*English follows Gaelic*
An dèidh seachdain a chur seachad air Eilean Leòdhais a’ rannsachadh dualchais agus a cheangal ri atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde, tha ar n-Oifigear Foghlaim is Ionnsachaidh Gàidhlig, Jonathan Angell, a’ beachdachadh air an turas aige agus mar a fhuair e brosnachadh bho na còmhraidhean a bh’ aige le daoine òga air feadh nan eilean.
After spending a week on the Isle of Lewis exploring heritage and its connection with climate change, our Gaelic Education and Learning Officer Jonathan Angell reflects on his trip and how he's been inspired by the conservations he had with young people across the islands.
Thug prògram seachdaine air feadh Eilean Leòdhais còmhla sgoilearan, tidsearan agus com-pàirtichean coimhearsnachd gus sgrùdadh a dhèanamh air a’ cheangal eadar atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde agus dualchas ionadail. Air a lìbhrigeadh le taic bho Chomunn Eachdraidh Sgìre a’ Bhac, chuir am prògram ri chèile ionnsachadh sa chlas le com-pàirteachadh coimhearsnachd, agus aig an aon àm chomharraich e cho cudromachd sa tha dìon na Gàidhlig is dualchas taobh a-staigh choimhearsnachdan eileanach. Bha prìomhachas gu mòr air cothroman bruidhinn mu chùisean àrainneachd tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig, gu h-àraidh ann an suidheachaidhean dùthchail is eileanach, agus bha Keep Scotland Beautiful deònach taic a chumail ris an obair seo.
Thòisich an t-seachdain aig Sgoil a’ Bhac, far an deach seiseanan a ruith thar raon de chlasaichean bho na tràth-ìrean gu àrd-bhun-sgoil, air an lìbhrigeadh ann am Beurla agus Gàidhlig. Rinn na sgoilearan sgrùdadh air dè tha atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde a’ ciallachadh agus mar a tha e mu thràth a’ toirt buaidh air a’ phlanaid againn, le fòcas sònraichte air na h-Eileanan Siar agus a’ bhuaidh a dh’fhaodas atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde a thoirt air dualchas ionadail.
Chaidh an t-ionnsachadh a thoirt seachad a rèir diofar bhuidhnean aoise, le sgoilearan nas òige ag ionnsachadh mu dè th’ anns an àrainneachd agus mar a tha diofar phàirtean de dh’èiceo-siostam ceangailte. Rinn sgoilearan nas sine sgrùdadh nas doimhne air atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde, a’ deasbad a’ bhuaidh aige air coimhearsnachdan agus làraichean dualchais air feadh nan eilean. Thar nam bùthan-obrach, bha cuideam làidir air gnìomh agus air an dòigh air adhart a dh’fhaodas daoine òga a ghabhail ann a bhith a’ coimhead às dèidh nan àiteachan mun cuairt orra. Cheangail mòran sgoilearan na còmhraidhean gu nàdarra ri àiteachan air an robh iad eòlach, a’ roinn sgeulachdan mu thràighean, fiadh-bheatha, aimsir agus atharrachaidhean a chunnaic iad san àrainneachd ionadail aca.
Nuair a ràinig e am meadhan den t-seachdain, ghluais am fòcas nas fhaide a dh’ionnsaigh dualchais, le tursan gu làraichean dualchais nàdarra is togte ionadail nam measg Tràigh Griais agus Carragh-cuimhne nan Land Raiders. Chuidich com-pàirtichean ionadail, nam measg Kinney, a bhios a’ gabhail cùraim den tràigh, agus Diana, Oifigear na Gàidhlig aig Comunn Eachdraidh Sgìre a’ Bhac, le còmhraidhean a stèidheachadh ann an eòlas ionadail agus ann an eòlas beò. Thug na còmhraidhean sin cothrom do sgoilearan smaoineachadh air mar a tha atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde mu thràth a’ toirt buaidh air àiteachan a tha cudromach don chultar agus don choimhearsnachd.
Chrìochnaich an treas latha le gnìomh chruthachail, far an do ghabh sgoilearan ùine gus meòrachadh air an ionnsachadh tro ealain. Dhealbhaich iad mar a bha Tràigh Griais san àm a dh’fhalbh, mar a tha i an-diugh, agus mar a ghabhas i a dìon san àm ri teachd. Chruthaich seo àite airson cruthachalachd agus airson deasbad mun uallach agus mu dhòchas airson an ama ri teachd.
Bhidio a’ sealltainn na rinn sinn: Gnàth-shìde agus Dualchas sa Bhac I Climate and Heritage in Back
Nas fhaide air adhart san t-seachdain, ghluais am prògram gu pàirtean eile den eilean. Aig Sgoil an Rubha, ghabh sgoilearan pàirt ann am bùthan-obrach àrainneachd is gnàth-shìde tro mheadhan na Gàidhlig thar diofar bhuidhnean is bhliadhnaichean, a’ leantainn air mòran de na cuspairean a chaidh a rannsachadh na bu thràithe san t-seachdain ach ann an co-theacsa ionadail ùr.
