[Iain MacIlleathain - Preseantair] Nise, sgrìobh e iomadh leabhar air a bhonntachadh air a’ Ghàidhealtachd is anns na coimhearsnachdan air an robh e fhèin eòlach. Ach ‘s e na smuaintean aige air Alba agus air Nàiseantachd agus mar a dh’fhaodadh iad a thighinn còmhla a chaidh leabhar ùr fhoillseachadh ann an Dun Beatha mu Niall Guineach. Chaidh am fear-naidheachd againne, Ailean MacLeòid chun an fhoillseachaidh.
[Ailean MacLeòid – Neach-aithris] Chruinnich daoine bho air feadh Alba a’ mhòr-chuid aca bhon sgìre seo airson cluinntinn mun leabhar ùr. Chaidh a’ chiad phàirt dhen t-sreath, Neil Gunn Circle, a’ coimhead air mar a bha an Guineach a’ faicinn Alba agus am pàirt a bh’ aige ann an toiseach tòiseachaidh Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba. Dh’fhàg an Guineach an sgìre far an deach a thogail, a’ falbh a Lunnainn a dh’obair mar sheirbheiseach catharra. Nuair a thill e dhan Ghàidhealtachd, bha staid na coimhearsnachdan a dh’fhàg e a’ cur fearg air.
[Diarmid Gunn] He was appalled at the state of the run-down state of the country, the poverty, the rural poverty and it made him really bitter and he wrote two books quite early on, one called The Great Coast and the other called The Lost Glen, which are an angry young man’s books. I think the books took a lot of bitterness away from him because he would express himself about that. The Scottish National Party also helped in that respect, it helped him to clear his mind and get rid of some of these bitter feelings.
[Ailean MacLeòid – Neach-aithris] Chaidh an cuimhneachan seo a thogail ann an naoi ceud deug, ceithir fichead ‘s a h-aon deug, ceud bliadhna bhon a rugadh Niall Gunna fhèin. Rugadh agus thogadh e ann an Dun Bheatha agus tha e gu math follaiseach gun tug an t-àite buaidh mhòr air an sgrìobhadh aige.
[Ailean MacLeòid – Neach-aithris] Bha e a’ faicinn mar a bha na fuadaichean a’ toirt buaidh air an àite agus mar a bha call an iasgaich a’ toirt air daoine fàgail. Bhiodh e a’ fighe an seo uile le poilitigs agus tachartasan os-nàdarra dha na sgeulachdan aige, a’ fàgail feadhainn ga mheas am measg nan sgrìobhadairean Albannach as fheàrr a-riamh.
[Padraig MacAoidh] Bidh na nobhailean aige mar as trice a’ nochdadh nuair a tha na liostaichean sin ann, na ceud nobhail as fheàrr à Alba, neo ‘s dòcha na deich nobhailean as fheàrr à Alba. Gu h-àraidh Silver Darlings agus Highland River agus tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gum bi, anns na beagan bliadhnaichean ri thighinn, barrachd air air sùighear dhan.
[Ailean MacLeòid – Neach-aithris] Ann an Dun Beatha ged-thà, chan eil ceist sam bith gur e Niall Guinneach agus na sgeulachdan mun sgìre as fheàrr leotha. Ailean MacLeòid, BBC An Là, ann an Dun Beatha.
[Iain MacLean - Presenter] Now, he wrote many books based in the Highlands in communities that he knew. But it was his opinions on Scotland and on Nationalism and how they came together in Dunbeath about Neil Gunn. Our reporter, Allan MacLeod went to the launch.
[Allan MacLeod - Reporter] People gathered from all over Scotland from all over Scotland, many from the area to hear about the new book. The first part of the series, Neil Gunn Circle, looks at how the Gunn saw Scotland and his part in the start of the Scottish National Party. The Gunn left the area where he was brought up for London for work as a civil servant. When he returned to the Highlands the state of the communities he had left enraged him.
[Diarmid Gunn] He was appalled at the state of the run-down state of the country, the poverty, the rural poverty and it made him really bitter and he wrote two books quite early on, one called The Great Coast and the other called The Lost Glen, which are an angry young man’s books. I think the books took a lot of bitterness away from him because he would express himself about that. The Scottish National Party also helped in that respect, it helped him to clear his mind and get rid of some of these bitter feelings.
[Allan MacLeod - Reporter] This memorial was built in 1981, one hundred years after Neil Gunn was born. He was born and brought up in Dunbeath. It is very clear that the area had an effect on his writing.
[Allan MacLeod - Reporter]He saw how the clearances had had an effect on the area and how the loss of fishing has contributed to people leaving. He would weave this with politics and unnatural events into his stories, leaving some to respect him amongst the best Scottish writers of all time.
[Padraig MacKay] His novels appear when those lists, the top Scottish 100 novels, or maybe the top ten novels from Scotland. Especially Silver Darlings and Highland River and I think there will be, in the few years to come, more attracted to him.
[Allan MacLeod - Reporter] In Dunbeath, though, there is no question thàth Neil Gunn and his stories about the area are their favourites. Allan MacLeod, BBC An Là, in Dunbeath.
