[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Lachie MacLeòid, MBE, poileasman uair aig an robh saoghal agus an-diugh stiùiriche carthannais. Fàilte oirbh, Lachie. Tha mi a’ creidsinn gun do dh’fhàs sibh ainmeil airson a bhith a’ dol mun chuairt le tractar a’ cruinneachadh airgead do Romania. Ann an dòigh, tha mi a’ creidsinn gur ann airson a bhith a’ falbh air an tractar a fhuair sibh am MBE. Ann an?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Dòcha gur ann. À, chan eil mi a’ smaoineachadh gur e ge-tà. Fhuair mi am MBE ron sin. Ach, dh’fhàs mi gu math eòlach air daoine nuair a bha mi a’ siubhal anns an tractar, ceart gu leòr.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Uill, ’s e b “Ball dhan Ìmpireachd”, “Ball do dh’Ìmpireachd Bhreatainn” a tha MBE a’ ciallachadh ach chaidh sin a thoirt do dhuine a thàinig à oisean gu math iomallach dhan ìmpireachd – Eilean Sgalpaigh. Chan e fiu ’s Sgalpaigh na Hearadh air a bheil iad eòlach thall ’s a-bhos, ach Scalpaigh eile.
[Lachie MacLeòid] ’S e gu dearbh. Tha Scalpaigh an Eilein Sgitheanaich, mar a chanar . Eilean beag air taobh an ear dhen Eilean Sgitheanach air ceann a deas Ratharsair, ach cha robh ann ach eilean beag ach chaidh a’ chuid a b’ fheàrr dhe mo bheatha, tha mi a’ smaoineachadh, chuir mi seachad sin ann an Scalpaigh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Dè seòrsa àite a bh’ ann, a Lachie, cha robh mòran a’ fuireach ann?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Cha robh. Glè bheag a bha a’ fuireach ann. Cha robh ann ach nuair a bha sinne ann ach teaghlach eile greiseag bheag air an eilean agus bha an tuathanas air a chur a-mach air mal aig Roddy Coineagan a bha à Eilean Scalpaigh na Hearadh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Agus cha robh fiù ’s tidsearan agaibh mar a b’ aithne dhan chuid mhòr anns na sgoiltean, mar a b’ aithne dhan a’ chuid-mhòr e.
[Lachie MacLeòid] Cha robh tidsearan againn idir., Cha robh againn ach nigheanan òga a thàinig airson beagan cuideachadh a thoirt dhuinn anns an sgoil. Bha sgoil ann, mar gun canadh tu, bha sinn a’ dol ann mar theaghlach. Cha robh duine sam bith eile a’ dol dhan sgoil ann còmhla rinn ach sinn fhèin.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Ach an uair sin…
[Lachie MacLeòid] Chaidh sinn…
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] …dhan t-saoghal mhòr, chaidh sibh a Phort Rìgh.
[Lachie MacLeòid] Uill, chaidh mi ’n dhan t-saoghal mhòr, chaidh mi a Bhreacais an toiseach far an do rugadh mi agus an uair sin chaidh mi a-null a Shlèite. Bha sinn an sin airson greis agus an uair sin Sgoil Phort Rìgh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Agus às an sin, air falbh gu tìr-mòr. An sàs ann an einnseanaireachd, an e sin an seòrsa roghainn fhèin de dhreuchd an toiseach?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Sin a’d a’ chiad, cha chanainn gur e sin a bha mi airson a dhèanamh o thùs. Bha mi airson a bhith air a’ phoileis o thùs ach bha gnothaichean gu math duilich an uair sin. Bha mi a’ cleachdadh speuclairean agus thagh mi an einnseanaireadh an àite sin.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Carson? Nach gabhadh iad idir ri daoine le speuclairean?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Cha ghabhadh aig an àm nuair a bha mise airson a dhol ann, nuair a dh’fhàg mise an sgoil, cha robh iad a’ gabhail ri duine sam bith le speuclairean.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Neònach gum faodadh tu einnseanaireachd a dhèanamh le dìth-fradhairc ach nach fhaodadh a bhith a-mach air a’ bheat, nach eil?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Uill, chan e sin an seòrsa. Bha am fradharc agam math gu leòr airson a bhith a’ dèanamh rudan a bha dlùth. ’S e rudan a bha fad às a bha duilich dhomh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Uill, chaidh sibh air a’ phoileas an ceann sreath. Ach einnseanaireachd an toiseach agus chaidh sibh dhan oilthigh a dhèanamh einnseanaireachd cuideachd?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Chaidh, chuir mi, rinn mi ciùird an toiseach ann an einnseanaireachd agus chaidh mi dhan oilthigh airson bliadhna. Bha mi ann bliadhna.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Bliadhna?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Bliadhna. Dh’fhàg mi sin ’s chaidh mi dhachaigh airson làithean-saora agus dh’fhaodadh tu cantail gur e drop-out a bh’ annam. Dh’fhàg mi an oilthigh. Bha mi ag obair aig an taigh greiseag air na busaichean aig MacBrayne.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Carson Lachie, dè bha ceàrr air an oilthigh? Na chòrd e ribh idir?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Cha do chòrd an oilthigh rium. Chòrd an obair einnseanaireachd rium math gu leòr ach cha robh mi gam fhaicinn fhèin ag obair air cùl deasc ag obair le pàipear. Cha robh mi a’ faicinn gum bithinn a’ dèanamh sin fad mo bheatha. Bha mi fada na bu toilichte ag obair a-muigh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Mar sin, ged a chaidh sibh dhan oilthigh, fhuair Lachie am MBE air a’ cheann thall, cha d’ fhuair e BSc riamh, ach lean sibh le einnseanaireachd.
