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Bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun deuchainn shaidheansail a rinneadh air Sìth Chailleann ann an Siorrachd Pheairt ann an seachd ceud deug, seachdad ʼs a ceithir (1774). Bhathar a’ feuchainn ri tomhas a dhèanamh air cuideam na cruinne.

Nuair a ràinig e a’ bheinn à Lunnainn, ʼs cinnteach gun robh an Reultair Rìoghail, Nevil Maskelyne, a’ faireachdainn gun robh e ann an saoghal eadar-dhealaichte. Anns an fharsaingeachd, bha droch bheachd aig muinntir Lunnainn air Gàidhealtachd na h-Alba aig an àm sin – mar dhùthaich bhochd, ghruamach, shalach – le droch shìde fad na h-ùine. Agus bha an samhradh ann an seachd ceud deug, seachdad ʼs a ceithir (1774) air leth fliuch agus fuar!

            Chaidh innse do Mhaskelyne gun robh ainm na beinne a’ ciallachadh ‘constant storm’. Feumaidh gun robhar a’ smaoineachadh air gailleann, seach Chailleann mar bhun-stèidh an ainm. No an e gun robh muinntir an àite ri spòrs leis an t-Sasannach?! Co-dhiù, bha an t-sìde gailleannach gu tric, fhad ʼs a bha an deuchainn a’ dol air adhart. Ach, gu fortanach, bha oidhcheannan ann nuair a chìte na rionnagan, agus rinn Maskelyne tomhas orra leis an uidheamachd a b’ fheàrr a bha san t-saoghal aig an àm sin.

            Rinn e tomhas air àite rionnagan san iarmailt bhon ionad-sheallaidh aige air cliathaich a deas na beinne – air a’ cheàrn no angle thuca bhon Talamh. An uair sin, rinn e an aon rud ann an ionad eile a thogadh air cliathaich a tuath na beinne. Bha an dà ionad faisg air mìle air falbh o chèile. Bha fios aig Maskelyne dè an diofar a bh’ ann an domhan-leud – no latitude – eadar an dà àite. Mar sin, dh’obraich e a-mach dè an diofar a bu chòir a bhith anns a’ cheàrn do na h-aon rionnagan eadar gach ionad-seallaidh.

            Ach cha robh am figear a fhuair e co-ionann ri sin. Carson? Uill, bhathar a’ tomhas dìreachdas le crochadan. Agus, mar a bha Maskelyne an dùil, bha a’ bheinn a’ tarraing air a’ chrochadan pìos beag. Agus bhon diofar eadar an dà àireamh, dh’obraich Maskelyne a-mach dè cho trom ʼs a bha Sìth Chailleann. An uair sin, fhuair e fhèin is am fear-matamataig aige figear airson cuideam na cruinne gu lèir. Agus cha robh e fada ceàrr a rèir mar a tha daoine a’ tomhas cuideam na cruinne an-diugh.

            Chan eil fhios agam dè an seòrsa beachd a bh’ aig Maskelyne fhèin air a’ Ghàidhealtachd mus deach e ann, ach dh’ionnsaich e gun robh na Gàidheil gu math sìobhalta agus carthannach. Sgrìobh e ‘their country is with justice celebrated for its hospitality and attention to strangers’. Cuimhnicheamaid gun robh seo dìreach ginealach an dèidh Bliadhna Theàrlaich.

            Am measg nan daoine air an d’ fhuair Maskelyne eòlas, bha fear de mhuinntir an àite, Donnchadh MacDhonnchaidh. Ged a bha e mar sgalag dhaibh tron latha, a’ giùlan eallachan suas is sìos a’ bheinn, bha Donnchadh cuideachd na fhìdhlear air leth. Bhiodh e a’ toirt na fìdhle aige don bheinn air an fheasgar a chluich rìdhlichean is sigichean don a h-uile duine.

            Air an oidhche mu dheireadh, bha ho-ro-gheallaidh ann. A bharrachd air an fhidhill, thug Donnchadh buideal uisge-bheatha leis. Chaidh am bothan na smàl agus loisg e gu làr. Dh’fhalbh an fhidheall anns an teine, agus bha Donnchadh troimhe-chèile. Agus dè thachair an uair sin? Uill, innsidh mi dhuibh an-ath-sheachdain.

Faclan na Litreach: Reultair Rìoghail: Astronomer Royal; ²ú³Ü²Ô-²õ³Ùè¾±»å³ó: basis; gailleannach: stormy; ²õì´Ç²ú³ó²¹±ô³Ù²¹: civilized; carthannach: charitable; Donnchadh MacDhonnchaidh: Duncan Robertson; ´Úì»å³ó±ô±ð²¹°ù: fiddler; ho-ro-gheallaidh: knees-up; buideal: barrel; ³Ù°ù´Ç¾±³¾³ó±ð-³¦³óè¾±±ô±ð: really upset.

Abairtean na Litreach: mun deuchainn shaidheansail a rinneadh air Sìth Chailleann: about the scientific experiment that was done on Schiehallion; bhathar a’ feuchainn ri tomhas a dhèanamh air cuideam na cruinne: an attempt was being made to measure the weight of the globe; anns an fharsaingeachd: in general; droch shìde fad na h-ùine: bad weather all the time; an e gun robh muinntir an àite ri spòrs leis an t-Sasannach?: is it that the local people were playing with the Englishman?; nuair a chìte na rionnagan: when the stars could be seen; leis an uidheamachd a b’ fheàrr a bha san t-saoghal: with the best equipment that was in the world; bhon ionad-sheallaidh aige air cliathaich a deas na beinne: from his observatory on the southern end of the mountain; dh’obraich e a-mach dè an diofar a bu chòir a bhith anns a’ cheàrn do na h-aon rionnagan eadar gach ionad-seallaidh: he worked out what difference there should be between each observatory; bhathar a’ tomhas dìreachdas le crochadan: verticality was being measured with a pendulum; cha robh e fada ceàrr a rèir mar a tha daoine a’ tomhas cuideam na cruinne an-diugh: it wasn’t far wrong according to how people measure the mass of the Earth today; cuimhnicheamaid gun robh seo dìreach ginealach an dèidh Bliadhna Theàrlaich: let us remember that this was just a generation after the 1745-6 Jacobite rebellion; ged a bha e mar sgalag dhaibh tron latha, a’ giùlan eallachan suas is sìos a’ bheinn: although he was a labourer for them through the day, carrying loads up and down the mountain; a chluich rìdhlichean is sigichean: to play reels and jigs.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: Feumaidh gun robhar a’ smaoineachadh air gailleann, seach Chailleann mar bhun-stèidh an ainm: it must be that gaillean ‘storm’ was being considered as the basis of the name, rather than Chailleann ‘of Caledonians’ [presumably ‘²õì´Ç°ù-²µ³ó²¹¾±±ô±ô±ð²¹²Ô²Ô’]. This is highly unlikely. It is generally recognised that the name is Sìth Chailleann ‘conical hill of [the] Caledonians [an ancient tribe]’. ³§Ã¬³Ù³ó±ð²¹²Ô are often associated with the ²õì³Ù³ó¾±³¦³ó±ð²¹²Ô ‘fairies’ and Schiehallion is replete with folklore, so ‘fairy hill of the Caledonians’ is probably a good translation.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Chaidh am bothan na smàl: the bothy went on fire.