Turas an Dr Alasdair Allan, Ministear airson Cànanan na h-Alba, Prestonpans

Togail Mothachadh is Planaichean Gnìomha don Ghàidhlig ann am Prestonpans

Chaidh an iomairt seo a thaobh mothachadh a thogail agus gnìomh a chur an cèill às leth na Gàidhlig ann am Prestonpans fhoillseachadh le Urras Dualchais Blàr Sliabh a’ Chlamhain 1745 aig ar 3mh Co-chomhairle Nàiseanta Dà-Bhliadhnail nam Blàr ann an 2012. Bha Raghnall MacIlleDhuibh, Neach-deasachaidh Gàidhlig an Albannaich, air aoigheachd mar òraidiche aig an tachartas, a’ dèanamh sgrùdadh air dòchas nan Seumasach a thaobh buaidh làidir aig Sliabh a’ Chlamhain eadar Seton agus am muir, mar a bha ro-aithnichte ann an Romance of Thomas the Rhymer sa 15mh linn. Thàinig dà phuing gu h-àraid sònraichte am bàrr: [i] bha a’ mhòr-chuid den fheachd Ghàidhealach a’ labhairt Gàidhlig air an latha sin [ii] bha Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, ’s dòcha am bàrd Gàidhlig as ainmeile a bh’ ann ann an Alba, an làthair ann am Prestonpans còmhla ris a’ Phrionnsa.

Seach gu bheil an t-Urras gu fìor dhealasach a thaobh ùghdarralas nan gnìomhan dualchais aca uile, chaidh aontachadh gu h-aon-ghuthach gum bu chòir ceumannan a ghabhail a bhiodh a’ nochdadh na dà phuing sin a dh’aon ghnothaich. Bhiodh sgeul a’ bhatail fhèin air eadar-theangachadh gu Gàidhlig agus gheibheadh am bàrd urram ann an dealbh ùr dhe fhèin còmhla ris a’ Phrionnsa an dèidh don bhatal a bhuannachadh. Gus dèiligeadh leis
a’ chiad phuing, chaidh an dà chuid iùl an luchd-tadhail agus dealbhan cartùn den bhatal bho Ghrèis-bhrat Prestonpans a chaidh a chruthachadh le Iain Unwin, a thaghadh. Bha iad air an eadar-theangachadh cheana gu Fraingis le Jean Cevaer à St Nazaire [às na sheòl am Prionnsa a dh’Èirisgeigh] airson an cleachdadh nuair a bhiodh sinn a’ taisbeanadh an sin. San dàrna h-àite, chaidh Raghnall Elliot, neach-ealain às a’ choimhearsnachd ionadail, a choimiseanadh airson nan deilbh a chruthachadh – obair nach robh idir furasta a chionn ’s nach eil dealbh sam bith den bhàrd ri fhaotainn, a rèir coltais, ach dìreach tuairmsean briathrail.

Dh’èirich dìoghras a-mach às an dà thionnsgnadh sin. Fhuair sinn taic ionmhasail airson an eadar-theangachaidh gu Gàidhlig aig Seonaidh Mac a’ Phearsain agus clò-bhualadh an leabhair cartùin, bho Bhuidheann-stiùiridh Ionnsachaidh Gàidhlig is Albais. Tha e gu làithreach ga sgaoileadh do na sgoiltean air feadh na Gàidhealtachd agus ann an Alba Nuadh.

Nuair a bhrosnaich Grèis-bhrat Prestonpans dàrna obair-ealain mhòr coimhearsnachd, Grèis-bhrat Diaspora na h-Alba ann an 2012, chaidh co-dhùnadh a’ Ghàidhlig a chleachdadh a-rithist seach gur h-e Gàidhlig a bha aig a’ chuid mhòr de na h-às-imrich à Alba nuair a dh’fhàg iad, le coimhearsnachdan gu h-àraid ann an Alba Nuadh fhathast ga cleachdadh gus an latha an-diugh. Mar sin, tha co-urras Urras a’ Bhatail, ’s e sin Fèis Ealain Prestoungrange,air a leithid eile de làraich-lìn a chruthachadfh ann an Gàidhlig airson an dàrna obair-ealain seo, agus tha foillseachaidhean is stuth taisbeanaidh dà-chànanach a’ faotainn taic ionmhasail bho Bhòrd na Gàidhlig. Bidh sin air fhoillseachadh gu h-oifigeil air 31mh Cèitean 2014 mar eileamaid choileanta den Tilleadh Dhachaigh.

Tha ar dealas a thaobh na Gàidhlig ann am Prestonpans a’ sireadh dhòighean ùghdarrail air mothachadh don Ghàidhlig a thogail tro bhith ga cleachdadh gu follaiseach. Tha e fìor gur
h-e glè bheag againn a tha ga labhairt no fiù ga tuigsinn às aonais eadar-theangachadh
mar-aon a bhith ri làimh. Ach tha sinn a’ làn chreidsinn, le bhith a’ cuideachadh san dòigh seo ann an togail ùidh agus mothachadh don chànan agus tro a leithid sin de ghnìomhan a tha gu h-ùghdarrail ceart, bidh spèis don Ghàidhlig a’ fàs sa choimhearsnachd againn. Agus bhon spèis sin, faodaidh luach air bàrdachd is litreachas a thighinn am bàrr agus deòntas air a’ chànan ionnsachadh. Tha Raghnall MacIlleDhuibh air a’ chiad bhùth-obrach bàrdachd Ghàidhlig a chur an gnìomh an seo ann am Prestonpans.

