[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Brigadier? ‘S e inbhe mhòr a tha sin anns an airm, nach e? Dìreach rank mu dheireadh mus eil am facal seanalair a’ tighinn?
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Tha sin fìor, tha. ‘S e seanalair a th’ ann, ach le aon reul, mar a tha iad ag ràdh, one star General.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Agus chan e a-mhàin gun tug sibh bliadhnaichean san airm a’ ruith nan ìrean sin, ach ‘s e Brigadier, Am Brigadier a th’ annaibh fhathast.
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] ‘S e, ‘s e gu dearbh agus tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gur e seòrsa de frith-ainm a th’ agamsa anns a’ bhaile fhèin ann an Taigh an Uillt, ‘s e Brigadier a tha daoine a’ canadh rium mar a tha iad a’ bruidhinn mu mo dheidhinn. Agus a’ creidsinn gu bheil iad a’ fochaid orm, chan eil fhios agam ach co-dhiù, tha e a’ còrdadh rium gu bheil iad toilichte gu bheil am Brigadier nam measg.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Ach, tha an tiotal agaibh gu h-oifigeil fhathast, nach eil? Faodaidh sibh a chleachdadh.
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Ò, faodaidh, faodaidh gu dearbh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Nise, mar dhuine mar sibh fhèin, Gàidheal, chan ann tric a ruigeas Gàidheal an ìre sin ann an airm. Mar as trice, ‘s ann bho dhaoine spaideil a tha brigadier a’ tighinn nach ann?
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Gu dearbh, ‘s e daoine uasal a th’ annta air fad, ach tha mise a’ smaoineachadh gur e duine uasal a th’ annam-sa co-dhiù, ach tha sin dìreach spòrs, ach tha thu ceart. Uill, bha seanalairean ann a thàinig à Muile agus à Latharna cuideachd. Bha Caimbeulaich aig an ceann aig Sevastopol agus Balaclava agus àiteachan mar sin. Ach ‘s e a’ chiad uair airson tacan, Brigadier a’ tighinn às na Gàidheil. Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gur e an aon Bhrigadier a th’ annam anns an airm Bhreatannach aig a bheil Gàidhlig.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Tha mi làn cinnteach gur e. Cò an seòrsa duine anns na bliadhnaichean mu dheireadh a bha sibh anns an airm, cò an seòrsa duine eile a bha àrd anns an airm? An e mic nan diùcannan, ‘s dòcha nach e buileach ach ‘s ann bhon stoc sin a bha iad, tha mi cinnteach?
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Uill, tha sin fìor agus chan eil e fìor agus chan eil e fìor ann an taobh eile, mòran dhiubh, ‘s e daoine uasal a bh’ annta agus bha mòran dhiubh ann an sgoiltean prìobhaideach agus bha mòran dhiubh gu sònraichte anns na Guards, tha mi a’ creidsinn gun robh tiotalan aca ach an airm Bhreatannach aig an àm seo, ma tha thu math, thig thu don uachdar, tha fhios agad, agus tha cothrom aig a h-uile duine.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Thuige Seo, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2009.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] Brigadier? That’s a high rank in the army, isn’t it? Just a rank before the word General comes? It is a General
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] That is true, yes. It’s a General, but with one star, as they say, one star General.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] And it’s not only that you were many years in the army at that level, but it’s Brigadier, The Brigadier that you are still.
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] Yes, yes, certainly and I think it is a sort of nickname that I have in the town in Taynult, it’s Brigadier that people say to me if they are talking about me. And I believe that they are mocking me, I don’t know but anyway, I like that they are happy that the Brigadier is in their midst.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] But the title is still yours, isn’t it? You can use it?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] Oh, yes, I can.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] Now, to a man like yourself, a Gael, it is not often a Gael reaches a rank like that in the army. Most often, it’s from smart people that a Brigadier comes, isn’t it?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] Certainly, they are all noble men, but I think that I am a noble man anyway, but that is just fun, but you are right. There were Generals that came from Mull and Lorne too. A Campbell was at the head at Sevastopol and Balaclava and places like that. But, Brigadier coming from the Gaels. I think I am the only Brigadier in the British Army who has Gaelic.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] I am sure you are. What sort of man in the last years that you were in the army, what sort of other men where high up in the army? Was it sons of dukes, maybe not quite but they were from that sort of stock I am sure?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] Well, that is true and it is not true on the other hand, many of them, they were noble men and many of them went to private schools and many of them were especially in the Guards, where there were titles, but in the British Army at this time, if you are good, you will rise up, you know, and everyone has a chance.
