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Muirsgian, mùsgan, faochag, bàirneach, eisir bheòil dhuinn. Sin liosta de mhaoraich a bhiodh na seann Ghàidheil ag ithe. Ach chan e sin iad uile. Seo an rann gu lèir:

Muirsgian, mùsgan, faochag, bàirneach, eisir bheòil dhuinn. Eachan, creachann, feusgan, coilleag: maorach traghad a dh’fhaodar ithe gun a bhith sgàthach.

Razorfish, gaper shell, winkle, limpet, brown-mouthed oyster, otter shell, scallop, mussel, cockle: Seashore shellfish that can be eaten without being fearful.

Tha mi cinnteach gum bi sibh eòlach air co-dhiù cuid de na maoraich sin. Math dh’fhaodte gu bheil sibh air feadhainn dhiubh ithe – leithid feusgain, coilleagan agus faochagan. Ann an cuid de na h-eileanan, canaidh na daoine ‘srùban’ ri coilleag.

Bu mhath leam an-diugh sùil a thoirt air dìreach aonan de na maoraich air an liosta sin. ’S e sin an t-eisir – ann am Beurla, the oyster. Bha e aithnichte aig na seann Ghàidheil mar mhaorach a ghabhadh ithe. ’S aithne dhomh co-dhiù aon ainm-àite anns a bheil eisirean air an ainmeachadh. ’S e sin Rubha Àird nan Eisirean, air cladach an iar Mhuile, aig ceann Loch nan Ceall. Feumaidh gun robh daoine a’ buain eisirean an sin.

Ach chan e an cladach an t-àite as fheàrr airson eisirean a lorg. Tha iad nas pailte far a’ chladaich air oitirean. No, math dh’fhaodte gur e an fhìrinn a th’ ann gun robh iad na bu phailte anns na h-uisgeachan sin uaireigin. Bha eisirean uaireigin pailt timcheall costa na h-Alba. Ach chan eil iad pailt an-diugh. Dè thachair dhaibh?

Uill, dh’ionnsaich mi beagan dhen sgeul sin nuair a bha mi a’ leughadh Courier Inbhir Nis bhon bhliadhna ochd ceud deug, seachdad ’s a dhà (1872). Bha aithrisean ann mu dheidhinn iasgach nan eisirean anns na linneachan faisg air Inbhir Nis.

Bha Ban-diùc Chataibh, no A’ Bhana-mhorair Chat, air casg laghail a chur an sàs an aghaidh eathraichean a bhith a’ dreideadh airson eisirean ann an Linne Chrombaigh. Agus bha aithrisean ann mun t-suidheachadh faisg air làimh ann an Linne Mhoireibh, far an robh dragh ann nach maireadh na h-eisirean fada. Carson? Bha iasgairean à Sasainn a’ glacadh cus dhiubh.

Sgrìobh fear MacAnndrais gun deach na h-eisirean a chur ann a dh’aona-ghnothach le a shinn-sheanair, fear MacCoinnich. Bha sin timcheall na bliadhna seachd ceud deug, caogad ’s a h-ochd (1758). 

Bhuineadh Mgr MacCoinnich a dh’Abhach anns an Eilean Dubh. Tha mi a’ dèanamh dheth gur e uachdaran a bh’ ann. Fhuair e na h-eisirean ann an Gruinneard air taobh an iar Rois. Bha iad air an cur don mhuir ann an Linne Mhoireibh gu sear air Abhach.

Ach cha b’ e sin an gnothach gu lèir. Anns a’ bhliadhna seachd ceud deug, naochad ’s a trì (1793), chaidh tuilleadh eisirean a thoirt a Linne Mhoireibh. ’S e seòrsa a bh’ annta ris an canadh iad ‘Pandore oysters’ – feadhainn a bha ainmeil faisg air Dùn Èideann, mar a chì sinn anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: Rubha Àird nan Eisirean: the point of the promontory of the oysters; Loch nan Ceall: Loch na Keal; a’ buain: harvesting; linneachan: firths (plural of linne); Ban-diùc Chataibh/A’ Bhana-mhorair Chat: both of these names mean ‘The Duchess of Sutherland’; Linne Chrombaigh: The Cromarty Firth; MacAnndrais: Anderson; Abhach: Avoch; Gruinneard: Gruinard.

Abairtean na Litreach: Math dh’fhaodte gu bheil sibh air feadhainn dhiubh ithe: perhaps you have eaten some of them; leithid feusgain, coilleagan agus faochagan: such as mussels, cockles and winkles; ann an cuid de na h-eileanan, canaidh na daoine ‘srùban’ ri coilleag: in some of the islands, the people call a cockle ‘srùban’; dìreach aonan de na maoraich: just one of the shellfish; ’s aithne dhomh co-dhiù aon ainm-àite anns a bheil eisirean air an ainmeachadh: I know at least one place name in which oysters are named; nas pailte far a’ chladaich air oitirean: more plentiful offshore on shellfish banks; gun robh iad na bu phailte anns na h-uisgeachan sin uaireigin: they were more plentiful in those waters at one time; bha X air casg laghail a chur an sàs an aghaidh eathraichean a bhith a’ dreideadh: X had interdicted against boats dredging; bha aithrisean ann mun t-suidheachadh faisg air làimh ann an Linne Mhoireibh: there were reports about the situation close at hand in the Moray Firth; far an robh dragh ann nach maireadh na h-eisirean fada: where there was concern that the oysters would not last long; bha iasgairean à Sasainn a’ glacadh cus dhiubh: fishermen from England were catching too many of them; gun deach na h-eisirean a chur ann a dh’aona-ghnothach le a shinn-sheanair: that the oysters were put there deliberately by his great-grandfather; tha mi a’ dèanamh dheth gur e uachdaran a bh’ ann: I reckon he was a laird.

Puing-chànain na Litreach: a dh’fhaodar ithe: which may be eaten. The verb faod is here in a passive form and qualifies the verbal noun ithe ‘eat’. If you wanted to make the verb active, you would have to name the ‘eater’ e.g. a dh’fhaodadh tu ithe ‘which you could eat’ or a dh’fhaodadh duine ithe ‘which a person could eat’. Note how useful the passive form is.

Gnàthas-cainnt na Litreach: Tha mi cinnteach gum bi sibh eòlach air co-dhiù cuid de na maoraich sin: I’m sure you’ll know at least some of those shellfish.