[Innes Rothach – Preseantair] Thathas ag ràdh gun do chur sglèat Bhaile a’ Chaolais mullach air Dùn Èideann agus Glaschu agus a-nis tha pròiseact sònraichte air tòiseachadh airson an eachdraidh sin a chomharrachadh. Tha Pròiseact Cuimhneachain Cuaraidhean Sglèat Bhaile a' Chaolais a’ cruinneachadh uidheamachd agus stòraidhean mu na cuaraidhean, a dhùin bho chionn tri fichead bliadhna. Tha tuilleadh aig Seonaidh MacCoinnich.
[Grigor Labhraidh] Tha fhios agam glan cò th’ annta sin chionn ‘s e fear de na càirdean agam fhìn a th’ann. ‘S e Labhrach mar a theireadh iad, Labhrach. Bha e ag obair sa chreig goirid mun do dhùin e.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Thòisich cuaraidh dìreach bliadhna as dèidh murt Ghlinn Chomhann agus thathas ag ràdh gun do chuir sgleat Baile a’ Chaolais mullach air Dùn Èideann is Glaschu.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Leis cho socair, sàmhach ‘s a tha e an-diugh, tha e doirbh smaoineachadh dìreach ceud ‘s leth-cheud bliadhna air ais gu robh còrr is sia ceud duine a’ dèanamh mu fhichead millean sgleat an seo gach bliadhna.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Dhùin e anns a’ bhliadhna 1955 ach a-nis tha pròiseact ann airson stòraidhean agus cuimhneachain nan daoine a bha ag obair a chlàradh.
[Verity Walker] It’s all about making sure that the kind of sounds, the stories and the traditions and the processes of the quarry aren’t lost, asking people just in the comfort of their own homes to tell us their stories about their family, their traditions.
[Mairead Bennett] Tha mi cinnteach gum bi sin feumail, feumaidh sinn seo a dhèanamh. Chan eil mòran bho luchd-obrach fhèin no teaghlaich dè seòrsa obair a bh’ ann agus seòrsa dòigh-beatha agus a h-uile rud mar sin, industrial heritage. Cha do chruinnich sinn mòran bho industrial heritage.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Agus a bheil mòran fios aig daoine san sgìre an-diugh mun obair agus mun bhuaidh a thug e air an t-saoghal?
[Grigor Labhraidh] Tha beachd agam, dh’ fhaodadh gum bi tuilleadh ùidh aig a’ ghinealach iad fhèin seach an fheadhainn a dh’fhalbh chionn cha robh mòran feirt ga thoirt don dòigh-beatha a bha sa bhaile seo sna làithean a dh’fhalbh ach tha mòr dhòchas ann gum bi agus gun tig tuilleadh dhaoine don dualchais ‘s don eachdraidh agus don a h-uile nì a tha prìseil a bhuineas don cheàrn seo.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Bha coinneamh ann Diardaoin airson feuchainn ri daoine anns an sgìre a bhrosnachadh gus cuimhneachadh na chruinnich iad.
[Mairead Bennett] Càite robh iad a’ fuireach? Robh iad a’ fuireach ann an seo?
[Boireannach] Yes where they were, where the Isle of Glencoe.
[Mairead Bennett] Tha tòrr ann an seo an-diugh ach ‘s dòcha nach bi a-màireach.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Seonaidh MacCoinnich, BBC An Là, Bhaile a’ Chaolais.
[Innes Munro – Presenter] It is said that Ballachulish slate roofed Edinburgh and Glasgow and now a special project has begun to commemorate its history. The Ballachulish Slate Quarries Remembrance Project is collecting equipment and collating stories from the quarries which closed 60 years ago. Seonaidh MacKenzie has more.
[Gregor Lawrie] I know exactly who this is as it’s a relation of mine. A ‘Labhrach’ as they would say, ‘Labhrach.’ He worked in the quarry shortly before it closed.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] Quarrying began just 1 year after the Glencoe Massacre and it is said that Ballachulish slate was used on Edinburgh and Glasgow roofs.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] With how quiet and calm it is today it’s difficult to think just 150 years ago that there were more than 600 people making around 20 million slates here each year.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] It closed in 1955 but now there’s a project to record stories and memories from those who worked there.
[Verity Walker] It’s all about making sure that the kind of sounds, the stories and tha traditions and the processes of the quarry aren’t lost, asking people just in the comfort of their own homes to tell us their stories about their family, their traditions.
[Margaret Bennett] I’m sure it would be useful, we need to do this. There’s not much information from the workforce or their families about what the work was like and how they lived and things like that, industrial heritage. We haven’t gathered much from industrial heritage.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] And do many people in the area today know about the work and the effect it had on the world?
[Gregor Lawrie] I think perhaps this generation could have more interest compared with previous generations, there wasn’t much attention paid to the way of life in this village in days gone by. Hopefully more people show interest in the heritage and history and everything dear to this area.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] There was a meeting on Thursday to try and encourage people in the area to remember what they had gathered.
[Margaret Bennett] Where did they stay? Did they stay here?
[Lady] Yes where they were, where the Isle of Glencoe.
[Margaret Bennett] There are many here today that perhaps won’t be tomorrow.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] Seonaidh MacKenzie, BBC An Là, Ballachulish.
