[Iain MacIllEathain – Preseantair] Nise, ceud ‘s a còig deug air fhichead bliadhna air ais bhon an-diugh fhèin chaidh an t-soitheach cargu Elcano air na creagan faisg air Suardail anns an Rubha. Bhuail i air sgeir agus chaidh a cur air tìr an uair sin air cladach Bhòstaidh. Ged a bha e mì-fhortanach dhan bhàta an rud a dh’èirich, mar a tha Aonghas Dòmhnallach a-nis ag aithris, fhuair muinntir an àite prèasant a tha fhathast gu feum dhaibh.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] As dèidh làithean a’ ruith tro na stoirmean bha dùil aig sgiobair a’ bhàta cargu Elcano gu robh e a’ dèanamh air sàbhailteachd Caladh Steòrnabhaigh. Ach bha aon chunnart fhathast roimhe, sgeir ris an canar ‘Cearc Shuairdail.’
[Dòmhnall Iain MacSuain] Cha do mhothaich e dhan Chirc, coltach ri iomadach bàta eile. Bhuail an Elcano a’ chearc agus gu fortanach fhuair a h-uile duine air tìr, dìreach air a’ bhonn shìos bhon an taigh aig Bòsta agus seòrsa bàta bh’ann ‘s e bàta fiodha agus bha iad ag ràdh gur e bàta daraich agus bha sin uabhasach feumail dha na bailtean, dha Suardail, gu h-àraidh dha na bailtean timcheall Shuairdail.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Ceithir bliadhna as dèidh sin, air falach bho làn àrd chuir a’ chearc às dhan HMS Lively ‘s i giùlain am Morair Napier a bha togail fianais mu staid nan croitearan. Ach a thaobh an Elcano, fhuair an criutha uile às lem beatha.
[Dòmhnall Iain MacSuain] Tha sprod air a’ Chirc, chaidh a chur oirre timcheall air deich bliadhna as dèidh sin. Cha robh sin air a’ chirc an uair sin agus fiù’s là mòr fhèin, là mì-chàilear, làn àrd, cha mhòr gum faic thu a’ chreag. Bha na daoine sàbhailte co-dhiù, fhuair iad air tìr ‘s cha deach dhuine a chall.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Agus dh’fhàg an Elcano dìleab a tha ri fhaicinn fhathast.
[Dòmhnall Iain MacSuain] Rinn am fiodh feum gu dearbha dhan bhaile seo. ‘S e rud a bha mise cluinntinn gur e Greenheart oak. Tha sin cho làidir ri fiodh a tha air a bhith air a lorg agus chì thu timcheall a’ bhaile puist fhathast, tha iad a’ cleachdadh pàirt dhen a’ fencing.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Tha solas air taobh a-muigh na Circ an-diugh, a’ treòrachadh mharaichean gu bliadhn’ ùr nas tèarainte na bha chùis sna linntinn a chaidh seachad. Aonghas Dòmhnallach, BBC An Là ann an Suardail.
[Iain Maclean – Presenter] Now, 135 years ago today the cargo ship Elcano went into the rocks near Swordale in Point. She hit a skerry and ran aground on Bosta beach. Although the ship’s destiny was unfortunate, the people of the area were left with a gift as a result of it which is still of use to them today, as Angus Macdonald reports.
[Angus Macdonald – Reporter] After days battling storms the cargo ship Elcano’s skipper thought he was making for the safety of Stornoway Pier. But another danger still faced him, a skerry called ‘Cearc Shuairdail.’
[Donald John MacSween] He didn’t notice the Cearc, like many other ships. The Elcano hit the Cearc and fortunately everyone got ashore, just at the bottom down from the house at Bòsta and the type of boat it was, it was a wooden boat, a boat made of oak and it proved very useful to the towns, to Swordale, especially to the towns surrounding Swordale.
[Angus Macdonald – Reporter] Four years after that, hidden from the high tide the Cearc got the better of the HMS Lively which was carrying the Lord Napier who was gathering evidence on the crofters. But with the Elcano, the crew all were all spared of their lives.
[Donald John MacSween] There’s a stick on the cearc, it was put there ten years after that. It wasn’t on the Cearc before that and even on the day itself, a miserable day of high tide, you could hardly see the rock. The people were safe anyway, they made it to land and no lives were lost.
[Angus Macdonald – Reporter] And the Elcano left a legacy that can still be seen.
[Donald John MacSween] The wood was put to great use to this town. I heard it was Greenheart oak. It’s one of the strongest woods there is and you can see posts still round the town as part of the fencing.
[Angus Macdonald – Reporter] There is a light outside the Cearc today, guiding sailors to a safer new year compared to the one all that time ago. Angus Macdonald, BBC Am Là, Swordale.
