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Bidh m貌ran agaibh e貌lach air na rathaidean a thog an Seanailear Wade. Tha rann beag ann mun deidhinn:

If you鈥檇 seen this road before it was made,

You鈥檇 lift up your hands and bless General Wade.

Ge br矛th d猫 ur beachd air Wade, dh鈥檃tharraich e a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd. Thog e rathaidean airm far nach robh dad ann roimhe. Ach c貌 bha ann an Se貌ras Wade?

Bhuineadh e do shliochd nan Sasannach ann an 脠irinn. Rugadh e ann am meadhan na h-脠ireann. Nuair a bha e mu sheachd bliadhn鈥� deug a dh鈥檃ois, fhuair e coimisean ann an Arm Shasainn. Bha e an s脿s ann an Cogadh nan Naoi Bliadhna agus Cogadh Co-arbas na Sp脿innte.

Dh鈥櫭╥rich e tro na rangan. Ch霉m e a dol mar shaighdear an d猫idh an aonaidh eadar Sasainn agus Alba. Ann an seachd ceud deug 始s ceithir-deug (1714) fhuair e 脿rdachadh gu commandair an airm Bhreatannaich ann an 脠irinn.

A鈥� bhliadhna an d猫idh sin, dh鈥櫭╥rich na Seumasaich. Bha Wade air a chur a Shasainn airson seasamh nan aghaidh. Goirid an d猫idh sin, chaidh e an s脿s ann am poilitigs mar bhall-p脿rlamaid.

Ann an seachd ceud deug, fichead 始s a ceithir (1724), chaidh Se貌ras a chur a dh鈥橝lba airson an d霉thaich a mheas. Bha an riaghaltas ann an Lunnainn a鈥� gabhail dragh mu na Seumasaich air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd. Mhol Wade pr貌gram a chur air chois 鈥� airson gearastanan, drochaidean agus rathaidean a thogail. Fhuair e dreuchd 霉r 鈥� 脌rd-chomanndair de dh鈥橣heachdan an R矛gh ann an Ceann a Tuath Bhreatainn.

Thairis air dusan bliadhna, thog Wade d脿 cheud is ceathrad m矛le de rathaidean agus trithead drochaid. B鈥� i an drochaid a bu mhotha a thog e an t猫 thar Uisge Tatha ann an Obar Pheallaidh. Bha i air a dealbhachadh gu s貌nraichte le Uilleam Adam. Chaidh a fosgladh gu trafaig ann an seachd ceud deug, trithead 始s a c貌ig (1735). Bha i mar charragh-cuimhne do dh鈥檕bair Wade air a鈥� Gh脿idhealtachd. Chosg i fortan 鈥� ceithir m矛le not. Tha i fhathast a鈥� gabhail charbadan an-diugh. Ach cha robh obair Wade ann an Alba deiseil le drochaid Obar Pheallaidh, mar a chluinneas sinn an-ath-sheachdain.

Many of you will know the roads that General Wade built. There is a wee rhyme about them:

If you鈥檇 seen this road before it was made,

You鈥檇 lift up your hands and bless General Wade.

Whatever your opinion on Wade, he changed the Highlands. He built military roads where there was nothing before. But who was George Wade?

He belonged to the Anglo-Irish. He was born in the centre of Ireland. When he was about 17 years old, he obtained a commission in the English Army. He was involved in the Nine Years鈥� War and the War of the Spanish Succession.

He rose through the ranks. He continued as a soldier after the union between England and Scotland. In 1714 he obtained promotion to commander of the British Army in Ireland.

The following year, the Jacobites rose. Wade was sent to England to oppose them. Shortly after that, he got involved in politics as a member of parliament.

In 1724, George was sent to Scotland to assess the country. The government in London was perturbed about the Jacobites in the Highlands. Wade recommended the establishment of a program 鈥� to build barracks, bridges and roads. He obtained a new post 鈥� Commander in Chief of His Majesty鈥檚 forces in North Britain.

Over twelve years, Wade built two hundred and forty miles of roads and thirty bridges. The biggest bridge he built was the one over the River Tay at Aberfeldy. It was specially designed by William Adam. It was opened to traffic in 1735. It was a memorial to Wade鈥檚 work in the Highlands. It cost a fortune 鈥� four thousand pounds. It still carries traffic today. But Wade鈥檚 work in Scotland was not finished with the bridge of Aberfeldy, as we shall hear next week.