Gu làithreach, is e ar prìomh thionnsgnadh soidhnichean Gàidhlig is Beurla a stèidheachadh air frith-rathaidean is sràidean, gu h-àraid airson blàr-catha 1745, agus bùird eadar-mhìneachaidh a chur suas aig a’ phrìomh Ionad-seallaidh Blàr a’ Bhatail aig Meadowmill Bing - ann an com-pàirteachas le Comhairle Lodainn an Ear agus Bòrd na Gàidhlig. Tha sinn cuideachd ann an còmhradh le ScotRail gus Gàidhlig a chur an sàs aig stèisean Prestonpans.

Chan eil a h-uile nì furasta ge-tà, a thaobh ’s nach eil Còmhdhail Alba ‘den bharail’ aontachadh ri Gàidhlig a chleachdadh ann an Lodainn an Ear. Tha pròtacal aca a thaobh cleachdadh na Gàidhlig a chaidh a lèirmheas mu dheireadh ann an 2012.

Tha e follaiseach gu bheil an t-iarrtas againn neo-àbhaisteach! Tha sinn an làn dùil ùghdarralas ar eadar-mhìneachaidh dualchais a neartachadh aig prìomh bhlàr-catha, a tha air a dhìon gu foirmeil anns a’ Chlàr-seilbhe Nàiseanta aig Alba Aosmhor. Tha còrr agus 25,000 neach-tadhal air a thighinn chun a’ bhlàir-catha on chuir an t-Urras ath-achdachadh bliadhnail air bhonn ann an 2007, le còrr air 5,000 neach-tadhal ann an 2013.

Taisbeanaidh sinn don Mhinistear na tha san amharc againn agus bidh sinn a’ sireadh a bheachdan agus a thaic airson nan tionnsgnaidhean seo, agus cuideachd a bheachdan a thaobh na slighe air am faodadh sinn a dhol air adhart. Ma bhios e riatanach, bidh sinn ag iarraidh air a’ chùis a thogail le Ministear na Còmhdhail.



Visit by Dr Alasdair Allan, Minister for Scottish Languages, to Battle of Prestonpans 1745 Heritage Trust - April 2nd 2014

Gaelic Language Awareness & Action Lines in Prestonpans

The campaign to raise awareness and action in Prestonpans was launched by the Battle of Prestonpans 1745 Heritage Trust at our 3rd National Battlefields Biennial Symposium in 2012. Ronald Black, Gaelic Editor of The Scotsman, was a guest speaker exploring the Jacobite expectation for a great Victory at Gladsmuir as foreseen in the Romance of Thomas the Rhymer in the 15th century – between Seton and the sea. Two particularly salient points emerged: [i] most of the Highland army spoke Gaelic that day and [ii] Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, perhaps the greatest Scottish Gaelic poet, was present at Prestonpans with the Prince.

Since the Trust is clearly committed to authenticity in all its heritage activities it was readily agreed that steps should be taken that would purposefully reflect these two points. The story of the battle itself would be translated into Gaelic and the poet would be honoured in a new portrait together with the Prince after the battle was won. To address the first, both the visitor guide and the cartoon depiction of the battle via The Prestonpans Tapestry created by John Unwin were selected. They had already been translated into French by Jean Cevaer of St Nazaire [from where the Prince sailed to Eriskay] for use when we were exhibiting there. Secondly, Ronald Elliot, a local artist, was commissioned to create the portraits – no easy task since none seemingly exist of the poet, only verbal clues.

Great enthusiasm resulted from these two initiatives. We received financial assistance for John MacPhearson’s translation into Gaelic and the printing the cartoon book from the Scots & Gaelic Learning Directorate. It is now in distribution in schools across the Highlands and in Nova Scotia.

When The Prestonpans Tapestry inspired a second great community artwork, The Scottish Diaspora Tapestry in 2012, it was resolved to seek to use the Gaelic language again since a good proportion of Scottish migrants had it as their language when departing, with communities especially in Nova Scotia still using it today. So the Battle Trust’s sister Trust, The Prestoungrange Arts Festival, has created a mirror website in Gaelic for this second artwork and publications and exhibition material are bilingual with the financial support of Bòrd na Gàidhlig. Its official launch is on May 31st 2014 as an integral element of The Homecoming.

Our commitment to the Gaelic language in Prestonpans is to seek authentic ways to raise awareness through its transparent use. It is true that few of us speak or even understand the language without the simultaneous translation being made available. But we do firmly believe that by making our contribution in this way to raise awareness and interest, and taking such actions as are authentically justifiable, our community will have growing respect for the Gaelic. And from such respect, appreciation of the poetry and literature can emerge and a willingness to learn the language. Ronald Black has already led an initial workshop on Gaelic poetry here in Prestonpans.


Currently, our major initiative is to create Gaelic and English street and footpath signs specifically for the 1745 battlefield, and interpretation boards at the main Battlefield Viewpoint on the Meadowmill Bing - in partnership with East Lothian Council and Bòrd na Gàidhlig. We are also in discussion with ScotRail to introduce Gaelic at Prestonpans station.

It’s not all plain sailing since Transport Scotland is ‘not minded’ to agree to the use of Gaelic in East Lothian. They have a protocol for its use last revised in 2012.

Clearly our request is atypical! We are intent on enhancing the authenticity of our heritage interpretation at what is a key battlefield formally protected on the National Inventory by Historic Scotland. More than 25,000 visitors have come to the battlefield since the Trust instituted annual re-enactments in 2007 with some 5,000 in 2013 alone.

We will show the Minister what we plan and seek his comments and support for these initiatives, and his suggestions for additional directions we might go. If necessary we shall ask him to raise the issue with the Transport Minister.