[Iain MacIllEathain – Preseantair] Nise, ceud ‘s a còig deug air fhichead bliadhna air ais bhon an-diugh fhèin chaidh an t-soitheach cargu Elcano air na creagan faisg air Suardail anns an Rubha. Bhuail i air sgeir agus chaidh a cur air tìr an uair sin air cladach Bhòstaidh. Ged a bha e mì-fhortanach dhan bhàta an rud a dh’èirich, mar a tha Aonghas Dòmhnallach a-nis ag aithris, fhuair muinntir an àite prèasant a tha fhathast gu feum dhaibh.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] As dèidh làithean a’ ruith tro na stoirmean bha dùil aig sgiobair a’ bhàta cargu Elcano gu robh e a’ dèanamh air sàbhailteachd Caladh Steòrnabhaigh. Ach bha aon chunnart fhathast roimhe, sgeir ris an canar ‘Cearc Shuairdail.’
[Dòmhnall Iain MacSuain] Cha do mhothaich e dhan Chirc, coltach ri iomadach bàta eile. Bhuail an Elcano a’ chearc agus gu fortanach fhuair a h-uile duine air tìr, dìreach air a’ bhonn shìos bhon an taigh aig Bòsta agus seòrsa bàta bh’ann ‘s e bàta fiodha agus bha iad ag ràdh gur e bàta daraich agus bha sin uabhasach feumail dha na bailtean, dha Suardail, gu h-àraidh dha na bailtean timcheall Shuairdail.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Ceithir bliadhna as dèidh sin, air falach bho làn àrd chuir a’ chearc às dhan HMS Lively ‘s i giùlain am Morair Napier a bha togail fianais mu staid nan croitearan. Ach a thaobh an Elcano, fhuair an criutha uile às lem beatha.
[Dòmhnall Iain MacSuain] Tha sprod air a’ Chirc, chaidh a chur oirre timcheall air deich bliadhna as dèidh sin. Cha robh sin air a’ chirc an uair sin agus fiù’s là mòr fhèin, là mì-chàilear, làn àrd, cha mhòr gum faic thu a’ chreag. Bha na daoine sàbhailte co-dhiù, fhuair iad air tìr ‘s cha deach dhuine a chall.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Agus dh’fhàg an Elcano dìleab a tha ri fhaicinn fhathast.
[Dòmhnall Iain MacSuain] Rinn am fiodh feum gu dearbha dhan bhaile seo. ‘S e rud a bha mise cluinntinn gur e Greenheart oak. Tha sin cho làidir ri fiodh a tha air a bhith air a lorg agus chì thu timcheall a’ bhaile puist fhathast, tha iad a’ cleachdadh pàirt dhen a’ fencing.
[Aonghas Dòmhnallach – Neach-aithris] Tha solas air taobh a-muigh na Circ an-diugh, a’ treòrachadh mharaichean gu bliadhn’ ùr nas tèarainte na bha chùis sna linntinn a chaidh seachad. Aonghas Dòmhnallach, BBC An Là ann an Suardail.
[Iain Maclean – Presenter] Now, 135 years ago today the cargo ship Elcano went into the rocks near Swordale in Point. She hit a skerry and ran aground on Bosta beach. Although the ship’s destiny was unfortunate, the people of the area were left with a gift as a result of it which is still of use to them today, as Angus Macdonald reports.
[Angus Macdonald – Reporter] After days battling storms the cargo ship Elcano’s skipper thought he was making for the safety of Stornoway Pier. But another danger still faced him, a skerry called ‘Cearc Shuairdail.’
[Donald John MacSween] He didn’t notice the Cearc, like many other ships. The Elcano hit the Cearc and fortunately everyone got ashore, just at the bottom down from the house at Bòsta and the type of boat it was, it was a wooden boat, a boat made of oak and it proved very useful to the towns, to Swordale, especially to the towns surrounding Swordale.
[Angus Macdonald – Reporter] Four years after that, hidden from the high tide the Cearc got the better of the HMS Lively which was carrying the Lord Napier who was gathering evidence on the crofters. But with the Elcano, the crew all were all spared of their lives.
[Donald John MacSween] There’s a stick on the cearc, it was put there ten years after that. It wasn’t on the Cearc before that and even on the day itself, a miserable day of high tide, you could hardly see the rock. The people were safe anyway, they made it to land and no lives were lost.
[Angus Macdonald – Reporter] And the Elcano left a legacy that can still be seen.
[Donald John MacSween] The wood was put to great use to this town. I heard it was Greenheart oak. It’s one of the strongest woods there is and you can see posts still round the town as part of the fencing.
[Angus Macdonald – Reporter] There is a light outside the Cearc today, guiding sailors to a safer new year compared to the one all that time ago. Angus Macdonald, BBC Am Là, Swordale.