Bilingual transcription: A' Ghalltachd

SOPHIE Bidh an taisbeanadh ùr mu Ghàidheil a’ bhaile-mhòir uabhasach math.

(The new exhibition about Gaels in the city will be really good.)

LUC Tha mi air na dealbhan a thaghadh ach tha tòrr obrach ri dhèanamh fhathast.

(I’ve chosen the photos but there’s a lot of work to do yet.)

SOPHIE ’S e dòigh mhath a bhios ann ionnsachadh mu eachdraidh nan Gàidheal.

(It’ll be a good way to learn about the history of the Gaels.)

ETTA Nach math gu bheil a’ chlann anns na sgoiltean Gàidhlig a’ gabhail pàirt ann.

(It’s great that the children from the Gaelic schools are taking part in it.)

LUC Tha eachdraidh nan Gàidheal air a’ Ghalltachd cho cudromach.

(The history of the Gaels in the Lowlands is so important.)

ETTA Chaidh do thogail ann an Glaschu, Luc, ach an ann às a’ bhaile a tha do phàrantan?

(You were brought up in Glasgow, Luc, but are your parents from the city?)

LUC Chan ann. ’S ann à Siorrachd Pheairt a tha m’ athair agus ’s ann à Èirinn a tha mo mhàthair. Thathas ag ràdh gu robh Gàidhlig gu leòr ann an Siorrachd Pheairt aig aon àm.

(No. My father is from Perthshire and my mother is from Ireland. They say that there was plenty of Gaelic in Perthshire at one time.)

ETTA Seall cho brèagha ’s a tha na h-ainmean Gàidhlig air na bailtean aca: Obar Pheallaidh agus Baile Chloichrigh. Ghluais cuid de na càirdean agamsa às na Hearadh, gu Ceann Loch Raineach.

(Look at how lovely the Gaelic placenames are: Aberfeldy and Pitlochry. Some of my relatives moved from Harris, to Kinloch Rannoch.)

SOPHIE Carson a ghluais iad an sin?

(Why did they move there?)

ETTA Chaidh iad a dh’obair air oighreachdan mòra – nan cìobairean, nan geamairean agus nan còcairean.

(They went to work on large estates – as shepherds, gamekeepers and cooks.)

LUC Dh’fhàg teaghlach m’ athar-sa Siorrachd Pheairt. Thàinig iad gu baile-mòr nan Gàidheal.

(My father’s family left Perthshire. They came to the large city of the Gael (Glasgow).)

ETTA Thathas ag ràdh gun robh na Gàidheil a-riamh air an tarraing do bhailtean na Galltachd – Glaschu agus Dùn Èideann gu h-àraidh.

(It’s said that the Gaels were always drawn to the towns of the Lowlands, to Glasgow and Edinburgh in particular.)

SOPHIE Carson?

(Why?)

LUC A’ dol air ais ann an eachdraidh, bhiodh iad air am fuadach bho na croitean agus bhon fhearann – mì-rùn mòr nan Gall! Chaidh cuid mòran na b’ fhaide air falbh.

(Going back in history, they would have been evicted from the crofts and the land – the great ill-will of the Lowlander! Some went much further afield.)

ETTA Tha sin fìor. Nach eilear den bheachd gur e sin a dh’fhàg sinnsirean Mhìcheil ann an Alba Nuadh.

(That’s true. Isn’t it believed that’s what left Micheal’s ancestors in Nova Scotia.)

SOPHIE Dè mun imrich a thàinig às dèidh sin, carson a thachair e?

(What about the migration that came after that, why did that happen?)

ETTA Bha cosnadh ri fhaighinn air a’ Ghalltachd agus bhathar ag iarraidh beatha na b’ fheàrr.

(There was work to be had in the Lowlands. They sought a better life.)

LUC Agus bhathar ag iarraidh foghlam tha mi creidsinn. Dh’fheumadh iad tighinn chun na Galltachd airson sin.

(And they wanted education I suppose. They had to come to the Lowlands for that.)

ETTA ’S e sin a thug orm fhìn tighinn dhan bhaile-mhòr. Agus mus can thu càil, cha b’ ann aig àm nam Fuadaichean a thàinig mi!

(That’s what brought me to the city. And before you say anything, I didn’t come at the time of the Clearances!)

LUC (Laughs) Bhiodh a’ Ghàidhlig ga mùchadh aig an àm sin.

(Gaelic would have been suppressed at that time.)

ETTA Bha Gàidhlig gu leòr ann an Glaschu nuair a thàinig mise dhan bhaile agus bhiomaid a’ coinneachadh ann an àiteachan sònraichte – sràidean ainmeil agus tallachan dannsa.

(There was plenty of Gaelic in Glasgow when I came to the city and we used to meet in particular places – well-known streets and dance halls.)

SOPHIE Nach eil sin fìor chun an latha an-diugh? Thug Rona mise gu cèilidh ann an taigh-seinnse.

(Isn’t that still true today? Rona took me to a ceilidh in a pub.)

ETTA Bheir mise dhan eaglais Ghàidhealaich thu. Cluinnidh tu seinn bhrèagha an sin cuideachd.

(I’ll take you to the Highland church. You’ll hear some beautiful singing there as well.)

SOPHIE Chòrdadh sin rium, Etta!

(I’d like that, Etta!)