newspaper and television stations This is where you can read Electric Scotland's weekly newsletter and read back copies We have thousands of pictures of Scotland and this page will lead you to them We have lots of poetry and stories sent in by visitors to the site Send a postcard to friends, family or colleagues Yes the Bible but so much more Learn about Scotland's famous bard Robert Burns Learn about the Scots who moved to Ulster and onto the world Scotland's official langiuage for several centuries wasn't gaelic but Scots! Learn about the famous Scottish and Highland regiments Some useful services like a roman numeral calculator and personal worth Here you will find our own shopping malls Looking for those old Scots songs then this is where you'll find them History of sports in Scotland Learn about tartan and use the tartan search engines Travel and Tourism in Scotland Some interesting Scottish trivia to baffle your friends with Fun videos that we've taken over the years A Scottish wedding guide Find out the last 100 items we've added to the site Learn about what Scots did in the world Learn about Scots in the USA Learn about Scots in Canada Learn about Scots in Australia Learn about Scots in India Learn about Scots in Germany Learn about Scots in France Learn about Scots in New Zealand

Check all the Clans that have DNA Projects. If your Clan is not in the list there's a way for it to be listed.Edinburgh and Scotland Accommodation, Bed & Breakfast, Self Catering, Guest Houses, Inns, Holiday Tourist AccommodationAn amazing collection of unique holiday cottages, castles and apartments, all over Scotland in truly amazing locations.Holiday Cottages Scotland. Self Catering and Holiday Homes.A comprehensive holiday accommodation Index for ScotlandSavannah Johnston, Realtor, Toronto, Canada

Click here to get a Printer Friendly Page
Scots Place Names
Buy MacSweens haggis and Grants tinned haggis online from the Scottish Haggis Store
Advertise on all 1000+ pages of the Flag in the Wind
Handmade Gifts

 

Scots Independent

The Flag in the Wind
Features - Gaelic Column
November 2003

 Scottish Flag

Home | About Us | Subscriptions | Archives | SNP | Ad Rates | Features | Adverts | Events | Links

Colbh Gàidhlig

Mar a fios agaibh, cha bhi mise a’ gearran. Fad na h-ùine. Ach cha d’fhuair mi litrichean molaidh sam bith an dèidh dhomh colbh cho inntinneach sgrìobhadh air a’ mhìos seo chaidh. Cha do dh’fhòn Ruairidh Dòmhnallach na bu mhotha. Sgeul mo bheatha. Mar a thuirt an seanfhacal ‘Mas math leat do mholadh, faigh bàs; mas math leat do chàineadh, pòs.

Chan eil mi dol a bhruidhinn air Co-labhairt a’ Phàrtaidh a chionn ‘s gu bheil fhios agam gum bi tòrr ann am Beurla ma dhèidhinn, agus chan eil mi airson an aon rud a ràdh ann an cainnt nèimh. Their mi dìreach gun d’ rinn Iain Swinney òraid mhath, nam bheachdsa co-dhiù, (saoil an d’fhuair esan litrichean molaidh?) agus bha am balach a’ fuaimneachadh math. Bha Rosanna Cunningham dìreach ainmeil cuideachd agus tha mi cinnteach gun d’ rinn na thuirt ise diofar mòr don bhòt.

Ceart gu leòr, fear de na h-adhbharan as toil leam Rosanna, ‘s e sin gu bheil i airson gum bi Alba na poblachd. Nach tuirt mi roimhe? Le Longannet dùinte tha seann mhèinne againn; tha teaghlach rìoghail againn nach eil sin a’ cleachdadh, – chuir na Rùiseanaich dà rud cosmhail ri sin còmhla ann an dòigh innleachdach. . .  Tha mi dìreach ag ràdh.

Fhad ‘s a tha mi bruidhinn air Alba a bhith na poblachd, cò bhitheadh againn mar cheann-suidhe? Gu fortanach, tha cuideigin nam inntinn. Boireannach, Gàidheal, tè nach rachadh còmhla ri interns agus nach tòiseachadh cogadh le Iraq . . . Aidh, chuala sibh seo roimhe, ach cha d’fhuair mi cuireadh fhathast. Me for president a leughadairean chòir.

Mura bruidhinn mi air a’ cho-labhairt, tha sin gam fhàgail ann an duilgheadas. Dh’fheuch mi smaointinn air rud eigin inntinneach a ràdh ach tha eagal orm nach tàinig mòran a-staigh orm agus mar sin tha an t-àm agam air son plana seòlta. Gu mì-fhortanach chuir sin nam chuimhne an t-àm a bha mi ann an Tulliallan, nuair a thill mi a dh’Alba, agus dh’fheuch mi plana seòlta. An tuirt mi seòlta? Chan b’ e sin am facal! Bha am plana seo cho seòlta, nam bitheadh earball fada air bhitheadh e na mhadhadh-ruadh!  B’ ann mar seo a bha e - cha robh mi riamh dèidheil air ruith agus dheanainn a h-uile leisgeul a b’ urrainn dhomh fhaighinn às. Latha a bha seo thuirt an sergeant gum b’ fheudar dhuinn ruith tarsainn na dùthcha (no cross-country) a dheanamh. ‘S e an fhìrinn a th’ agam, a leughadairean chòir, tha mi smaointinn gun do dh’fhàg am fear sin an SS a chionn ‘s nach robh iad cruaidh gu leòr. Co-dhiù, dh’fhalbh sinn a-mach air a’ chearnaig agus nuair a thug esan seachad an t-òrdugh thòisich sinn ruith. Nis, mun cuairt air an àm bha tòrr anns na meadhanan mu “marathons” agus daoine ‘a’ bualadh a’ bhalla’. Mar sin, dh’fhalbh mi cho dlùth air an t-sergeant ‘s a b’ urrainn dhomh agus ruith mi cho clis ‘s a b’ urrainn dhomh gus an robh sinn a-mach as a’ cholaiste. (Am fear a gheibh ainm na moch-eirigh, faodaidh e laighe anmoch.) An uairsin chuir mi mo làmh gu mo chridhe, thionndaidh mi thuige agus thuirt mi ‘Cha ghabh e deanamh sergeant, tha mi air am balla a bhualadh. Fanaidh mise an seo – na gabh dragh, dìreach fàg mi agus cum ort.’ Seòlta, eh? Chan urrainn dhomh a ràdh ann an clò dè fhreagair e, ach bha mo phàrantan pòsda agus chan eil mi a’ creidsinn fhathast gun rachadh aige air ruith agus a chas suas mo thòn.

Bidh Bile Gàidhlig a’ tighinn a-mach aig a’ Mhòd, agus an ath mhìos bidh mi bruidhinn air na tha ann. Tha Pàdraig Peacock air innse dhuinn gum bi am Bìle seo nas fheàrr na am fear roimhe, a chur Mìcheal Russell air adhart. Chì sinn, a charaidean, chì sinn. Cuideachd, tha mi cinnteach gum bi gearranan gu leòr agam mu cho-dhùnaidhean nam farpaisean, mura faigh na h-Ilich a’ chiad àite. Tha sibh air rabhadh fhaighinn! ‘S dòcha gun innis mi dhuibh a-rithist mun latha a ghlèidh mise a’ chiad àite ann am farpais ag aithris a’ Bhìobaill. Ficheadamh caibideil an Taisbeanaidh, rann aon gu còig. . .

 Return to Gaelic Column Index Page