Finding community through Gaelic

English version

Aig a’ chiad tachartas, bha feadhainn airson innse dhomh gun dàil mun turas aca dhan chafaidh. Leis nach robh iad eòlach air a chèile, thàinig iad fa leth ach air an aon bhus. Nan suidhe an sin, bha iad uile air còmhradh inntinneach a chluinntinn—còmhradh Gàidhlig. Bha e follaiseach cho cudromach is luachmhor ’s a bha sin dhaibh, agus iad ag èisteachd ri Gàidhlig ann an suidheachadh nàdarra. Ach do dh’àireamh againn a tha a’ sìor fhàs sa Mhonadh Ruadh, tha Gàidhlig na pàirt làitheil der beatha, agus a’ phrìomh chànan a bhruidhneas sinn ri chèile.

’S e seo na tha Srùbag aig a’ Ghleann Mhòr a’ ciallachadh. Gach mìos thèid an cafaidh, a-nis fo shealbh a’ choimhearsnachd, a lìonadh le guthan Gàidhlig. Thèid àrainneachd bhrosnachail is shaorsainneil a thogail gus ar cànan a chleachdadh, ge bith dè ìre a th’ againn. Tha luchd-ionnsachaidh air a bhith ann nach robh air sgrùdadh ach nan aonar, agus iad a’ bruidhinn an ciad fhaclan Gàidhlig aghaidh ri aghaidh. Luchd-labhairt a’ tilleadh gu cànan an òige. Buill den Chòmhlan Luaidh Bhàideanach cliùiteach is Fèis Spè, agus feadhainn a tha air a bhith aig cridhe oidhirpean ath-bheothachaidh rè bhliadhnaichean.

Thig cuid againn gus cabadaich fhaighinn, fhad ’s a stiùireas saor-thoileach air leth taiceil càch le eacarsaichean feumail. Tha Moira air a bhith a’ cluich gheamannan ionnsachaidh le teaghlaichean agus na h-òigridh.

Dhomhsa, thàinig mo cheangal Gàidhlig bho na beanntan. An tòiseach, cha robh mi ach an dùil ri cuid de dh’ainmean a chunnaic mi air a’ mhapa fhuaimneachadh. Agus an uair sin, às dèidh dhomh Creag Bheag agus Creag Mhòr fhaighinn, bha mi airson beagan fhaclan a chur eatarra agus rosgrann slàn a thogail. Tha Creag Bheag brèagha. Chan ann nach robh ùidh agam bruidhinn ri daoine eile, ach ’s ann nach do smaoinich mi gum bithinn idir comasach.

Gu fortanach, bha daoine mìorbhaileach neartmhor le Gàidhlig shiùbhlach nam bheatha, agus thuirt iad rium nach fhaod mi stad gus an robh comas agam bruidhinn riutha. Leis an fhìrinn innse, thug e ceithir no còig oidhirpean fa leth orm gus adhartas sam bith a dhèanamh. Ach, às dèidh cuideachadh bho chùrsa air-loidhne agus buill bhrosnachail den choimhearsnachd ionadail, thòisich mi air piseach a dhèanamh agus chaidh mi dhan cholaiste san Eilean Sgitheanach fad bliadhna. Gu dearbh tha mi ag ionnsachadh fhathast agus a’ dèanamh mhearachdan gun abhsadh, ach tha mi moiteil gu leòr fiu ’s a bhith a’ sgrìobhadh post coltach ri seo.

Mar bhuidheann neo-fhoirmeil, tha planaichean mòra aig Gàidhlig Bhàideanaich agus Srath Spè sa bhliadhna a tha romhainn. Tha sinn a’ togail làrach-lìn agus meadhanan sòisealta gus luchd-labhairt agus luchd-ionnsachaidh a cheangal ri chèile agus a cheangal ri goireasan, tachartasan agus cothroman san sgìre ionadail. Fhuair sinn tiodhlac fialaidh de leabhraichean is de dh’irisean a tha sinn an dòchas a chruinneachadh ann an leabharlann coimhearsnachd. Agus gu cinnteach bidh sinn a’ tighinn ri chèile ann an Seachdain na Gàidhlig.