This programme, Thuige Seo, was first broadcast in 2009.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Brigadier? ‘S e inbhe mhòr a tha sin anns an airm, nach e? Dìreach rank mu dheireadh mus eil am facal seanalair a’ tighinn?
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Tha sin fìor, tha. ‘S e seanalair a th’ ann, ach le aon reul, mar a tha iad ag ràdh, one star General.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Agus chan e a-mhàin gun tug sibh bliadhnaichean san airm a’ ruith nan ìrean sin, ach ‘s e Brigadier, Am Brigadier a th’ annaibh fhathast.
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] ‘S e, ‘s e gu dearbh agus tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gur e seòrsa de frith-ainm a th’ agamsa anns a’ bhaile fhèin ann an Taigh an Uillt, ‘s e Brigadier a tha daoine a’ canadh rium mar a tha iad a’ bruidhinn mu mo dheidhinn. Agus a’ creidsinn gu bheil iad a’ fochaid orm, chan eil fhios agam ach co-dhiù, tha e a’ còrdadh rium gu bheil iad toilichte gu bheil am Brigadier nam measg.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Ach, tha an tiotal agaibh gu h-oifigeil fhathast, nach eil? Faodaidh sibh a chleachdadh.
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Ò, faodaidh, faodaidh gu dearbh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Nise, mar dhuine mar sibh fhèin, Gàidheal, chan ann tric a ruigeas Gàidheal an ìre sin ann an airm. Mar as trice, ‘s ann bho dhaoine spaideil a tha brigadier a’ tighinn nach ann?
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Gu dearbh, ‘s e daoine uasal a th’ annta air fad, ach tha mise a’ smaoineachadh gur e duine uasal a th’ annam-sa co-dhiù, ach tha sin dìreach spòrs, ach tha thu ceart. Uill, bha seanalairean ann a thàinig à Muile agus à Latharna cuideachd. Bha Caimbeulaich aig an ceann aig Sevastopol agus Balaclava agus àiteachan mar sin. Ach ‘s e a’ chiad uair airson tacan, Brigadier a’ tighinn às na Gàidheil. Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gur e an aon Bhrigadier a th’ annam anns an airm Bhreatannach aig a bheil Gàidhlig.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Tha mi làn cinnteach gur e. Cò an seòrsa duine anns na bliadhnaichean mu dheireadh a bha sibh anns an airm, cò an seòrsa duine eile a bha àrd anns an airm? An e mic nan diùcannan, ‘s dòcha nach e buileach ach ‘s ann bhon stoc sin a bha iad, tha mi cinnteach?
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Uill, tha sin fìor agus chan eil e fìor agus chan eil e fìor ann an taobh eile, mòran dhiubh, ‘s e daoine uasal a bh’ annta agus bha mòran dhiubh ann an sgoiltean prìobhaideach agus bha mòran dhiubh gu sònraichte anns na Guards, tha mi a’ creidsinn gun robh tiotalan aca ach an airm Bhreatannach aig an àm seo, ma tha thu math, thig thu don uachdar, tha fhios agad, agus tha cothrom aig a h-uile duine.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Thuige Seo, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2009.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] Brigadier? That’s a high rank in the army, isn’t it? Just a rank before the word General comes? It is a General
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] That is true, yes. It’s a General, but with one star, as they say, one star General.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] And it’s not only that you were many years in the army at that level, but it’s Brigadier, The Brigadier that you are still.
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] Yes, yes, certainly and I think it is a sort of nickname that I have in the town in Taynult, it’s Brigadier that people say to me if they are talking about me. And I believe that they are mocking me, I don’t know but anyway, I like that they are happy that the Brigadier is in their midst.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] But the title is still yours, isn’t it? You can use it?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] Oh, yes, I can.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] Now, to a man like yourself, a Gael, it is not often a Gael reaches a rank like that in the army. Most often, it’s from smart people that a Brigadier comes, isn’t it?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] Certainly, they are all noble men, but I think that I am a noble man anyway, but that is just fun, but you are right. There were Generals that came from Mull and Lorne too. A Campbell was at the head at Sevastopol and Balaclava and places like that. But, Brigadier coming from the Gaels. I think I am the only Brigadier in the British Army who has Gaelic.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] I am sure you are. What sort of man in the last years that you were in the army, what sort of other men where high up in the army? Was it sons of dukes, maybe not quite but they were from that sort of stock I am sure?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] Well, that is true and it is not true on the other hand, many of them, they were noble men and many of them went to private schools and many of them were especially in the Guards, where there were titles, but in the British Army at this time, if you are good, you will rise up, you know, and everyone has a chance.
This programme, Thuige Seo, was first broadcast in 2009.