Allan Campbell - 18.5.23

’S e lìonmhorachd nan làmh a nì an obair aotrom! Sin seanfhacal air a bheil a’ mhòr-chuid glè eòlach tha mi cinnteach, agus bidh deagh chuimhne aig an fheadhainn a thogadh ann am baile croitearachd air mar a bhiodh teaghlaichean a’ dol cuideachd aig amannan cur is buain, agus obair-mònach. Thig boillsgidhean cuimhne thugam air làithean brèagha sona, dhòmhsa co-dhiù, nuair a bhithte a’ buain mhònach air monadh Ùiginish.

 

Ma bha latha gu bhith ga thoirt air an obair rachadh sgioba trì, neo ceithir, iarainn a chur air dòigh agus bhuaineadh iad sin connadh bliadhna dhan dachaigh. Agus abair othail a’ deasachadh airson an latha chudromach sin, gu sònraichte am biadh, feòil ròsta, buntàta, sgonaichean, agus duf ! Tha cuimhne agam air ciste làn bìdh, soithichean, coire mòr dubh, agus na dh’fheumte gus teine a lasadh, ga togail gu cùl na làraidh a ghiùlaineadh an sgioba agus an àirneis buana a dh’ionnsaigh na mòintich. Latha de dh’obair chruaidh dha na h-inbhich, latha cluiche shona dhuinne mar chloinn, agus cothrom èisteachd ri còmhraidhean is sgeulachdan eirmseach aig àm bìdh!

 

‘S e fear de na cuimhneachain thràtha a th’ agam, nuair a bha mi mu cheithir bliadhna, mo mhàthair gam shlaodadh tro na cruitean gu taigh Thòmais Mhurchaidh far an robh an làraidh gar feitheamh is mo mhàthair gu bhith a’ toirt latha buana cuide riutha.

 

Bidh mi tric cuideachd a’ cuimhneachadh air an toileachas a bh’ ann siubhal ann an làraidh, neo carbad sam bith, nuair a bha iad sin cho tearc nar coimhearsnachdan, agus bha sinn a’ saoilsinn gun robh na làraidhean cho mòr!

 

An-diugh tha fhios againn cho beag ’s a bha iad an taca ris na h-innealan air am bheil sinn eòlach a-nise agus a h-uile càil saoilidh sinn a’ fàs nas motha is nas luaithe ged nach eil ’s dòcha cinn-uidhe a’ fàs dad nas fhasa an ruigheachd. Bidh co-dhiù cuid agaibh mothachail air mar a tha meudachd nan trèilearan air làraidhean mòra air fàs thar nam beagan bhliadhnaichean a chaidh, agus barrachd dhiubh sin a-nise a’ ruith air sia neo fiù barrachd aisealan.

 

Ged a tha sin a’ sgaoileadh cuideam nan luchdan a bhios iad a’ giùlan air na ròidean chan eil sin a’ ciallachadh cus buannachd air nam mìltean mhìle de sheann ròidean-cartach ris am bheil uimhir de dh’Alba fhathast an eisimeil airson còmhdhail. ’S beag an t-iongnadh ged a bhiodh na ròidean sin a’ tuiteam às a chèile eadar ìre na trafaig, is le turasachd a’ cur gu mòr ri sin, agus cuideam is leud làraidhean is bhusaichean an latha ’n-diugh. Cha b’iongnadh a bharrachd muinntir an Eilein Sgitheanaich a bhith a’ dèanamh toileachas ris na milleanan a tha Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd a’ cur ri leasachadh ròidean an Eilein am- bliadhna.

 

Bho dheireadh a’ mhìos seo bidh làraidhean le trèilearan faisg air seachd troigh nas fhaide ceadaichte air na ròidean againn, agus ged nach bi luchdan nas truime tha dùil gum bi nas lugha thursan lìbhrigidh ann!

 

 

As anyone who grew up in a crofting community will know, pooling effort at such times as spring and harvest was an extremely effective tradition, and a practice that also built and maintained close friendships.  Peat-cutting and transporting, were other occasions for community cooperation and one of my earliest memories is, as a three-year-old, being hustled by my mother as she hurried to a neighbour’s home where a lorry was to transport a peat-cutting team for that family home.

 

Peat-cutting days were a joyful experience for us youngsters, and memories linger of sumptuous picnics among the heather listening to amiable banter of resting workers. Memories also of the excitement of travelling in lorries which seemed enormous to us then, while we now realise they were only slightly bigger than a present-day pick-up!

 

Road-users will be aware of an increase in longer multi-axle trucks on our roads, and while extra axles spread the load this is of little benefit on the thousands of miles of single track roads, upgraded 20th century cart-tracks, on which so many communities rely. It is little wonder that these roads collapse at the mercy of ever heavier and wider vehicles, and the many thousands of tourist vehicles which also populate them. Skye communities are celebrating an increased allocation of maintenance funding from Highland Council, but billions are required to bring our national network of roads to acceptable levels.

 

One new government response to this challenge comes into effect at the end of this month when LSTs (Longer Semi-trailers), nearly two metres longer than normal articulated trailers, will be permitted on our roads. LSTs will be restricted to existing weight limits but their extra volume capacity is expected to reduce delivery journeys, road wear, and pollution!  It is probably fortunate that most single-track roads will be unable to accommodate them as lay-bys will be too short.