Sunday 11 December 2011

Seachdain a' Siubhail: Transcriptions [17mh dhen Dàmhair 2011]

Halò a h-uile duine,

Part two of my Hebridean adventures:

17mh Dàmhair 2011
I'm having an English day today. Sorry, Iain Tormod! 
So, here I am on what is the fourth day of my excursion through the Western Isles and the wind is howling unrelentlessly. I've taken shelter in the only real building here at the Leverburgh Pier - complete with two washrooms and a set of benches. The town of Leverburgh looked nice, but it's on the opposite side of the bay from the pier and I don't fancy the walk back. When I say this is the only building around, that's not quite true. There is also a restraunt which doesn't open until one o' clock (in about an hour) and a 'Butty Bus' where I just enjoyed a brilliant breakfast sandwich - egg and bacon - and tea for only £3.50. It's a neat little place. I was expecting him to operate out of a side window like a chip truck, but he's actually converted the inside of the bus into a diner, with a small kitchen at the back end. It looks completely driveable too, so it's fully self-contained; no outside propane tanks or anything like that. 
Cidhe Òb ~ Leverburgh Pier
Bruidhinn mi Gàidhlig an-diugh. As deoghaidh faisg air ceithir uairean aig an cidhe Òb, ghlac mi am bàta-aiseag gu Bearnaraigh. Bha i glé gharbh anns an t-Òb; bha 'hail' ann! Tha e brèagha ann an Bearnaraigh. Feumaidh mi post a' cur am màireach air sgàth nach deach mi a dhèanamh an-diugh. Dhìochuimhnich mi . Bithidh an oifis a' phuist fosgailte aig naoi uairean 's a mhadainn, so cuiridh mi post gu Canada am màireach. 
Air an traigh ~ On the beach
Co-dhiùbh, bhruidhinn mi Gàidhlig le duine a thoirt lioft dhomh dhan osdail. Chuala mi Gàidhlig anns a' bhùth ann am Bearnaraigh 'The Lobster Pot Cafe', ach nuair a fheuch mi i, fhreagair an té anns a' Bheurla. 'S e taigh dhubh a th' anns an osdail seo agus tha e làn. Tha teaghlach ann às an Òban agus tha iad a' baichadh a Steòrnabhagh airson a' Mhòd. Tha trì no ceithir daoine eile [ann] cuideachd agus boireannach à Dealauair (?)
Bha an-diugh inntinneach air sgàth nach tàinig am bus gu Reineagdail. Mar sin, dhraibh an duine à Sasainn mi faisg air Tairbeart agus ghlac mi am bus gu Leverburgh. Tha mi ag iarraidh a' coiseachd mun cuairt an eilean am màireach aig sia no seachd uairean so feumaidh mi 'dol dhan leabaidh an drasda, no 'soon.' 
Tha gille ann a' seo a' sealltainn mar Liam. Ach uell, oidhche mhath a h-uile duine! Chì mi am màireach sibh...uell, sgrìobhaidh mi dhuibh am màireach. Beannachd leibh!                     
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17th of October 2011
In the hostel at Berneray:
Osdail Bearnaraigh ~ Berneray Hostel
I spoke Gaelic today! After close to four hours at the Leverburgh pier, I caught the ferry to Berneray. It was pretty blustery in Leverburgh; there was hail. It's lovely in Berneray. I need to mail a letter tomorrow because I didn't do it today; I forgot. The post office will be open at nine in the morning so I'll send it to Canada then. 
Anyway, I spoke Gaelic with a man who gave me a lift to the hostel. I heard Gaelic in the store here, 'The Lobster Pot Cafe' but when I tried to speak it, the lady answered in English. 
The hostel here is an old black-house [Black houses were the traditional style of building in the highlands right up until the beginning of the twentieth century, if not later in some areas] and it's full. There's a family from Oban here, who are biking up to Stornoway for the Mod. There are three or four others as well, including a woman from Delaware. 
Éirigh Gréine ~ The Sunrise at Berneray
Today was interesting. The bus didn't come to Rhenigdale, so the man from England drove me close to Tarbert and I caught the bus to Leverburgh there. 

I want to walk around the island tomorrow at six or seven o' clock so I had better head to bed now, or soon anyway. 
There's a boy here who looks just like Liam! Anyway, good night everyone. I'll see you tomorrow...well, write to you anyway. Cheers!

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