The Little Letter for Gaelic Learners

Aig fìor cheann a deas Loch Lòchaidh, tha Magh Comair. Ann am Beurla – Mucomir. Tha baile-fearainn ann. Tha an t-ainm a’ ciallachadh magh no blàr anns a bheil dà abhainn a’ tighinn còmhla – ann an ‘comar’. ’S iad sin Abhainn Spiothain agus Abhainn Lòchaidh. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag

Do you know what a ‘dochy’ is? It’s spelled, in English, D-O-C-H-Y. I’m certain that in Gaelic it’s spelled D-O-C-H-A-I-D-H. It is, or was, an oaken stick. It was short and thick. It was heavy, with a large hard head on it. Find out more about the dochy and when it was used in this week’s letter. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag

Ruairidh was told us, last week, about the death of Iain Garbh Mac ’Ille Chaluim of Raasay. His birlinn sank off the north coast of Skye in 1671. This week Ruairidh turns his attention to how that loss people in the West Highlands deeply upset as he was well-respected and much-loved. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag

Ruairidh has another story about Iain Garbh of Raasay. Find out what happened to him after he was tricked by MacLeod of Dunvegan. Did he heed warnings? Was he a cautious man? Did he marry? Ruairidh has all the answers in this week’s letter. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag

Iain Garbh was living in Raasay. He was extremely strong. He wasn’t paying rent to MacLeod of Dunvegan. But he should have been. MacLeod was afraid to go and ask for the money. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag

Ruairidh mentioned the Isle of Bute last week. In the book – A Voyage Round the Coast of Scotland and the Isles – there is an account of Bute. James Wilson wrote the book and it was published in 1842. Wilson offers a view of the name Bòd - Bute. Ruairidh considers this view and others in this letter and it makes for fascinating reading. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag

This week, Ruairidh begins the letter with an old saying – Chan ann am Bòid uile a tha an t-olc; tha cuid dheth sa Chumaradh Bheag làimh ris. Not all evil is in Bute; some is in Little Cumbrae nearby. We know that’s not true today, if it ever was, but it is a good introduction to this week’s subject; some islands in the Firth of Clyde. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag

This week Ruairidh continues with the tragic tale of the Annie Jane. The skipper beached the ship in Vatersay. Waves smashed the boat. Find out what happened to the crew, the boat and the people of Vatersay and the community in this week’s letter. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag

In August 1853, the Annie Jane sailed from Liverpool. She was going to Quebec. There were four hundred people on board. The boat was carrying a load of iron – eight hundred tonnes of it. There were three hundred tonnes also of other goods. William Mason was the captain. Find out it he had a successful journey in this week’s letter. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag

Ruairidh continues to discuss the clearance of Barra by Colonel John Gordon of Cluny. To find out more, you need to listen to this week's letter. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag.

The vessel, the Admiral, sailed from the Western Isles in 1851. She was taking islanders to Quebec. To find out more about this clearance, you need to listen to this week's letter. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag.

Do you know what a gille-ruadh is? It's called gillaroo in English. You may be thinking of a boy with red hair, but it's actually a type of fish. To find out more, you need to listen to this week's letter. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag

This week, Ruairidh continues with the story of Samson and Delilah. Do you know how she betrayed him to aid the Philistines? To find out more, you need to listen to this week's letter. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag

This week, Ruairidh plans to tell us about a man in the Bible. He is named on the Scottish landscape. Ruairidh starts with a verse from the Bible about this man. Who is he? Ruairidh can tell you and has lots of information about his life. To find out more, you need to listen to this week’s letter. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag

This week Ruairidh begins his letter by taling about a paper that came out about the history of eagles in Britain and Ireland last year. The research was based on place names. He explains the difference between different eagles and how we can identify them. Ruairidh then offers us a surprise by talking about an animal that has since become extinct. Learn more about eagles and about this surpise animal in this week's letter. Accompanying text is available in both English and Gaelic at bbc.co.uk/litirbheag