ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½

Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mu Aiseag Cheasaig. Bha bàt’-aiseig uaireigin a’ dol eadar Inbhir Nis agus an t-Eilean Dubh. Bha sin mus robh Drochaid Cheasaig ann. 

Bidh an sruth mara anns a’ chaolas sin làidir aig amannan. Ma tha duine airson snàmh a-null, ’s e an t-àm as fheàrr nuair a tha am marbh-shruth no eadar-shruth ann. Nam biodh tu a’ snàmh a-null, agus sruth làidir ann, tha teans ann gum biodh tu air do sguabadh an dàrna cuid a-mach gu Linne Mhoireibh fon drochaid, no a-steach do Linne Fharair.

Tha mi airson innse dhuibh an-diugh mu eachdraidh an t-snàimh an sin. Tha mi air an geàrr-chunntas seo a tharraing bhon leabhran ‘The History of the Kessock Ferry Swim’ le Jennifer Morag NicEanraig. Bidh na ceudan a’ snàmh a-null còmhla a h-uile bliadhna.

An toiseach, ’s e dìreach duine no dithis an siud ’s an seo a dhèanadh e. Ann an naoi ceud deug ’s a dhà-dheug (1912), shnàmh tè – ‘Miss Duncan’ – a-null, le bàta ri a taobh. Rinn i buille-bhroillich no breaststroke, agus thug e seachd mionaidean deug. Dà bhliadhna an dèidh sin, rinn gille sia bliadhn’ deug a dh’aois an aon rud anns an dearbh ùine. B’ esan Teàrlach Jack.

Tro bhliadhnaichean a’ Chiad Chogaidh agus an Dàrna Cogaidh, bha na feachdan armaichte stèidhichte anns an sgìre. Chan eil e a’ coimhead coltach gun robh daoine a’ snàmh thar Caolas Cheasaig anns na bliadhnaichean sin, no anns na bliadhnaichean eadar an dà chogadh.

’S ann ann an naoi ceud deug, ceathrad ’s a sia (1946) a thòisich buidhnean air snàmh a-null còmhla. Chaidh mu dhusan ann an toiseach. Dh’fheuch feadhainn dùbhlan na bu mhotha – eadar Bun Chraobh agus an t-Eilean Dubh – astar a tha trì no ceithir tursan nas fhaide. Thug sin còrr is uair a thìde. Ged a thòisich aon duine deug an snàmh, cha do chuir ach ceathrar crìoch air.

A’ bhliadhna an dèidh sin, shnàmh ceathrar òigridh, aois mu dhusan bliadhna, bho thuath gu deas. Chleachd iad uile na stoidhlichean snàimh ris an canar a’ bhuille-shnàigeach ‘front crawl’ no a’ bhuille-chùil ‘backstroke’.Ìý

Bha an àireamh de shnàmhadairean a’ dol am meud. Ann an naoi ceud deug is caogad (1950), ghabh mu thrithead duine pàirt. Bha iad uile fo aois ceithir-deug agus bha fairge mhòr ann. Bha suas ri còig troighean a dh’àirde anns na tuinn ann am meadhan a’ chaolais. 

B’ e Ian Black fear de na snàmhadairean anns na caogadan. Bha e fìor mhath air snàmh. Ann an naoi ceud deug, caogad ’s a h-ochd (1958) bhuannaich e trì buinn òir aig na farpaisean Eòrpach ann am Budapest agus bonn òir is dà bhonn airgid airson Alba aig Geamannan a’ Cho-fhlaitheis ann an Cardiff. Aig aois seachd-deug, bhuannaich e ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Sports Personality of the Year, am fear a b’ òige riamh.

Aig deireadh nan seasgadan, sguir an Kessock Ferry Swim, mar a th’ ac’ air an tachartas bhliadhnail. Thòisich e às ùr ann am fichead, fichead ’s a dhà (2022) mar thachartas carthannais leis na ceudan a’ gabhail pàirt. Leis an ùidh a th’ aig daoine an-diugh ann an snàmh ann an uisge fuar, ’s iongantach mura bi e a’ dol airson mòran bhliadhnaichean fhathast.

Faclan na Litreach: Aiseag Cheasaig: Kessock ferry; Drochaid Cheasaig: [the] Kessock Bridge; NicEanraig: Henderson; buille-bhroillich: breaststroke; feachdan armaichte: armed services [defence forces]; Caolas Cheasaig: [the] Kessock Narrows; Bun Chraobh: Bunchrew; snàmhadairean: swimmers; na caogadan: the fifties; a b’ òige riamh: youngest ever; carthannais: charity.

Abairtean na Litreach: Bha bàt’-aiseig uaireigin a’ dol eadar Inbhir Nis agus an t-Eilean Dubh: there was at one time a ferry running between Inverness and the Black Isle; bidh an sruth mara anns a’ chaolas sin làidir aig amannan: the marine current in those narrows is strong at times;’s e an t-àm as fheàrr nuair a tha am marbh-shruth no eadar-shruth ann: the best time is at slack tide;’s e dìreach duine no dithis an siud ’s an seo a dhèanadh e: it’s just one or two people here and there that would do it; an aon rud anns an dearbh ùine: the same thing in the same time; dh’fheuch feadhainn dùbhlan na bu mhotha: some people took on a bigger challenge; astar a tha trì no ceithir tursan nas fhaide: a distance that is three or four times greater; cha do chuir ach ceathrar crìoch air: only four people finished it; bha fairge mhòr ann: there was a big sea; bha suas ri còig troighean a dh’àirde anns na tuinn: the waves were up to five feet in height; bhuannaich e trì buinn òir aig na farpaisean Eòrpach: he won three gold medals at the European championships; dà bhonn airgid aig Geamannan a’ Cho-fhlaitheis: two silver medals at the Commonwealth Games; leis an ùidh a th’ aig daoine an-diugh: with the interest that people have today; ’s iongantach mura bi e a’ dol airson mòran bhliadhnaichean fhathast: it would be surprising if it doesn’t last for many years yet.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: mar a th’ ac’ air an tachartas bhliadhnail: as the annual event is called. This is one idiomatic way of saying ‘is called’. Although it is not a passive construction in Gaelic, as the third person prepositional pronoun aca ‘at them’ is employed with an active verb, it would be best translated as a passive in English. The ‘them’ is not defined and is geneal; it operates in a similar way to ‘one’ in English as in an alternative (non-passive) translation of the above phrase – ‘as one calls it’.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: gum biodh tu air do sguabadh an dàrna cuid a-mach gu Linne Mhoireibh fon drochaid, no a-steach do Linne Fharair: that you would be swept either out to the Moray Firth under the bridge, or inwards to the Beauly Firth.