Last night there was a walking group from Lewis at the hostel – 2 of whom (at least) were native Gaelic speakers. So, I spoke my first words of the language to an older lady:
Co às a tha sibh fhèin? and
Tha i brèagha an-diugh. I mentioned that I was heading for Sabhal Mòr Ostaig to learn Gaelic and that it was the Carmina Gadelica that had influenced me most in deciding to do this. She described them as "Catholic prayers" which is almost certainly correct – the Free Kirk would have done its best to stamp out any such superstitions. What a pernicious philosophy dissenting Protestantism can be at times!
