Arcaibh / Orkney
Chuir mi ceithir làithean seachad ann an Arcaibh còmhla ri mo mhàthair an samhradh seo, agus chòrd e rinn gu mòr. Cha robh sinn air a bhith ann airson 15 bliadhna co-dhiù, mar sin bha sinn ga fhaicinn le sùilean ùra a-rithist. Tha e ann an nàdar an duine a bhith toilichte nuair a chì e ann an àite eile rudan air a bheil e eòlach às a’ bhaile aige fhèin, agus gu dearbh chunnaic sinn corra shealladh a bha coltach ris na rudan a bhios no a bha sinn a’ faicinn ann am Machair Rois fhèin. Air an làimh eile ge-tà, tha taobhan gu tur eadar-dhealaichte ann. ‘S e am measgachadh sin a rinn ar làithean-saora ann an Arcaibh cho tlachdmhor.
Tha na h-eileanan Arcaibh nas motha caran coltach ri sàsar, le creagan de chlach-ghainmhich dhearg aig an oir – Bodach Hòdhaigh eisimpleir as ainmeil. Tha iomadh rubha dìreach mar Bheinn Neige ann am Machair Rois . Taobh a-staigh den t-sàsar tha na h-achaidhean torrach ag aomadh a dh’ionnsaigh nan lochan beaga anns gach àite (coltach ri Loch Eye againne) agus nam bàigheannan timcheall air Scapa Flow, ainmeil anns a’chiad agus san darna Chogadh.
‘S ann an sin, aig deireadh a’ Chogaidh Mhòir, a chuir an cabhlach Gearmailteach mu lethcheud long aca fhèin fodha, gus nach biodh iad rin cleachdadh leis a’ Chabhlach Bhreatannach. Agus san Dàrna Chogadh, chaidh HMS Royal Oak a chur fodha le U-Boot Gearmailteach. Tha cothrom aig daibhearan san latha an diugh fhathast cuid de na long-bhrisidhean sin fhaicinn air grunnd na mara.
Tha an eaconomaidh Arcaibh air a bonntachadh air dualchas iasgaich agus àiteachas, mar an tè againne, agus tha dà thaigh-tasgaidh tuathanais ann, anns an do lorg mo mhàthair tòrr nì air an robh i eòlach à beatha a’ bhaile is i na paiste ann am Baile a’ Chnuic, agus a chì thu anns na dealbhan leatha anns an leabhar ‘Down to the Sea’, no air an làrach-lìn ‘Am Baile’: leacan an teine, an coire dubh, dreasairean, cearcan, èisg a’ tioramachadh, acfhainn iasgaich is tuathanais, amsaa.
Tha Arcaibh ainmeil cuideachd airson a stòras àrsaidheil. Tha na Clachan Cruithneach againne, air taobh an Ear na Gàidhealtachd, agus tha Skara Brae, Maes Howe, agus na Tursachan aig Brodgar is Stenness aig Arcaibh. Tha cladhach àrc-eòlais mòr ag obair fad beagan bhliadhnaichan air làrach Ness of Brodgar, agus tha coltas gur e làrach deas-ghnàthach aibheasach à Linn Ùr na Cloiche a bh’ ann, cho cudromach ri Stonehenge. ‘S e sgeul ann an clach a th’ ann an eachdraidh Arcaibh. Chan eil ach glè bheag de chraobhan an sin agus chaidh a h-uile rud a thogail à clach, fiù ‘s na dreasairean, na sgeilpichean agus na leabaidhean-bhogsa – ann an Skara Brae 5000 bliadhna air ais, agus anns na taighean-croit aig ar sinnsearan nas fhaisge.
Tha dualchas beartach ciùil agus beul-aithris aig Arcaibh cuideachd, le buaidh làidir Lochlannach – gu h-àraidh a thaobh fhìdhlearan, mar Aly Bain no na peathraichean Wrigley, agus sgeulachdan mara, mar an fheadhainn mu na selkies, sluagh dìomhair nan ròn.
Ach tha taobh ùr-nodha teicneolach aig Arcaibh cuideachd – bha e air thoiseach air càch san strì eadar-nàiseanta gus gineadairean lùtha ath-nuadhachaidh a leasachadh a tha comasach air cumhachd na mara chur gu dealan gu malairteach. Tha corra crann-gaoithe ann cuideachd, gu h-àraidh feadhainn beag anns na gàrraidhean agus air na croitean, mar fhear air cùl an taighe aig a’ charaid Arcach far a bha sinn a’ fuireach, a lìbhrigidh dhi a’ mhòr-chuid den dealain taigheil aice.
‘S e àite uabhasach tarraingeach agus càirdeil a th’ ann an Arcaibh – àite as fhiach fhaicinn!
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Orkney
I spent 4 days on Orkney this summer with my mother. It’s human nature to take pleasure in recognising similarities to our home area, while enjoying the differences too, and this combination made Orkney a real pleasure. The red sandstone cliffs (like Nigg Hill) around the ‘saucer’ edge of the main islands, and the sloping, fertile fields and wee inland lochs (like Loch Eye) of the flatter interior reminded us of Easter Ross, as did the items my mother recognised from her childhood in Hilton (and had used to illustrate ‘Down to the Sea’) in the two excellent farming museums.
Orkney of course is famous for its archaeology – we have our Pictish Stones, they have the Ring of Brodgar, Skara Brae and Maes Howe. The recent excavations on the Ness of Brodgar point to a huge neolithic ceremonial site, on a par with Stonhenge. Due to a lack of trees (the wind!) stone has been used for everything, including dressers and box-beds, from Skara Brae till recent times.
Orkney’s Viking-influenced cultural heritage is strong too – brilliant fiddlers abound, such as Aly Bain and the Wrigley sisters, and the spooky selkie stories are well known too.
But Orkney is also a pioneer of new environmental technology in the form of wind and tidal power. The friend we stayed with even has her own windmill in her garden for her domestic electricity. If you haven’t been to Orkney, I can only recommend you to go. A fascinating and friendly place – not unlike Easter Ross!
The dig on the Ness of Brodgar is also coming on apace – see this fantastic 360° bird’s eye view of the huge neolithic site, already yielding 5000-year old painted walls and the outline of very large buildings: