Arcaibh

‘S ann o chionn 17 bliadhna a sgrìobh mi mu Arcaibh an seo an uair mu dheireadh – mar sin saoilidh mi nach bi cuimhne aig cus daoine air! Co-dhiù, bha mi ann a-rithist iomadh turas san eadar-àm, a’ gabhail a-steach an t-seachdain sa chaidh, ann an sìde mìorbhaileach, agus bha mi airson beagan a bharrachd a sgrìobhadh a-nis, gu h-àraidh mu bhàrr-phuingean nach eil, ‘s dòcha, ceart cho iomraiteach. 

Bha mi ann còmhla ri caraid à Ameireaga nach robh riamh ann an Arcaibh, mar sin b’ fheudar dhuinn na làraichean arc-eòlais as ainmeil fhaicinn, mar Bhràigh Sgàra – bha sinn a’ fuireach faisg air làimh, aig taigh seann charaid dhomh, is na sean-phàrantan aice nan ciad luchd-glèidhidh den làrach. Bha e inntinneach mothachadh gun robh dreasairean no sgeilpichean cloiche gan cleachdadh tro na linntean, ann am Bràigh Sgàra (3000 BC), ann an Taigh-Tasgaidh Tuathanachais Kirbister (taigh c. 1600-1750), agus fiù ‘s san t-seann taigh thradiseanta (na thobhta) ri taobh taigh nam charaid (c.1850-1900)! Mura h-eil craobhan agad, cleachdaidh tu clach…

Ach tha puing inntinneach eile ri fhaicinn aig làrach Bràigh Sgàra, is sin an House of Skaill – tha an dà chuid air an aon tiocaid. ‘S e taigh mòr eachdraidheil a th’ ann, air a thogail 1620 leis an Easbaig Seòras Greumach, leis an aon teaghlach o chionn 400 bliadhna (na Lairds of Breckness), agus gach fear dhiubh a’ cur rud eile dhan taigh is dhan ghàrradh.  ‘S e an 7mh Laird, William Watt, a lorg am baile fon talamh ann an 1850 às dèidh stoirm-ghainmhich mòir. Mar sin tha an taigh làn eachdraidh – an togalach fhèin, le seòmraichean brèagha soilleir, is seallaidhean àlainn air a’ mhuir, agus cuideachd an àirneis, na dealbhan, am pòrsalan, agus na taisbeanaidhean beaga tarraingeach air feadh an àite. Tha fiù ‘s soithichean-dìnneir aig Captain Cook rim faicinn! Fàg ùine gu leòr airson an taighe nuair a bhios tu air làrach a’ bhaile.

Tha Cearcall Bhrodgar agus Tursachan Stenness faisg air làimh agus thadhail sinn orra air an t-slighe a Maes Howe (c.3000 BC). Tha e doirbh tiocaidean fhaighinn airson dol a-steach, ach rinn sinn an gnothach an turas seo (bhuc mi mìosan na bu thràithe) agus abair gun robh sin inntinneach, le mìneachadh bho neach-iùil fìor mhath (is àbhachdach). Chan fhaod thu dealbhan-camara a thogail taobh a-staigh na h-uaighe, ach ‘s e àite sònraichte tarraingeach a th’ ann, rud beag mar chaibeal àrd, le graffiti Lochlannach – bhris iad a-steach anns an 12mh linn. Feumaidh tu cromadh sìos gus faighinn tron trannsa dhan bhroinn – sin far a bhios solas na grèine a’ boillsgeadh a-steach air latha leth a’ gheamhraidh. B’ fhiach am bucadh tràth!

Eadar Stromness agus Baile na h-Eaglaise thug sinn an rathad beag air a’ chosta, slighe thaistealach Naoimh Magnus, gus tadhal air Oir Thìr, làrach tobhta eaglais cruinn às an 11mh linn. Chaidh a togail ann an cruth Eaglais an Tuaim Naoimh le Iarla Haakon, às dèidh dha tadhal air Ierusalam. Ri taobh bha “bu”, no talla Lochlannach, ‘s dòcha am fear aig Haakon air an robh iomradh san Orkneyinga Saga (air a bheil taisbeanadh san taigh-tasgaidh bheag ri thaobh, ga ath-uidheamachadh an-dràsda).

Nuair a ràinig sinn Baile na h-Eaglaise, bha seirbheis tìodhlacaidh anns a’ chathair-eaglais, mar sin thug sinn sùil air tobhta mhòr dhrùidhteach Lùchairt an Iarla agus Lùchairt an Easbaig bho thaobh a-muigh, pairc beag snog eadarra, le seann chraobhan àrda, agus às dèidh sinn thadail sinn air Taigh-tasgaidh Arcaibh ann an Tankerness House, seann taigh marsantach ann am meadhan a’ bhaile. Bha mi air dìochuimhneachadh dìreach cho mòr ‘s cho tarrraingeach a bha e – ri mholadh gu mòr ma bhios tu ann am Baile na h-Eaglaise. An uair sin chaidh sinn a-steach dhan Chathair-eaglais Naoimh Magnus. Tha mi cinnteach gu bheil mòran dhibh eòlach oirre mar-thà, togalach àrd àlainn, mìorbhail às na Meadhan Aoisean (bho c. 1137), ach ma bhios, mholainnse an ath thuras sùil nas mionaidiche a thoirt air na leacan-uaighe eachdraidheil air an cur air fad nam ballachan, mòran le “mementi mori” iongantach orra. Agus na dìochuimhnich an cuimhneachan àlainn marbail air a’ ghaisgeach ionadail is eadar-naiseanta John Rae, taisgealaiche Artaigeach cudromach.  

Agus ma bhios ùine agaibh, tha na tursan tro thaigh-staile Highland Park fìor inntinneach – agus airson na prìs gheibh thu trì dramaichean (neo driver’s pack) agus fiù ‘s glainne ri toirt leat – barrachd is anns na taighean-staile eile!

Bha sinn air an rathad dhan bhàta-aisaig an uair sin, an t-slighe eadar Òb Maighreid agus Bàgh Ghill,  a tha nas giorra (agus nas saoire) na Stromness- Scrabster. Air an rathad seo bi thu a’ dràibheadh thairis air na Bacaidhean Churchill, leis na longan-briste meirgeach, agus cuideachd seachad air a’ Chaibeal Eadailteach air Lamb Holm, an-còmhnaidh airidh air tadhal – thug e buaidh mhòr oirnn a-rithist. Dhomhsa ‘s e sin an t-slighe as fheàrr gus Arcaibh fhaicinn.

Tha mi an dòchas a-nis gun do bhrosnaich mi sibh uile a dhol ann sibh fhèin – a-rithist, no airson a chiad uair!

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Orkney

It’s 17 years since I first wrote about Orkney here, so I imagine most of you have forgotten it! In the meantime I’ve visited Orkney quite a few times, including last week, in beautiful weather, so I thought I’d write about it again, especially highlights that are maybe less well-known.

I was there with an American friend who’d never been before, so of course we had to see all the famous archaological sites, like Skara Brae – we were staying nearby with an old friend of mine whose grandparents were the first wardens of the site. It was interesting to note that stone dressers or shelves were in use across the centuries, in Skara Brae (3000 BC), in Kirbister Farm Museum (farmhouse c. 1600-1750), and in the old ruined cottage next to my friend’s house (c. 1850-1900)! If there are no trees, use stone…

But there’s another point of interest at the Skara Brae site – the House of Skaill, included in the ticket. It’s a historic manor house built in 1620 by Bishop George Graham, owned by the same family (the Lairds of Breckness) for 400 years, each of whom added something to house or garden. It was the 7th laird, William Watt, who found the buried village after a massive sandstorm in 1850. The house is therefore full of history – the building itself, with light-filled rooms and lovely views of the sea, and also the furniture, paintings, china, and fascinating small exhibitions around the house. There’s even Captain Cook’s dinner service on show! So leave plenty of time for the house when you’re visiting the Skara Brae site.

The Ring of Brodgar and Stones of Stenness are nearby and we visited them on our way to Maes Howe (c. 3000 BC). It’s hard to get tickets to go inside the burial mound, but this time we managed – I booked months in advance. It’s absolutely fascinating, with great explanations from a very good (and humorous) guide. No photography is allowed inside, but it’s an impressive chamber, like a very high chapel, with Viking graffiti – they broke in in the 12th century. You have to duck down to go through the entrance passage – that’s where the sun’s rays shine through at midwinter. Well worth booking early!

Between Stromness and Kirkwall we took the smaller coastal road, the St Magnus Trail, to visit Orphir, with the ruin of a round church from the 11th century. It was built by Earl Haakon in the form of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre after he had visited Jerusalem. Beside it is the site of a “bu”, a Viking hall, possibly Earl Haakon’s, as mentioned in the Orkneyinga Saga (which there’s an exhibition about in the small museum on site, currently being refurbished).

When we reached Kirkwall there was funeral service on in the cathedral, so we had a look from the outside at the impressive large ruins of the Earl’s Palace  and the Bishop’s Palace, with a lovely wee park between them, with tall old trees. After that we visited the Orkney Museum in Tankerness House, an old merchant’s house in the centre of town. I’d forgotten how large and how fascinating that is – highly recommended if you’re in Kirkwall. Then we finally got into St Magnus Cathedral. I’m sure many of you are familiar with it – the tall, beautiful building, a marvel of the Middle Ages (c. 1137 on), but if you are, I’d recommend for the next time having a closer look at the historic grave slabs arranged around the walls, many with amazing “mementi mori” carvings. And don’t forget the beautiful marble memorial to local and international hero John Rae, the important Arctic explorer.

And if you have time, the tours of Highland Park Distillery are very good indeed; and for the price you get 3 drams to taste (or a driver’s pack) and even a glass to take away with you – more than you get at most other distilleries!

Now we were on our way back to the ferry, the St Margaret’s Hope – Gill’s Bay route, shorter (and cheaper) than Stromness-Scrabster. On the way there you drive over the Churchill Barriers with their rusty old wrecks, and also pass the Italian Chapel on Lamb Holm, always worth a visit – we again found it very moving. For me that’s the best route to see Orkney.

So I hope now that I’ve managed to spur you all on to visit Orkney yourselves – again, or for the first time!