[Innes Rothach – Preseantair] Tha 50 bliadhna ann bhon a stèidhich Comann Rìoghail Dìon nan Eun tearmann nàdair ann am Baile Raghnaill an Uibhist a Tuath. Ao-coltach ris na raointean eile aca, chan ann leis an RSPB a tha am fearann ann a tha fo smachd chroitearan na sgìre. Tha an aithris seo aig Shona NicDhòmhnaill.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Fhuair Comann Rìoghail Dìon nan Eun aonta le triùir uachdarain agus le ceithir bailtean croitearachd, 600 heactair de thalamh a chomharrachadh mar raon glèidhteachais Bhaile Raghnaill.
[Jamie Boyle] We were interested, the Uists and the Western Isles in fact are well known for being fantastic areas for wildlife. In particular birds. And RSPB wanted a foothold on the islands, so they managed to get this agreement with the landlords and the crofters and we used the area for research and survey.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Tha 50 bliadhna ann bhon a chaidh a stèidheachadh.
[Sìne NicDhòmhnaill] Bhitheamaid dol a bhleoghainn a’ chruidh shìos an sin ‘s an uair sin nuair a thàinig iadsan, a’ churracag dhearg, bha i ann an uair sin. Oh bha i pailt, pailt an toiseach. Ach thòisich i air falbh an uair sin ‘s bha daoine gabhail ionghnadh gach uair a nochdadh i ach bha i an uair sin cha robh i tighinn idir.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Le mu 200 seòrsa eun air an clàradh anns an sgìre aig diofar amannan, tha sin a’ tarraing luchd-turais. An-uiridh thadhail mu 14,000 duine agus tha sin a’ toirt cothrom gnìomhachas a stèidheachadh a bharrachd air croitearachd.
[Ann Nic GilleFhialain] Bha sinn a’ faicinn daoine tighinn ach cha robh dad ann dhaibh. Tha àite-bidhe againn fad an t-samhraidh agus tha sinn airson gum bi àite ann far am faigh daoine cofaidh no cupa tì nuair a tha iad a’ tighinn fad astair mòr. ‘S dòcha gum bi iad shìos air a raon glèidhteachais fad an latha a’ coiseachd so bha an cothrom sin ann dìreach air sàillibh na bha ann de dhaoine tighinn agus bha sinn a’ faicinn nach robh goireasan ann dhaibh.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] An-dràsta ‘s a-rithist nochdaidh eun annasach, mar as trice air an t-slighe cheàrr.
[Aonghas Fearghastan] A’ chiad eun air na chuir mise oighreachd b’ ann gu math ainneamh a bha iad, ‘s e Snowy Owl a bha sin agus mu robh e bho, uill a chionn bliadhna an fhoghair sa chaidh, chan eil fad bho uair sin, bha an cattle egret a bha sineach, bha i ann. Sin an tè don thog mi an dealbh is i air mullach an taighe shuas.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Tha àireamh an traoin air a dhol a meud, ach a dh’ aindeoin oidhirp an dìon, tha àireamh nan gealag-buachair a’ sìor chrìonadh.
[Jamie Boyle] All the islands out here had corn bunting populations including St Kilda at one time and this is the last little population and it’s disappearing. We’ve tried a lot and we still, fingers crossed we might just hold on to them because they have declined in the past to quite low numbers and then built up again.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Comharrachadh an RSPB an ceann-bliadhna seo le diofar thachartasan tron bhliadhna. Shona NicDhòmhnaill, BBC An Là ann an Uibhist a Tuath.
[Innes Munro – Presenter] It’s been 50 years since The Royal Society of the Protection of Birds designated Balranald in North Uist a nature reserve. Unlike all their other reserves, the land is not owned by the RSPB, it is under the control of the crofters in the area. Shona MacDonald has this report.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] The RSPB along with three landlords and four crofting villages came to an agreement to declare 600 hectares of land as the Balranald Conservation Area.
[Jamie Boyle] We were interested, the Uists and the Western Isles in fact are well known for being fantastic areas for wildlife. In particular birds. And RSPB wanted a foothold on the islands, so they managed to get this agreement with the landlords and the crofters and we used the area for research and survey.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] There’s been 50 years since it was set up.
[Jane MacDonald] I would go and milk the cows down there and then they arrived. The Red Lapwing, it was there then. Oh there were many of them at first. But then when they started to leave, people took an interest each time one would reappear. But eventually they just never came back.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] With around 200 species of birds recorded in the area at different times, tourists are attracted. Last year there were around 14,000 visitors and this offers an opportunity to set up businesses other than crofting.
[Ann MacLellan] We could see that people were coming but that there was nothing here for them. We have a restaurant open all summer and we want it to be a place where people can get a coffee or a cup of tea after they’ve travelled a long distance to get here. They may be down on the reserve all day walking, so the opportunity is there, just with the amount of people coming to visit and we could see that there were no facilities for them.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] Now and again rare birds appear, very often on the wrong route.
[Angus Ferguson] The first bird I saw on the estate, they were quite rare, was the snowy owl and a year last autumn, not that long ago anyway, the cattle egret was there. That’s the one in the picture, it was up top of the house.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] The number of corncrakes has risen but despite efforts to protect them, the number of corn buntings is in continual decline.
[Jamie Boyle] All the islands out here had corn bunting populations including St Kilda at one time and this is the last little population and it’s disappearing. We’ve tried a lot and we still, fingers crossed we might just hold on to them because they have declined in the past to quite low numbers and then built up again.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] The RSPB will celebrate this anniversary with various events throughout the year. Shona MacDonald, BBC An Là in North Uist.
