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An t-seachdain sa chaidh, bha mi ag innse dhuibh mun ph脿ipear a sgr矛obh E. G. Ravenstein mu staid nan c脿nanan Ceilteach. Am measg eile, rinn Ravenstein tomhas air sgilean c脿nain anns na ce脿rnaidhean far an robh G脿idhlig aig a鈥� mh貌r-chuid. 始S ann anns na sg矛rean sin a bha a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha de na daoine aig nach robh Beurla. Cha robh aca ach G脿idhlig.

Anns na siorrachdan a leanas, bha a h-uile duine aig an robh G脿idhlig cuideachd fileanta ann am Beurla: Gallaibh, Farfair, Sruighlea agus D霉n Breatann. Ach ann an siorrachdan eile bha feadhainn ann aig nach robh Beurla. Ann an Siorrachd Inbhir Nis, cha robh Beurla aig trithead 始s a ceithir 脿s a鈥� cheud (34%) de na daoine anns na sg矛rean as G脿idhealaiche. Bha sin na b鈥� 脿irde na siorrachd sam bith eile. Bha na figearan airson Rois is Chrombaidh agus Earra-Gh脿idheal na b鈥� 矛sle 鈥� aig 14% agus 17%.聽

Chuir e iongnadh orm gun robh am figear airson Siorrachd Inbhir Nis cho 脿rd. Ach bha e a鈥� gabhail a-steach Na Hearadh, Uibhist is Barraigh, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach agus taobh an iar Loch Abar. Bha a鈥� Gh脿idhlig l脿idir anns na sg矛rean sin.聽

Tha e inntinneach coimeas a dh猫anamh eadar tr矛 eileanan ann an Linne Chluaidh. Ann an Cumaradh, bha an sluagh a-nise gu tur Gallta. Bha c霉isean eadar-dhealaichte ann an Eilean Bh貌id. Bha sluagh m貌r a鈥� fuireach ann 鈥� c貌rr is deich m矛le duine. Bha G脿idhlig fhathast aig ochd-deug 脿s a鈥� cheud de mhuinntir an eilein. Ach tha Ravenstein ag innse dhuinn gur ann 脿 Earra-Gh脿idheal a th脿inig a鈥� chuid a bu mhotha de na G脿idheil Bh貌dach.聽

Nach 猫ist sibh ris na figearan airson Eilean Arainn. Bha Ravenstein dhen bheachd gun robh G脿idhlig aig naoinear 脿s gach deichnear anns an eilean sin ann an ochd ceud deug, seachdad 始s a naoi (1879). Bha iad, ge-t脿, uile d脿-ch脿nanach. Mean air mhean, bha a鈥� Bheurla a鈥� faighinn l脿mh an uachdair. Cha robh 脿ite aig a鈥� Gh脿idhlig ann am foghlam anns an eilean. Seachd bliadhna an d猫idh do dh鈥橝chd an Fhoghlaim thighinn gu bith, chan eil sin na iongnadh.

Last week, I was telling you about the paper that E.G. Ravenstein wrote about the state of the Celtic languages. Among other things, Ravenstein estimated the language skills in the areas where Gaelic was spoken by a majority. It鈥檚 in those areas that most of the people with no English lived. They only spoke Gaelic.

In the following counties, every person with Gaelic was also fluent in English: Caithness, Forfar, Stirling and Dumbarton. But in other counties there were some who did not speak English. In Inverness-shire 34% of the people in the most Gaelic areas did not speak English. That was higher than any other county. The figures for Ross & Cromarty and Argyll were lower 鈥� at 14% and 17%.

It surprised me that the figure for Inverness-shire was so high. But it was including Harris, Uist & Barra, Skye and western Lochaber. Gaelic was strong in those areas.

It鈥檚 interesting to compare three islands in the Firth of Clyde. In Cumbrae, the population was now entirely non-Gaelic speaking. Circumstances were different on the Isle of Bute. There was a big population there 鈥� more than ten thousand people. 18% of the island鈥檚 people still spoke Gaelic. But Ravenstein tells us that most of the Bute Gaels had come from Argyll.

[Please] listen to the figures for the Isle of Arran. Ravenstein reckoned that nine persons out of every ten on that island in 1879 were Gaelic-speakers. They were, however, all bilingual. Little by little, the English language was getting the upper hand. Gaelic had no place in education on the island. Seven years after the Education Act came into being, that is not a surprise.