Air an latha mu dheireadh, aig Bun-sgoil Lacasdail agus Bun-sgoil Steòrnabhaigh ghabh sgoilearan pàirt ann am Bùthan-obrach air atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde agus uallach àrainneachdail, fhad ’s a cheangail iad na cùisean cruinneil sin ri na bha timcheall orra.
Thar na seachdaine, chaidh siubhal eadar sgoiltean agus coimhearsnachdan a dhèanamh air còmhdhail phoblach – air trèana, aiseag agus bus – leis an t-slighe mu dheireadh fiù ’s a’ gabhail a-steach bus Keep Scotland Beautiful! Airson seachdain a bha stèidhichte air gnìomh airson na gnàth-shìde, bha e cudromach gun robh an turas a’ nochdadh mòran de na luachan a bhathar a’ bruidhinn mu dheidhinn sna bùthan-obrach, agus aig an aon àm a’ neartachadh faireachdainn de cheangal ri coimhearsnachdan eileanach.
’S e an rud a leam a-mach aig an ìre as motha tron t-seachdain chan e a-mhàin an dealas bho na sgoilearan, ach mar a bha còmhraidhean mu atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde a’ ceangal gu nàdarrach ri dualchas, cànan agus àite. A-rithist ’s a-rithist, thill na còmhraidhean gu cho cudromachd sa tha dìon na h-àrainneachd agus na coimhearsnachd don àite fhèin.
Ann an iomadh dòigh, ghlac am facal Gàidhlig “dùthchas” spiorad na seachdaine, an dàimh dhomhainn eadar daoine, àite, dualchas agus nàdar, rud a bha ri fhaicinn anns na còmhraidhean, na sgeulachdan agus na h-eòlasan a chaidh a roinn air feadh nan eilean.
A recent week-long programme across the Isle of Lewis brought together pupils, teachers, and community partners to explore the connection between climate change and local heritage. Delivered with the support of Comunn Eachdraidh Sgìre a' Bhac, the programme combined classroom learning with community engagement, while also highlighting the importance of Gaelic provision within island communities. There was a real appreciation for opportunities to discuss environmental issues through Gaelic, particularly within rural and island settings, and Keep Scotland Beautiful was keen to support this work.
The week began at Back School, where sessions ran across a range of classes from early years through to upper primary, delivered in both English and Gaelic. Pupils explored what climate change means and how it is already affecting our planet, with a particular focus on the Outer Hebrides and the impact environmental change can have on local heritage.
Learning was adapted for different age groups, with younger pupils focusing on what the environment is and how different parts of ecosystems connect together. Older pupils explored climate change in more depth, discussing its impact on communities, coastlines, and heritage sites across the islands. Across all workshops, there was a strong focus on action and the important role young people can play in caring for the places around them. Many pupils naturally connected discussions back to places they already knew well, sharing stories about beaches, wildlife, weather, and changes they had noticed in their local environment.
Midweek, the focus shifted further towards heritage, with visits to local natural and built heritage sites including Gress Beach and the Land Raiders Monument. The involvement of local partners, including Kinney, who helps care for the beach, and Diana, Gaelic Officer at Comunn Eachdraidh Sgìre a’ Bhac, helped ground discussions in local knowledge and lived experience. These conversations gave pupils the opportunity to think about how climate change is already affecting places that hold cultural and community importance.
The third day ended with a creative response activity, where pupils reflected on their learning through art. They illustrated what Gress Beach may have looked like in the past, what it looks like now, and how it could continue to be cared for and protected in the future. This created space for both creativity and thoughtful discussion around responsibility, and hope for the future.
Later in the week, the programme moved beyond Back School into other parts of the island. At Sgoil an Rubha, pupils took part in Gaelic environment and climate workshops across different year groups, continuing many of the themes explored earlier in the week through a new local context.
The final day brought workshops to both Laxdale Primary School and Stornoway Primary School, where pupils continued discussions around climate change and environmental responsibility while connecting these global issues back to their own surroundings in and around Stornoway.
Throughout the week, all travel between schools and communities was completed by public transport - by train, ferry, and bus - with the final stretch home even involving the Keep Scotland Beautiful bus! For a week centred around climate action, it felt important that the journey reflected many of the same values being discussed in the workshops, while also giving a real sense of the connectedness of island communities.
What stood out most across the week was not only the enthusiasm from pupils, but how naturally conversations around climate change connected with heritage, language, and place. Again and again, discussions returned to the importance of protecting both environment and community, and the role young people can play in shaping that future.
In many ways, the Gaelic word ‘dùthchas’ captured the spirit of the week - the deep relationship between people, place, heritage, and nature - something reflected in conversations, stories, and experiences shared throughout the islands.
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