[Innes Rothach – Preseantair] Thathas ag ràdh gun do chur sglèat Bhaile a’ Chaolais mullach air Dùn Èideann agus Glaschu agus a-nis tha pròiseact sònraichte air tòiseachadh airson an eachdraidh sin a chomharrachadh. Tha Pròiseact Cuimhneachain Cuaraidhean Sglèat Bhaile a' Chaolais a’ cruinneachadh uidheamachd agus stòraidhean mu na cuaraidhean, a dhùin bho chionn tri fichead bliadhna. Tha tuilleadh aig Seonaidh MacCoinnich.
[Grigor Labhraidh] Tha fhios agam glan cò th’ annta sin chionn ‘s e fear de na càirdean agam fhìn a th’ann. ‘S e Labhrach mar a theireadh iad, Labhrach. Bha e ag obair sa chreig goirid mun do dhùin e.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Thòisich cuaraidh dìreach bliadhna as dèidh murt Ghlinn Chomhann agus thathas ag ràdh gun do chuir sgleat Baile a’ Chaolais mullach air Dùn Èideann is Glaschu.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Leis cho socair, sàmhach ‘s a tha e an-diugh, tha e doirbh smaoineachadh dìreach ceud ‘s leth-cheud bliadhna air ais gu robh còrr is sia ceud duine a’ dèanamh mu fhichead millean sgleat an seo gach bliadhna.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Dhùin e anns a’ bhliadhna 1955 ach a-nis tha pròiseact ann airson stòraidhean agus cuimhneachain nan daoine a bha ag obair a chlàradh.
[Verity Walker] It’s all about making sure that the kind of sounds, the stories and the traditions and the processes of the quarry aren’t lost, asking people just in the comfort of their own homes to tell us their stories about their family, their traditions.
[Mairead Bennett] Tha mi cinnteach gum bi sin feumail, feumaidh sinn seo a dhèanamh. Chan eil mòran bho luchd-obrach fhèin no teaghlaich dè seòrsa obair a bh’ ann agus seòrsa dòigh-beatha agus a h-uile rud mar sin, industrial heritage. Cha do chruinnich sinn mòran bho industrial heritage.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Agus a bheil mòran fios aig daoine san sgìre an-diugh mun obair agus mun bhuaidh a thug e air an t-saoghal?
[Grigor Labhraidh] Tha beachd agam, dh’ fhaodadh gum bi tuilleadh ùidh aig a’ ghinealach iad fhèin seach an fheadhainn a dh’fhalbh chionn cha robh mòran feirt ga thoirt don dòigh-beatha a bha sa bhaile seo sna làithean a dh’fhalbh ach tha mòr dhòchas ann gum bi agus gun tig tuilleadh dhaoine don dualchais ‘s don eachdraidh agus don a h-uile nì a tha prìseil a bhuineas don cheàrn seo.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Bha coinneamh ann Diardaoin airson feuchainn ri daoine anns an sgìre a bhrosnachadh gus cuimhneachadh na chruinnich iad.
[Mairead Bennett] Càite robh iad a’ fuireach? Robh iad a’ fuireach ann an seo?
[Boireannach] Yes where they were, where the Isle of Glencoe.
[Mairead Bennett] Tha tòrr ann an seo an-diugh ach ‘s dòcha nach bi a-màireach.
[Seonaidh MacCoinnich – Neach-aithris] Seonaidh MacCoinnich, BBC An Là, Bhaile a’ Chaolais.
[Innes Munro – Presenter] It is said that Ballachulish slate roofed Edinburgh and Glasgow and now a special project has begun to commemorate its history. The Ballachulish Slate Quarries Remembrance Project is collecting equipment and collating stories from the quarries which closed 60 years ago. Seonaidh MacKenzie has more.
[Gregor Lawrie] I know exactly who this is as it’s a relation of mine. A ‘Labhrach’ as they would say, ‘Labhrach.’ He worked in the quarry shortly before it closed.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] Quarrying began just 1 year after the Glencoe Massacre and it is said that Ballachulish slate was used on Edinburgh and Glasgow roofs.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] With how quiet and calm it is today it’s difficult to think just 150 years ago that there were more than 600 people making around 20 million slates here each year.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] It closed in 1955 but now there’s a project to record stories and memories from those who worked there.
[Verity Walker] It’s all about making sure that the kind of sounds, the stories and tha traditions and the processes of the quarry aren’t lost, asking people just in the comfort of their own homes to tell us their stories about their family, their traditions.
[Margaret Bennett] I’m sure it would be useful, we need to do this. There’s not much information from the workforce or their families about what the work was like and how they lived and things like that, industrial heritage. We haven’t gathered much from industrial heritage.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] And do many people in the area today know about the work and the effect it had on the world?
[Gregor Lawrie] I think perhaps this generation could have more interest compared with previous generations, there wasn’t much attention paid to the way of life in this village in days gone by. Hopefully more people show interest in the heritage and history and everything dear to this area.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] There was a meeting on Thursday to try and encourage people in the area to remember what they had gathered.
[Margaret Bennett] Where did they stay? Did they stay here?
[Lady] Yes where they were, where the Isle of Glencoe.
[Margaret Bennett] There are many here today that perhaps won’t be tomorrow.
[Seonaidh MacKenzie – Reporter] Seonaidh MacKenzie, BBC An Là, Ballachulish.