[Iain MacIlleathain - Preseantair] Nise, sgrìobh e iomadh leabhar air a bhonntachadh air a’ Ghàidhealtachd is anns na coimhearsnachdan air an robh e fhèin eòlach. Ach ‘s e na smuaintean aige air Alba agus air Nàiseantachd agus mar a dh’fhaodadh iad a thighinn còmhla a chaidh leabhar ùr fhoillseachadh ann an Dun Beatha mu Niall Guineach. Chaidh am fear-naidheachd againne, Ailean MacLeòid chun an fhoillseachaidh.
[Ailean MacLeòid – Neach-aithris] Chruinnich daoine bho air feadh Alba a’ mhòr-chuid aca bhon sgìre seo airson cluinntinn mun leabhar ùr. Chaidh a’ chiad phàirt dhen t-sreath, Neil Gunn Circle, a’ coimhead air mar a bha an Guineach a’ faicinn Alba agus am pàirt a bh’ aige ann an toiseach tòiseachaidh Pàrtaidh Nàiseanta na h-Alba. Dh’fhàg an Guineach an sgìre far an deach a thogail, a’ falbh a Lunnainn a dh’obair mar sheirbheiseach catharra. Nuair a thill e dhan Ghàidhealtachd, bha staid na coimhearsnachdan a dh’fhàg e a’ cur fearg air.
[Diarmid Gunn] He was appalled at the state of the run-down state of the country, the poverty, the rural poverty and it made him really bitter and he wrote two books quite early on, one called The Great Coast and the other called The Lost Glen, which are an angry young man’s books. I think the books took a lot of bitterness away from him because he would express himself about that. The Scottish National Party also helped in that respect, it helped him to clear his mind and get rid of some of these bitter feelings.
[Ailean MacLeòid – Neach-aithris] Chaidh an cuimhneachan seo a thogail ann an naoi ceud deug, ceithir fichead ‘s a h-aon deug, ceud bliadhna bhon a rugadh Niall Gunna fhèin. Rugadh agus thogadh e ann an Dun Bheatha agus tha e gu math follaiseach gun tug an t-àite buaidh mhòr air an sgrìobhadh aige.
[Ailean MacLeòid – Neach-aithris] Bha e a’ faicinn mar a bha na fuadaichean a’ toirt buaidh air an àite agus mar a bha call an iasgaich a’ toirt air daoine fàgail. Bhiodh e a’ fighe an seo uile le poilitigs agus tachartasan os-nàdarra dha na sgeulachdan aige, a’ fàgail feadhainn ga mheas am measg nan sgrìobhadairean Albannach as fheàrr a-riamh.
[Padraig MacAoidh] Bidh na nobhailean aige mar as trice a’ nochdadh nuair a tha na liostaichean sin ann, na ceud nobhail as fheàrr à Alba, neo ‘s dòcha na deich nobhailean as fheàrr à Alba. Gu h-àraidh Silver Darlings agus Highland River agus tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gum bi, anns na beagan bliadhnaichean ri thighinn, barrachd air air sùighear dhan.
[Ailean MacLeòid – Neach-aithris] Ann an Dun Beatha ged-thà, chan eil ceist sam bith gur e Niall Guinneach agus na sgeulachdan mun sgìre as fheàrr leotha. Ailean MacLeòid, BBC An Là, ann an Dun Beatha.
[Iain MacLean - Presenter] Now, he wrote many books based in the Highlands in communities that he knew. But it was his opinions on Scotland and on Nationalism and how they came together in Dunbeath about Neil Gunn. Our reporter, Allan MacLeod went to the launch.
[Allan MacLeod - Reporter] People gathered from all over Scotland from all over Scotland, many from the area to hear about the new book. The first part of the series, Neil Gunn Circle, looks at how the Gunn saw Scotland and his part in the start of the Scottish National Party. The Gunn left the area where he was brought up for London for work as a civil servant. When he returned to the Highlands the state of the communities he had left enraged him.
[Diarmid Gunn] He was appalled at the state of the run-down state of the country, the poverty, the rural poverty and it made him really bitter and he wrote two books quite early on, one called The Great Coast and the other called The Lost Glen, which are an angry young man’s books. I think the books took a lot of bitterness away from him because he would express himself about that. The Scottish National Party also helped in that respect, it helped him to clear his mind and get rid of some of these bitter feelings.
[Allan MacLeod - Reporter] This memorial was built in 1981, one hundred years after Neil Gunn was born. He was born and brought up in Dunbeath. It is very clear that the area had an effect on his writing.
[Allan MacLeod - Reporter]He saw how the clearances had had an effect on the area and how the loss of fishing has contributed to people leaving. He would weave this with politics and unnatural events into his stories, leaving some to respect him amongst the best Scottish writers of all time.
[Padraig MacKay] His novels appear when those lists, the top Scottish 100 novels, or maybe the top ten novels from Scotland. Especially Silver Darlings and Highland River and I think there will be, in the few years to come, more attracted to him.
[Allan MacLeod - Reporter] In Dunbeath, though, there is no question thàth Neil Gunn and his stories about the area are their favourites. Allan MacLeod, BBC An Là, in Dunbeath.