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Bha sinn a’ toirt sùil air tairbeartan na h-Alba. Anns a’ cheann a deas, faisg air Maol nan Gall – The Mull of Galloway – tha West Tarbet agus East Tarbet. Eatarra, tha tairbeart no isthmus. Nas fhaide tuath tha Tairbeart Loch Fìne a’ ceangal Cinn Tìre ri Cnapadal. Le bhith a’ tarraing bàta thairis air an tairbeart sin, bhiodh seann mharaichean a’ seachnadh turas-mara fada timcheall Maol Chinn Tìre.

Cuideachd ann an ceann a deas na Gàidhealtachd, tha Tairbeart Loch Laomainn. Ann am Beurla tha e air a litreachadh T-A-R-B-E T, às aonais an dàrna ‘r’. Tha an tairbeart seo ainmeil ann an eachdraidh. Anns a’ bhliadhna dà cheud deug, seasgad ʼs a trì (1263), ro Bhlàr na Leargaidh Ghallta, tharraing Lochlannaich an longan eadar Loch Long (a tha na loch-mara) agus Loch Laomainn (a tha na loch-uisge). Rinn iad creach air bailtean air cladaichean Loch Laomainn.

A’ gluasad air ais gu tuath, tha tairbeart eadar an Linne Dhubh faisg air a’ Ghearasdan agus Loch Suaineart faisg air Àird nam Murchan. Tha Glen Tarbert seachd mìle a dh’fhaid. Nach biodh sin car fada airson bàta a tharraing tarsainn na tìre? Uill, bhiodh e a’ sàbhaladh ùine mhòr seòladh timcheall chosta Mhorbhairne. Agus tha dà abhainn a’ sruthadh air ùrlar a’ ghlinne. An robh na seann mharaichean a’ cleachdadh nan aibhnichean ann an dòigh air choreigin?

Tuath air sin a-rithist, faisg air Malaig, tha tairbeart eadar Loch Mhòrair, a tha na loch-uisge, agus Loch Nibheis, a tha na loch-mara. Air Eilean Chanaigh, tha Tarbert Bay ann far a bheil an t-eilean caol agus còmhnard. Agus fada gu tuath air sin, air tìr-mor, ann an Eadar Dhà Chaolas, faisg air baile Sgobharaidh, tha an tairbeart as fhaide tuath, air cladach Linne Shannda. 

Sin na tairbeartan air taobh an iar na h-Alba. Ach tha trì air an taobh an ear. Tha a’ chiad fhear air eilean ann an Linne Fhoirthe ris an canar Fidra. Tha seann chaisteal ann air a bheil Castle Tarbet mar ainm. Tuath air sin tha eilean ris an canar Isle of May. Bidh an tairbeart an sin na chaolas-mara nuair a tha ±ôà²Ô ann.

Agus air taobh an ear na Gàidhealtachd, tha tairbeart air leth inntinneach agus eachdraidheil. Tha e ann an Ros an Ear faisg air Port mo Cholmaig, agus tha mi airson sùil a thoirt air. Anns a’ chiad dol a-mach, chan eil e soilleir far am biodh tairbeart an sin oir chan eil ‘isthmus’ follaiseach. Ach tha am facal tairbeart a’ nochdadh ann an grunn àiteachan an sin, le dreach na Beurla air mar T-A-R-B-A-T. Tha Tarbat Ness ann – no Rubha Thairbeirt – far a bheil taigh-solais.

Ann am Port mo Cholmaig, tha Tarbat Church of Scotland, Tarbat Old Primary School, Tarbat Golf Course, Tarbat Historic Trust agus Tarbat Discovery Centre. Ach càit a bheil an Tairbeart fhèin?!

Bha a’ cheist sin riamh a’ cur dragh orm, gu h-àraidh leis gu bheil Port mo Cholmaig faisg air rubha an taigh-sholais. Tha e furasta seòladh eadar am port agus gob an rubha. Cha leig duine a leas bàta a tharraing tarsainn pìos talmhainn. 

Math dh’fhaodte gun do lorg mi fuasgladh don cheist sin nuair a thadhail mi air an Tarbat Discovery Centre. Innsidh mi dhuibh mu dheidhinn anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: tairbeart: isthmus, portage place; Maol nan Gall: The Mull of Galloway; Tairbeart Loch Fìne: Tarbert Loch Fyne; Cinn Tìre: Kintyre; Cnapadal: Knapdale; acarsaid: anchorage, harbour; Loch Laomainn: Loch Lomond; Loch Mhòrair: Loch Morar; Loch Nibheis: Loch Nevis; Eilean Chanaigh: the Isle of Canna; Eadar Dhà Chaolas: Eddrachillis (NW Sutherland); Sgobharaidh: Scourie; Linne Shannda: The Sound of Handa; Ros an Ear: Easter Ross; Port mo Cholmaig: Portmahomack; taigh-solais: lighthouse.

Abairtean na Litreach: bhiodh seann mharaichean a’ seachnadh turas-mara timcheall Maol Chinn Tìre: old mariners would avoid a sea-journey around the Mull of Kintyre; ro Bhlàr na Leargaidh Ghallta: before the Battle of Largs; tharraing Lochlannaich an longan eadar Loch Long agus: Norsemen pulled their ships between Loch Long and; rinn iad creach air bailtean air cladaichean X: they plundered settlements on the shores of X; eadar an Linne Dhubh faisg air a’ Ghearasdan agus Loch Suaineart faisg air Àird nam Murchan: between Loch Linnhe near Fort William and Loch Sunart near Ardnamurchan; seachd mìle a dh’fhaid: seven miles in length; airson bàta a tharraing tarsainn na tìre: to pull a boat across the land; a’ sàbhaladh ùine mhòr seòladh timcheall costa Mhorbhairne: saving a long time sailing around the coast of Morvern; ann an dòigh air choreigin: in some way or other; eilean ann an Linne Fhoirthe ris an canar Fidra: an island in the Firth of Forth called Fidra; anns a’ chiad dol a-mach: in the first instance; chan eil e soilleir far am biodh tairbeart: it’s not clear where a tarbert would be; bha a’ cheist sin riamh a’ cur dragh orm: that question was always annoying me; tha e furasta seòladh eadar am port agus gob an rubha: it’s easy sailing between the port and the point of the peninsula; cha leig duine a leas bàta a tharraing tarsainn pìos talmhainn: a person has no need to draw a boat across a piece of land; math dh’fhaodte gun do lorg mi fuasgladh don cheist: perhaps I [have] found a solution to the question.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Bidh an tairbeart an sin na chaolas-mara nuair a tha ±ôà²Ô ann: that tarbert is a sea-channel when the tide is full. Làn means ‘full [tide]’ and arrives after the ±ôì´Ç²Ô²¹»å³ó or ‘filling’ [rising] of the tide. Note, however, that dialectally ±ôà²Ô can also be used for the ‘tide’ itself, regardless of state (this is more commonly an tìde-mhara).

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: a’ sruthadh air ùrlar a’ ghlinne: flowing on the floor of the glen (i.e. along the length of the glen).