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Bha mi a鈥� bruidhinn mu dheidhinn nan carbadan Argyll, a bh鈥� air an togail ann an Alba. Cha b鈥� e sin an aon chompanaidh Albannach bha a鈥� togail ch脿raichean. Mar eisimpleir, bha an Arrol-Johnston ann.聽

Tha mi airson innse dhuibh mu aon charbad s貌nraichte a thog Arrol-Johnston. B鈥� e sin am fear a thug Ernest Shackleton leis don Antartaig ann an naoi ceud deug 始s a seachd (1907). 始S e mo thuigse gum b鈥� e c脿r Albannach a鈥� chiad ch脿r riamh anns an Antartaig. Ch矛 sibh dealbhan dheth air an eadar-l矛on.

Bha einnsean ceithir-siolandair aige, a bha a鈥� d猫anamh suas ri c貌ig horsepower deug. Eucoltach ris a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha de charbadan, bha an t-einnsean air fhionnarachadh le 猫adhar, seach uisge.聽

Chaidh seacaid a thogail timcheall a鈥� ch脿rbradair. Chaidh na gasaichean traoghaidh 脿 aon siolandair a chur tron t-seacaid airson an c脿rbradair a bhl脿thachadh. Thug an sgioba ola sh貌nraichte leotha nach biodh a鈥� reothadh. Thug iad t貌rr ph脿irtean sp猫ir aca, agus grunn se貌rsaichean chuibhlichean.

Ach an robh an carbad soirbheachail? Airson an fh矛rinn innse, cha robh. Bha e ro throm. Thug iad a h-uile rud dheth ach a-mh脿in a chassis agus aon suidheachan airson an dr脿ibheir. Bha iad ag iarraidh a chur gu feum d矛reach airson slaodan a tharraing air an deigh. Ach, cho luath 始s a bha sneachd bog ann, bha na cuibhlichean a鈥� dol an s脿s ann.聽

Ach dh鈥檌onnsaich daoine gu le貌r bhon Arrol-Johnston sin. Thuig iad gum biodh tragaichean, seach cuibhlichean, riatanach anns an Antartaig. Agus bha tragaichean air na carbadan a thug Raibeart F Scott leis don Antartaig ann an naoi ceud deug 始s a deich (1910).聽

Cha robh Shackleton soirbheachail ann a bhith a鈥� ruigsinn a鈥� Ph貌la a Deas. Ach chuir e buidheann gu mullach Beinn Erebus agus feadhainn gu taobh a-staigh ceud m矛le bhon Ph貌la. R脿inig buidheann eile aige am P貌la Magnaiteach a Deas. Mar sin, bha an triall aige soirbheachail ann an iomadach d貌igh.聽

Nuair a dh鈥檉halbh iad airson tilleadh gu Sealan Nuadh aig deireadh gnothaich, bha an Arrol-Johnston air b貌rd. D猫 thachair dha? Gu m矛-fhortanach, chan eil c脿il a dh鈥檉hios a鈥檓.

I was speaking about the Argyll cars that were built in Scotland. That wasn鈥檛 the only Scottish company that was making cars. For example, there was the Arrol-Johnston.

I want to tell you about one particular vehicle that Arrol-Johnston made. That was the one that Ernest Shackleton took with him to the Antarctic in 1907. It鈥檚 my understanding that a Scottish car was the first car ever in Antarctica. You can see pictures of it on the internet.

It had a four cylinder engine that developed up to fifteen horsepower. Unlike most vehicles, the engine was cooled by air, rather than water.

A jacket was built around the carburettor. The exhaust gases from one cylinder were put through the jacket in order to warm the carburettor. The team took special oil with them which would not freeze. They took with them many spare parts, and many types of wheel[s].

But was the vehicle successful? To tell the truth, no. It was too heavy. They took everything off it except the chassis and one seat for the driver. They were wanting to use it just to pull sledges on the ice. But, as soon as there was soft snow, the wheels got stuck in it.

But people learned a lot from that Arrol-Johnston. They understood that tracks, rather than wheels, would be necessary in the Antarctic. And there were tracks on the vehicles that Rober F Scott took with him to the Antarctic in 1910.

Shackleton wasn鈥檛 successful in reaching the South Pole. But he sent a group to the summit of Mt Erebus and some to within a hundred miles from the Pole. Another group reached the South Magnetic Pole. Thus, his expedition was successful in many ways.

When they left to return to New Zealand at the end [of the expedition], the Arrol-Johnston was on board. What happened to it? Unfortunately, I have no idea.