[Innes Rothach – Preseantair] Tha 50 bliadhna ann bhon a stèidhich Comann Rìoghail Dìon nan Eun tearmann nàdair ann am Baile Raghnaill an Uibhist a Tuath. Ao-coltach ris na raointean eile aca, chan ann leis an RSPB a tha am fearann ann a tha fo smachd chroitearan na sgìre. Tha an aithris seo aig Shona NicDhòmhnaill.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Fhuair Comann Rìoghail Dìon nan Eun aonta le triùir uachdarain agus le ceithir bailtean croitearachd, 600 heactair de thalamh a chomharrachadh mar raon glèidhteachais Bhaile Raghnaill.
[Jamie Boyle] We were interested, the Uists and the Western Isles in fact are well known for being fantastic areas for wildlife. In particular birds. And RSPB wanted a foothold on the islands, so they managed to get this agreement with the landlords and the crofters and we used the area for research and survey.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Tha 50 bliadhna ann bhon a chaidh a stèidheachadh.
[Sìne NicDhòmhnaill] Bhitheamaid dol a bhleoghainn a’ chruidh shìos an sin ‘s an uair sin nuair a thàinig iadsan, a’ churracag dhearg, bha i ann an uair sin. Oh bha i pailt, pailt an toiseach. Ach thòisich i air falbh an uair sin ‘s bha daoine gabhail ionghnadh gach uair a nochdadh i ach bha i an uair sin cha robh i tighinn idir.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Le mu 200 seòrsa eun air an clàradh anns an sgìre aig diofar amannan, tha sin a’ tarraing luchd-turais. An-uiridh thadhail mu 14,000 duine agus tha sin a’ toirt cothrom gnìomhachas a stèidheachadh a bharrachd air croitearachd.
[Ann Nic GilleFhialain] Bha sinn a’ faicinn daoine tighinn ach cha robh dad ann dhaibh. Tha àite-bidhe againn fad an t-samhraidh agus tha sinn airson gum bi àite ann far am faigh daoine cofaidh no cupa tì nuair a tha iad a’ tighinn fad astair mòr. ‘S dòcha gum bi iad shìos air a raon glèidhteachais fad an latha a’ coiseachd so bha an cothrom sin ann dìreach air sàillibh na bha ann de dhaoine tighinn agus bha sinn a’ faicinn nach robh goireasan ann dhaibh.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] An-dràsta ‘s a-rithist nochdaidh eun annasach, mar as trice air an t-slighe cheàrr.
[Aonghas Fearghastan] A’ chiad eun air na chuir mise oighreachd b’ ann gu math ainneamh a bha iad, ‘s e Snowy Owl a bha sin agus mu robh e bho, uill a chionn bliadhna an fhoghair sa chaidh, chan eil fad bho uair sin, bha an cattle egret a bha sineach, bha i ann. Sin an tè don thog mi an dealbh is i air mullach an taighe shuas.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Tha àireamh an traoin air a dhol a meud, ach a dh’ aindeoin oidhirp an dìon, tha àireamh nan gealag-buachair a’ sìor chrìonadh.
[Jamie Boyle] All the islands out here had corn bunting populations including St Kilda at one time and this is the last little population and it’s disappearing. We’ve tried a lot and we still, fingers crossed we might just hold on to them because they have declined in the past to quite low numbers and then built up again.
[Shona NicDhòmhnaill – Neach-aithris] Comharrachadh an RSPB an ceann-bliadhna seo le diofar thachartasan tron bhliadhna. Shona NicDhòmhnaill, BBC An Là ann an Uibhist a Tuath.
[Innes Munro – Presenter] It’s been 50 years since The Royal Society of the Protection of Birds designated Balranald in North Uist a nature reserve. Unlike all their other reserves, the land is not owned by the RSPB, it is under the control of the crofters in the area. Shona MacDonald has this report.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] The RSPB along with three landlords and four crofting villages came to an agreement to declare 600 hectares of land as the Balranald Conservation Area.
[Jamie Boyle] We were interested, the Uists and the Western Isles in fact are well known for being fantastic areas for wildlife. In particular birds. And RSPB wanted a foothold on the islands, so they managed to get this agreement with the landlords and the crofters and we used the area for research and survey.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] There’s been 50 years since it was set up.
[Jane MacDonald] I would go and milk the cows down there and then they arrived. The Red Lapwing, it was there then. Oh there were many of them at first. But then when they started to leave, people took an interest each time one would reappear. But eventually they just never came back.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] With around 200 species of birds recorded in the area at different times, tourists are attracted. Last year there were around 14,000 visitors and this offers an opportunity to set up businesses other than crofting.
[Ann MacLellan] We could see that people were coming but that there was nothing here for them. We have a restaurant open all summer and we want it to be a place where people can get a coffee or a cup of tea after they’ve travelled a long distance to get here. They may be down on the reserve all day walking, so the opportunity is there, just with the amount of people coming to visit and we could see that there were no facilities for them.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] Now and again rare birds appear, very often on the wrong route.
[Angus Ferguson] The first bird I saw on the estate, they were quite rare, was the snowy owl and a year last autumn, not that long ago anyway, the cattle egret was there. That’s the one in the picture, it was up top of the house.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] The number of corncrakes has risen but despite efforts to protect them, the number of corn buntings is in continual decline.
[Jamie Boyle] All the islands out here had corn bunting populations including St Kilda at one time and this is the last little population and it’s disappearing. We’ve tried a lot and we still, fingers crossed we might just hold on to them because they have declined in the past to quite low numbers and then built up again.
[Shona MacDonald – Reporter] The RSPB will celebrate this anniversary with various events throughout the year. Shona MacDonald, BBC An Là in North Uist.