[Lachie MacLeòid] Lean, bha mi an lùib BSc airson sin fhèin ach lean mi einnseanaireachd airson greiseag ach thàinig atharrachadh mòr nam inntinn an uair sin mu dè bhithinn airson a dhèanamh.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Thuige Seo, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2010.
[Donald Morrison] Lachie MacLeod, MBE, a policeman once upon a time and today a director of a charity. Welcome, Lachie. I believe that you became famous for going about with a tractor collecting money for Romania. In a way, I believe that it’s for going around with the tractor that you got the MBE. Is it?
[Lachie MacLeod] Maybe it was. Ah, I don’t think it was though. I got the MBE before that. But, I got to know people well when I was travelling on a tractor, right enough.
[Donald Morrison] Well, it’s a “Member of the Empire”, a “Member of the British Empire” that’s what MBE means but that was given to a person who came from a very remote corner of the empire – the Island of Scalpay. It’s not even Scalpay off Harris which people know far and wide, but another Scalpay.
[Lachie MacLeod] It certainly is. There is Scalpay off Skye, as it is called. A small island off the east coast of the Isle of Skye at the south end of Raasay, but it was just a small island but ... my life was ... I spent the best part of my life, I think, I spent it in Scalpay.
[Donald Morrison] What sort of place was it, Lachie? There were not many people living there.
[Lachie MacLeod] There weren’t. Very few living there. There was only when we were there one other family for a little while on the island and the farm was put rented out by Roddy Cunningham who was from the Isle of Scalpay off Harris.
[Donald Morrison] And you didn’t even have teachers as most people would recognise in the school, as the majority would recognise it.
[Lachie MacLeod] We didn’t have teachers at all. We only had young girls that came to give a bit of help to us in the school. There was a school there, you could say, we went there as a family. Nobody else went to the school with us but us ourselves.
[Donald Morrison] And after then...
[Lachie MacLeod] We went...
[Lachie MacLeod] Well, I went to the big world, I went to Breakish first where I was born and then I went over to Sleat., We were there for a while and then to Portree School.
[Donald Morrison] And from there, away to the mainland. Involved in engineering, was that your first choice of job you had?
[Lachie MacLeod] There you have the first, I wouldn’t say that was what I wanted to do originally. I wanted to be in the police originally but things were very difficult then. I wore glasses and I chose engineering instead of that.
[Donald Morrison] Why? Did they not accept people with glasses?
[Lachie MacLeod] They wouldn’t at all at the time when I was going there, when I left school, they didn’t accept anyone with glasses.
[Donald Morrison] Strange that you could do engineering with bad eyesight but you couldn’t go out on the beat, isn’t it?
[Lachie MacLeod] Well, that’s not the type. My eyesight was good enough for doing things that were close. It was things that were far away that were difficult for me.
[Donald Morrison] Well, you went to the police after a spell. But engineering firstly and you went to university to do engineering too?
[Lachie MacLeod] I did, I spent, I did an apprenticeship in engineering and I went to university for a year. I was there for a year.
[Donald Morrison] A year?
[Lachie MacLeod] A year. I left that and I went home for holiday and you could say that I was a drop-out. I left university. I was working at home for a while on the MacBrayne buses.
[Donald Morrison] Why Lachie, what was wrong with university? Did you enjoy it at all?
[Lachie MacLeod] I didn’t enjoy university. I enjoyed the engineering work alright but I didn’t see myself working behind a desk, working with paper. I didn’t see myself doing that all my life. I was much happier working outside.
[Donald Morrison] As such, although you went to university, Lachie got an MBE in the end, he didn’t ever get a BSc, but you continued with engineering.
[Lachie MacLeod] I continued, I was involved in a BSc for that but I continued with engineering for a while but I changed my mind greatly then about what I would like to do.
