Bilingual transcription: Sìth Chailleann

Why not take a trip in the company of Calum MacIlleathain?

Teicneòlas. Tha e dìreach iongantach, nach eil!

Seall: fòn-làimhe. An t-eadar-lìon. The internet. An t-eadar- lìon. Tha cha mhòr gach pìos fiosrachaidh air a bheil feum, agam nam dhòrn.

Airson conaltradh a dhèanamh le caraidean: an t-eadar-lìon. Ma tha mi ag iarraidh cànan ionnsachadh: air an eadar-lìon.

Càite am faigh mi an clàr ùr aig Joy airson a luchdachadh a-nuas – download – a luchdachadh a-nuas? Gheibh, tron eadar-lìon.

Cò ghlèidh Bònn Òir A’ Chomuinn Ghàidhealaich ann an… dà mhìle ’s a deich..? Aha- seo agaibh cnap-starradh an teicneòlas… sgìrean dùthchail na h-Alba!

‘S iomadh àite anns nach eil ceangal dàta. Ciamar a rinn sinn a’ chùis mus robh fònaichean againn…? Mar eisimpleir: dèan cuideam at h’ann an seo? Chan eil ach aon chlach de chuideam…

Chan eil fhiosa’m, sin an fhìrinn. Ach sin an t-adhbhar a tha mi an seo.

A bheil sibh a’ faicinn a’ bheinn sin air mo chùlaibh? Creid e no na creid: believe it or not – creid e no na creid: ’s e làrach a tha seo anns an deach obair-saidheans glè chudromach a dhèanamh.

Seo Sìth Chailleann – beinn anabarrach àlainn air am bi mòran a’coiseachd ’s a’ streap.

Anns an ochdamh linn deug ged-thà, bha deuchainn saidheansail an seo – a scientific experiment – deuchainn saidheansail.

Thàinig an Reul-eòlaiche Rìoghail, Nevil Maskelyne ann agus e airson cuideam an t-saoghail a thomhas.

Tha mi air coinneachadh ri Izzy Filor bho Urras Iain Muir ’s bheir i dhomh soillearachadh.

Well Izzy, can you tell me what made Schiehallion a suitable mountain to measure the mass of the world?

It had to be an isolated mountain that was over a certain height. Also, they wanted it to be longer east west than it was north south. So Schiehallion was quite unique and they spent the best part of a year looking for a mountain that ticked those boxes.

How did he actually go about the experiment practically?

They built two observatories, one on the northern side and one on the southern side. They set up camp there for most of the summer. They did all the measurements at night based on the stars using a plum line to see how much the plum line was attracted by the mass of the mountain.

From what I understand, it was tiny tiny measurements that they were taking. And I understand that contour lines were also “invented” here – if that’s the right term?

This was the first use of contour lines on land. It was a mathematician called Charles Hutton. He never actually made it Schiehallion but he was sent all the data by Neville Maskelyne and his team who were up here.

He draw all those contour lines all along the hill to divide up the mountainin to measurable chunks to then equate to the mass of the world.

A’toirt sùil air mapa sam bith – chì sinn loidhnichean àirde – contours – loidhnichean àirde. Agus faodaidh sinn mapa mar seo a chleachdadh cuide ri teicneòlas ùr.

Is fheàrr an saoghal ionnsachadh na sheachnadh!

Tha mi a’ dìreadh gu làrachan a mharc-lanna Tuath.

Le dlùths – density – dlùths; agus tomhas-lìonaidh – volume – tomhas – lìonaidh na beinne, dh’fhaodhadh iad feuchainn ri cuideam an t-saoghail a thomhas.

Bha na toraidhean aca taobh a-staigh fichead anns a’ cheud den chuideam a tha sinn an-diugh a’ smaointinn a th’ anns an t-saoghal.

Saoilidh mi gur e seo an t-àite!

Tha teicneòlas air cùisean a dhèanamh cho furasta dhuinn ann an iomadh dòigh. Is feumaidh sinn taing a thoirt do na tùsairean – pioneers – tùsairean a rinn an obair aca ann an seo fhèin. ‘S dòcha gun robh iad nan suidhe far a bheil mise an-dràsta.

Tha ceangal eadar-lìon agam a-rithist a-nise!

Ach fuirich ort Joy – cha d’ fhuair mi freagairt dhan cheist a bha agam aig toiseach an latha!

Cò ma tha a ghlèidh Bònn Òir A’ Chomuinn Ghàidhealaich ann an… dà mhìle ’s a deich..?

hmm

ah!

B’ i Joy… Dunlop… Oh aidh,bha erm… làn fhios a’m air a sin…