Tha naoi fichead bliadhna air a dhol seachad on a dh鈥檉hosgail Taigh-eiridinn a鈥� Chinn a Tuath 鈥� The Royal Northern Infirmary 鈥� ann an Inbhir Nis. Tha an togalach, air bruach Abhainn Nis car faisg air Taigh-cluiche Eden Court.聽

Eadhon ged nach eil an togalach air a bhith na ospadal airson c貌rr math is fichead bliadhna, tha drochaid do luchd-coiseachd faisg air l脿imh a tha ainmichte mar 鈥楧rochaid an Taigh-eiridinn鈥� no 鈥楧rochaid na h-Infirmairidh鈥�.

Aig deireadh an ochdamh linn deug, bha uaislean is b脿illidhean Inbhir Nis dhen bheachd gun robh am baile airidh air ospadal m貌r. Bha am Pr貌bhaist, Uilleam Inglis, gu m貌r air a ch霉laibh. Chuir e fh猫in is feadhainn eile fios a-mach, ag iarraidh air daoine beartach airgead a thoirt seachad. Tuigidh sibh nach robh an sporan poblach ro mh貌r aig an 脿m sin. Cha robh siostam sl脿inte poblach ann.

Ach c貌 脿s a th脿inig an t-airgead? Uill, seo an rud. Mar a bha cumanta gu le貌r aig an 脿m sin, air Gh脿idhealtachd agus air Ghalltachd, th脿inig cuid mhath dhen airgead o Albannaich anns na h-Innseachan an Iar. Is cinnteach gun robh feadhainn dhiubh a鈥� d猫anamh phrothaidean 脿 tr脿illeachd. Tha eachdraidh fhillte againn agus chan eil i uile-gu-l猫ir glan. Th脿inig cnap math airgid cuideachd o dhaoine a bha ag obair 脿s leth Arm Bhreatainn thall ann am Bengal agus Canada.

Bhathar an d貌chas cr矛och a chur air an taigh-eiridinn ann an ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a h-aon (1801). Ach th脿inig d脿il air a鈥� ch霉is. Bhathar a鈥� coireachadh 脿rdachadh ann am pr矛sean tuarastail agus bun-stuth togail. Chan eil c脿il 脿s 霉r fon ghr猫in!

Cha b鈥� e sin a-mh脿in ach chaochail am Pr貌bhaist. Chuir sin d脿il eile air a鈥� ch霉is. Dh鈥檉hosgail an taigh-eiridinn anns a鈥� Ch猫itean ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a ceithir (1804). Thuirt na h-霉ghdarrasan gum biodh 脿iteachan ann airson seasgad euslainteach agus suas ri fichead duine a bha a鈥� fulang le tinneas-inntinn.

Ma th猫id sibh air beulaibh doras m貌r an togalaich, ch矛 sibh pleit gu h-脿rd le sgr矛obhadh snaighte oirre. Ach tha d脿 mhearachd oirre. Tha i ag r脿dh gun deach an togalach fhosgladh ann an ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a tr矛 (1803) agus gun robh Uilleam Inglis na phr貌bhaist aig an 脿m. Ach chaochail Mgr Inglis bochd ann an ochd ceud deug 鈥檚 a h-aon (1801).

B鈥� i a鈥� chiad euslainteach Ealasaid Rothach 脿 Siorrachd Rois. Bha a gl霉in air a dhol a dh鈥檃t. Fhad 鈥檚 a bha i san ospadal, th脿inig cuideigin a-steach a bha a鈥� fulang leis an fhiabhras-bhallach no typhus. Bha d矛reach aon t猫-eiridinn ag obair san ospadal 鈥� a bharrachd air an t猫-bhr猫ideach 鈥� agus ghabh ise an galar. Nuair a bha Ealasaid Rothach na b鈥� fhe脿rr, cha deach i dhachaigh. Dh鈥檉huirich i san ospadal agus dh鈥檕braich i fh猫in mar t猫-eiridinn gus an robh cothrom ann t猫 霉r fhastadh.

Bha Taigh-eiridinn a鈥� Chinn a Tuath a鈥� d猫iligeadh ri euslaintich 脿 baile Inbhir Nis agus sg矛re mh貌r mh貌r mun chuairt. Tuigidh sibh gun robh ceist ann mun Gh脿idhlig. Bha poileasaidh c脿nain l脿idir aig an ospadal agus innsidh mi dhuibh d猫 bh鈥� ann anns an ath Litir.

Faclan na Litreach: uaislean is b脿illidhean: gentry and baillies [local government leaders]; Pr貌bhaist: Provost; B脿ideanach: Badenoch; siostam sl脿inte poblach: public health system; Na h-Innseachan an Iar: The West Indies; d脿il: delay; chaochail: died; tinneas-inntinn: mental illness; Ealasaid Rothach: Elspet Munro; euslaintich: patients; poileasaidh c脿nain: language policy.

Abairtean na Litreach: on a dh鈥檉hosgail Taigh-eiridinn a鈥� Chinn a Tuath: since the (Royal) Northern Infirmary opened; air bruach Abhainn Nis: on the bank of the River Ness; car faisg air Taigh-cluiche Eden Court: somewhat near Eden Court theatre; eadhon ged nach eil an togalach air a bhith na ospadal airson c貌rr math is fichead bliadhna: even though the building hasn鈥檛 been a hospital for a good bit more than twenty years; airidh air ospadal m貌r: worthy of a big hospital; uill, seo an rud: well, here鈥檚 the thing; gun robh feadhainn dhiubh a鈥� d猫anamh phrothaidean 脿 tr脿illeachd: that some of them were profiting from slavery; tha eachdraidh fhillte againn agus chan eil i uile-gu-l猫ir glan: we have a complex history and it鈥檚 not entirely clean; bhathar an d貌chas cr矛och a chur air an taigh-eiridinn: it was hoped to complete the hospital; bhathar a鈥� coireachadh 脿rdachadh ann am pr矛sean tuarastail agus bun-stuth togail: a rise in the cost of wages and building materials was being blamed; chan eil c脿il 脿s 霉r fon ghr猫in: there鈥檚 nothing new under the sun (plus 莽a change 鈥�); ch矛 sibh pleit gu h-脿rd le sgr矛obhadh snaighte oirre: you鈥檒l see a plaque up high with engraved writing on it; bha a gl霉in air a dhol a dh鈥檃t: her knee had become swollen; bha d矛reach aon t猫-eiridinn ag obair san ospadal: there was only one nurse working in the hospital; a bharrachd air an t猫-bhr猫ideach: in addition to the matron; ghabh ise an galar: she caught the disease.

Puing-ch脿nain na Litreach: Tha naoi fichead bliadhna air a dhol seachad: 180 years have elapsed. Traditionally, the Gaels would often count in twenties (the vigesimal system) up to 200, and native speakers still do that to some degree. Here are some examples of numbers between 100 and 200: sia fichead 鈥�120鈥�; seachd fichead 始s a c貌ig 鈥�145鈥�; ochd fichead bliadhna 始s a tr矛-deug 鈥�173 years鈥�; naoi fichead saighdear 始s a鈥� dh脿 鈥�182 soldiers鈥�.

Gn脿thas-cainnt na Litreach: air Gh脿idhealtachd agus air Ghalltachd: in the Highlands and Lowlands.