This programme, Thuige Seo, was first broadcast in 2010.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Lachie MacLeòid, MBE, poileasman uair aig an robh saoghal agus an-diugh stiùiriche carthannais. Fàilte oirbh, Lachie. Tha mi a’ creidsinn gun do dh’fhàs sibh ainmeil airson a bhith a’ dol mun chuairt le tractar a’ cruinneachadh airgead do Romania. Ann an dòigh, tha mi a’ creidsinn gur ann airson a bhith a’ falbh air an tractar a fhuair sibh am MBE. Ann an?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Dòcha gur ann. À, chan eil mi a’ smaoineachadh gur e ge-tà. Fhuair mi am MBE ron sin. Ach, dh’fhàs mi gu math eòlach air daoine nuair a bha mi a’ siubhal anns an tractar, ceart gu leòr.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Uill, ’s e b “Ball dhan Ìmpireachd”, “Ball do dh’Ìmpireachd Bhreatainn” a tha MBE a’ ciallachadh ach chaidh sin a thoirt do dhuine a thàinig à oisean gu math iomallach dhan ìmpireachd – Eilean Sgalpaigh. Chan e fiu ’s Sgalpaigh na Hearadh air a bheil iad eòlach thall ’s a-bhos, ach Scalpaigh eile.
[Lachie MacLeòid] ’S e gu dearbh. Tha Scalpaigh an Eilein Sgitheanaich, mar a chanar . Eilean beag air taobh an ear dhen Eilean Sgitheanach air ceann a deas Ratharsair, ach cha robh ann ach eilean beag ach chaidh a’ chuid a b’ fheàrr dhe mo bheatha, tha mi a’ smaoineachadh, chuir mi seachad sin ann an Scalpaigh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Dè seòrsa àite a bh’ ann, a Lachie, cha robh mòran a’ fuireach ann?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Cha robh. Glè bheag a bha a’ fuireach ann. Cha robh ann ach nuair a bha sinne ann ach teaghlach eile greiseag bheag air an eilean agus bha an tuathanas air a chur a-mach air mal aig Roddy Coineagan a bha à Eilean Scalpaigh na Hearadh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Agus cha robh fiù ’s tidsearan agaibh mar a b’ aithne dhan chuid mhòr anns na sgoiltean, mar a b’ aithne dhan a’ chuid-mhòr e.
[Lachie MacLeòid] Cha robh tidsearan againn idir., Cha robh againn ach nigheanan òga a thàinig airson beagan cuideachadh a thoirt dhuinn anns an sgoil. Bha sgoil ann, mar gun canadh tu, bha sinn a’ dol ann mar theaghlach. Cha robh duine sam bith eile a’ dol dhan sgoil ann còmhla rinn ach sinn fhèin.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Ach an uair sin…
[Lachie MacLeòid] Chaidh sinn…
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] …dhan t-saoghal mhòr, chaidh sibh a Phort Rìgh.
[Lachie MacLeòid] Uill, chaidh mi ’n dhan t-saoghal mhòr, chaidh mi a Bhreacais an toiseach far an do rugadh mi agus an uair sin chaidh mi a-null a Shlèite. Bha sinn an sin airson greis agus an uair sin Sgoil Phort Rìgh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Agus às an sin, air falbh gu tìr-mòr. An sàs ann an einnseanaireachd, an e sin an seòrsa roghainn fhèin de dhreuchd an toiseach?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Sin a’d a’ chiad, cha chanainn gur e sin a bha mi airson a dhèanamh o thùs. Bha mi airson a bhith air a’ phoileis o thùs ach bha gnothaichean gu math duilich an uair sin. Bha mi a’ cleachdadh speuclairean agus thagh mi an einnseanaireadh an àite sin.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Carson? Nach gabhadh iad idir ri daoine le speuclairean?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Cha ghabhadh aig an àm nuair a bha mise airson a dhol ann, nuair a dh’fhàg mise an sgoil, cha robh iad a’ gabhail ri duine sam bith le speuclairean.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Neònach gum faodadh tu einnseanaireachd a dhèanamh le dìth-fradhairc ach nach fhaodadh a bhith a-mach air a’ bheat, nach eil?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Uill, chan e sin an seòrsa. Bha am fradharc agam math gu leòr airson a bhith a’ dèanamh rudan a bha dlùth. ’S e rudan a bha fad às a bha duilich dhomh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Uill, chaidh sibh air a’ phoileas an ceann sreath. Ach einnseanaireachd an toiseach agus chaidh sibh dhan oilthigh a dhèanamh einnseanaireachd cuideachd?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Chaidh, chuir mi, rinn mi ciùird an toiseach ann an einnseanaireachd agus chaidh mi dhan oilthigh airson bliadhna. Bha mi ann bliadhna.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Bliadhna?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Bliadhna. Dh’fhàg mi sin ’s chaidh mi dhachaigh airson làithean-saora agus dh’fhaodadh tu cantail gur e drop-out a bh’ annam. Dh’fhàg mi an oilthigh. Bha mi ag obair aig an taigh greiseag air na busaichean aig MacBrayne.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Carson Lachie, dè bha ceàrr air an oilthigh? Na chòrd e ribh idir?