Chan e a-mhàin coinneachadh madainn gach mìos a tha cudromach, ach a’ choimhearsnachd a thogas sinn às. Gach turas, leasachaidh sinn dàimhean tron chànan. Nì sinn caraidean ùra ris nach do bhruidhinn sinn a-riamh ach sa Ghàidhlig, caraidean a dh’fhaodadh sinn tachairt riutha an ath thuras a thèid sinn dha na bùithtean. Bidh sinn a’ togail misneachd gus ar cànan a chleachdadh gu poblach, ge bith dè an ìre a th’ againn. Agus ma dh’fhaodte a dh’aithghearr, gheibh cuideigin eile cothrom èisteachd ris a’ Gàidhlig againn air a’ bhus. 

Bidh Srùbag ann eadar 10 – 11.30m air Didòmhnaich 22 den Mhàrt agus 19 den Ghiblean aig Cafaidh a’ Ghlinn Mhòir. Bidh fàilte air na h-uile. Gheibh sibh barrachd fiosrachaidh mu na tachartasan agus mun liosta puist-d againn air an làrach-lìn aig gaelicbadenoch.co.uk, no le bhith gar leantainn air Facebook.

• 'Waulking the cloth' at the Highland Folk Museum Rachel Keenan

  

  
• Outside the entrance of Glenmore Visitor Centre. Catriona Parmenter Photography

  

  
• Members of the Fèis Spè ceilidh band practising at Carrbridge Orchard. Rosalyn Watson

  

  

The first event, attendees were bursting to tell me about their journey to the cafe. Not knowing each other, they’d travelled independently on the same bus. And then they’d each overheard as a couple broke into conversation—Gaelic conversation. The joy and significance of hearing Gaelic in a natural setting was clear. But for a growing number of us in the Cairngorms, Gaelic is an everyday part of our lives, and the main language we speak together. 

That’s what the Gaelic Breakfast Club at Glenmore Visitor Centre is all about. Each month the community owned cafe is filled with Gaelic voices, building a relaxed and encouraging space for us to use the language at whatever level we have it. We’ve had learners who’ve only studied alone speaking their first Gaelic words to another person. Speakers returning to the language of their childhood. Members of the celebrated Badenoch Waulking Group and Fèis Spè, and folk who’ve been at the heart of revitalisation efforts over the years. Some of us come just to chat, while a super helpful volunteer helps others through more structured exercises. Moira has been playing educational games with families and young folk. 

Personally, my connection to Gaelic came from the hills. At first, I was just looking to pronounce some of the names I saw on maps. And then with Creag Bheag (small hill) and Creag Mhòr (big hill) under my belt, I wanted to fill in some words between them and build a complete sentence. Tha Creag Bheag breagha. It’s not that I was disinterested in talking to other people, I just never considered it possible. 

Thankfully, I had some stern but wonderful fluent speakers in my life to tell me that no, I couldn’t stop there. I had to keep learning until I could talk with them. In truth, it took me a few four or five separate attempts to make any headway, but with the help of a distance learning course and some very encouraging members of the local community I started to improve, before spending a year studying on Skye. I’m still always learning and very much always making mistakes, but just being at the point where I can write this blog post is huge for me. 

As an informal group, Gaelic Badenoch and Strathspey have some big plans for the year. We’re building an online presence to help speakers and learners connect with events, resources and opportunities in the local area. We’ve received a generous donation of books and magazines which we hope to make available through a community library. And naturally, we'll be getting together for Seachdain na Gàidhlig. 

But the significance isn’t just in meeting for a morning each month, but in the community we build from that. Each time, we grow our relationships through the language. We make new friends we’ve only ever spoken to in Gaelic, friends we might run into next time we pop down the shops. We gain the confidence to use our language in public, no matter our level. And maybe soon, someone else will get to overhear our conversations on the bus.

Gaelic Breakfast Club will take place from 10-11.30am on Sunday 22 March and Sunday 19 April at Glenmore Visitor Centre Cafe. All are welcome. You can find more about our events or sign up to our mailing list on our website at gaelicbadenoch.co.uk, or by following us on Facebook.