[Lachie MacLeòid] Cha do chòrd an oilthigh rium. Chòrd an obair einnseanaireachd rium math gu leòr ach cha robh mi gam fhaicinn fhèin ag obair air cùl deasc ag obair le pàipear. Cha robh mi a’ faicinn gum bithinn a’ dèanamh sin fad mo bheatha. Bha mi fada na bu toilichte ag obair a-muigh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan] Mar sin, ged a chaidh sibh dhan oilthigh, fhuair Lachie am MBE air a’ cheann thall, cha d’ fhuair e BSc riamh, ach lean sibh le einnseanaireachd.
[Lachie MacLeòid] Lean, bha mi an lùib BSc airson sin fhèin ach lean mi einnseanaireachd airson greiseag ach thàinig atharrachadh mòr nam inntinn an uair sin mu dè bhithinn airson a dhèanamh.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Thuige Seo, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2010.
[Donald Morrison] Lachie MacLeod, MBE, a policeman once upon a time and today a director of a charity. Welcome, Lachie. I believe that you became famous for going about with a tractor collecting money for Romania. In a way, I believe that it’s for going around with the tractor that you got the MBE. Is it?
[Lachie MacLeod] Maybe it was. Ah, I don’t think it was though. I got the MBE before that. But, I got to know people well when I was travelling on a tractor, right enough.
[Donald Morrison] Well, it’s a “Member of the Empire”, a “Member of the British Empire” that’s what MBE means but that was given to a person who came from a very remote corner of the empire – the Island of Scalpay. It’s not even Scalpay off Harris which people know far and wide, but another Scalpay.
[Lachie MacLeod] It certainly is. There is Scalpay off Skye, as it is called. A small island off the east coast of the Isle of Skye at the south end of Raasay, but it was just a small island but ... my life was ... I spent the best part of my life, I think, I spent it in Scalpay.
[Donald Morrison] What sort of place was it, Lachie? There were not many people living there.
[Lachie MacLeod] There weren’t. Very few living there. There was only when we were there one other family for a little while on the island and the farm was put rented out by Roddy Cunningham who was from the Isle of Scalpay off Harris.
[Donald Morrison] And you didn’t even have teachers as most people would recognise in the school, as the majority would recognise it.
[Lachie MacLeod] We didn’t have teachers at all. We only had young girls that came to give a bit of help to us in the school. There was a school there, you could say, we went there as a family. Nobody else went to the school with us but us ourselves.
[Donald Morrison] And after then...
[Lachie MacLeod] We went...
[Lachie MacLeod] Well, I went to the big world, I went to Breakish first where I was born and then I went over to Sleat., We were there for a while and then to Portree School.
[Donald Morrison] And from there, away to the mainland. Involved in engineering, was that your first choice of job you had?
[Lachie MacLeod] There you have the first, I wouldn’t say that was what I wanted to do originally. I wanted to be in the police originally but things were very difficult then. I wore glasses and I chose engineering instead of that.
[Donald Morrison] Why? Did they not accept people with glasses?
[Lachie MacLeod] They wouldn’t at all at the time when I was going there, when I left school, they didn’t accept anyone with glasses.
[Donald Morrison] Strange that you could do engineering with bad eyesight but you couldn’t go out on the beat, isn’t it?
[Lachie MacLeod] Well, that’s not the type. My eyesight was good enough for doing things that were close. It was things that were far away that were difficult for me.
[Donald Morrison] Well, you went to the police after a spell. But engineering firstly and you went to university to do engineering too?
[Lachie MacLeod] I did, I spent, I did an apprenticeship in engineering and I went to university for a year. I was there for a year.
[Donald Morrison] A year?
[Lachie MacLeod] A year. I left that and I went home for holiday and you could say that I was a drop-out. I left university. I was working at home for a while on the MacBrayne buses.
[Donald Morrison] Why Lachie, what was wrong with university? Did you enjoy it at all?
[Lachie MacLeod] I didn’t enjoy university. I enjoyed the engineering work alright but I didn’t see myself working behind a desk, working with paper. I didn’t see myself doing that all my life. I was much happier working outside.
[Donald Morrison] As such, although you went to university, Lachie got an MBE in the end, he didn’t ever get a BSc, but you continued with engineering.
[Lachie MacLeod] I continued, I was involved in a BSc for that but I continued with engineering for a while but I changed my mind greatly then about what I would like to do.
This programme, Thuige Seo, was first broadcast in 2010.