[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] A dh’ aindeoin sin, am biodh sibh uair sam bith a’ faireachdainn anns a’ mhess, còmhla ri àrd, àrd oifigearan eile a thàinig bho shaoghal eile, am biodh sibh ag ràdh ribh fhèin uaireannan “Dè tha mise, à Tobar Mhoire, a’ dèanamh an seo?”?
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Chan eil. Oir cha robh mi idir a’ faireachdainn mar sin idir, oir tha mise a’ creidsinn gu bheil Gàidheil cho math ri duine sam bith a th’ ann agus cha do dh’ atharraich mise mi fhèin agus bha iad gam ghabhail mar a tha iad gam fhaicinn.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Uill, tha sinn follaiseach nach eil sibh air atharrachadh agus tha sibh air tilleadh chun na Gàidhealtachd a Thaigh an Uillt an dèidh an t-airm fhàgail agus air a dhol an-sàs ann an saoghal Gàidhealach a-rithist.
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Gu dearbh, tha e a’ còrdadh rium cho math a bhith air ais agus na freumhan a chuireadh sìos anns a talamh far an tàinig mo shinnsearachd agus tha mi a’ seinn anns a’ chòisir-chiùil. Tha coisir-chiùil sònraichte math againne ann an Taigh an Uillt agus tha sinn a’ seinn aig a h-uile Mòd a th’ ann agus tha sinn a’ buannachadh a h-uile uair, cha mhòr. Agus tha mi an-sàs anns an Eaglais Easbaigeach agus tha mi an sàs le taic a thoirt dha na saighdearan, tha mi ann an SSAFA, tha mi a’ ruith SSAFA, sin Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòid, ‘S e Solider, Sailor And Air Force Association a tha a’ toirt taic do shaighdearan a tha bochd no aig a bheil tinneas no rud mar sin.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Is carson a ràinig sibh Taigh an Uillt, àite sinnsearachd taobh bhur màthar seach a dol air ais a Mhuile?
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Uill, ‘s e ceist car doirbh a tha sin, chan eil fhios a’m carson, bhon bha taobh m’ athar gam tharraing do Thobair Mhoire, ceart gu leòr. Ach tha Tobar Mhoire air atharrachadh cho mòr. Chan e àite Gàidhealach a th’ ann idir a-nis agus tha mi a’ faireachdainn, tha Muilich ann fhathast ach tha mòran de choigrich ann cuideachd. Agus, ann an Taigh an Uillt, bha e a’ còrdadh rium a bhith far an robh Rèile, Railways bhon Òban dlùth, ‘s urrainn dhomh a dhol gu Muile uair sam bith.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Seadh, agus co às a tha a’ bhean agaibh
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Tha ise à Siorrachd Pheairt.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] An robh ise toilichte a’ tilleadh dhan Ghàidhealtachd?
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Cha robh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Nach robh?
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Cha robh, bha ise airson fuireach ann an Hampshire far an robh na bùithtean agus far nach eil stoirmean ‘s gèillidhean agus clachan-meallain agus siud ‘s an seo. Bha sinn a’ fuireach, far an robh an taigh againne ann an Winchester, baile brèagha agus tha fhios a’d, cofhurtail agus tha an dùthaich cofhurtail.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] In spite of this, did you ever feel in the Mess with the other high, high officers who came from another world, do you ever say to yourself “What am I, from Tobermory, doing here?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] No. As I never felt like that at all, as I believe that Gaels are as good as anyone else and I didn’t change myself and they accepted me as they saw me.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] Well, that is clear that you didn’t change and you returned to the Highlands to Taynult after leaving the army and you are involved in the Highland world again.
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] I enjoy being back so much and putting my roots down in the ground where my ancestors came from and I sing in the choir. We have a great choir in Taynult and we sing at almost every Mod there is, pretty much. And I am involved in the Episcopalian Church and I am involved in giving support to soldiers, I’m in SSAFA, I run SSAFA in Argyll and Bute. That’s Solider, Sailor And Air Force Association which gives support to soldiers who give support to soldiers who are poor or who have sickness or anything like that.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] And why did you come to Taynult, the ancestral place of your mother instead of going back to Mull?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] Well, that’s a quite difficult question, I don’t know why, as my father’s side was pulling me to Tobermory right enough. But Tobermory has changed so much. It’s not a Highland place at all now and I feel, there are still people from Mull there but there are a lot of strangers there too. And in Taynult, I liked that it was on the railways, the railways from Oban are close and I can go to Mull whenever I like.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] Indeed, and where is your wife from?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] She is from Perthshire
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] Was she happy to be returning to the Highlands?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] She wasn’t.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] She wasn’t?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane She wasn’t, she wanted to stay in Hampshire where there was shops and where there were no storms, gales and hailstorms and this and that. We were staying, where our house was in Winchester, a lovely town and you know, comfortable and the countryside is comfortable.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] A dh’ aindeoin sin, am biodh sibh uair sam bith a’ faireachdainn anns a’ mhess, còmhla ri àrd, àrd oifigearan eile a thàinig bho shaoghal eile, am biodh sibh ag ràdh ribh fhèin uaireannan “Dè tha mise, à Tobar Mhoire, a’ dèanamh an seo?”?
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Chan eil. Oir cha robh mi idir a’ faireachdainn mar sin idir, oir tha mise a’ creidsinn gu bheil Gàidheil cho math ri duine sam bith a th’ ann agus cha do dh’ atharraich mise mi fhèin agus bha iad gam ghabhail mar a tha iad gam fhaicinn.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Uill, tha sinn follaiseach nach eil sibh air atharrachadh agus tha sibh air tilleadh chun na Gàidhealtachd a Thaigh an Uillt an dèidh an t-airm fhàgail agus air a dhol an-sàs ann an saoghal Gàidhealach a-rithist.
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Gu dearbh, tha e a’ còrdadh rium cho math a bhith air ais agus na freumhan a chuireadh sìos anns a talamh far an tàinig mo shinnsearachd agus tha mi a’ seinn anns a’ chòisir-chiùil. Tha coisir-chiùil sònraichte math againne ann an Taigh an Uillt agus tha sinn a’ seinn aig a h-uile Mòd a th’ ann agus tha sinn a’ buannachadh a h-uile uair, cha mhòr. Agus tha mi an-sàs anns an Eaglais Easbaigeach agus tha mi an sàs le taic a thoirt dha na saighdearan, tha mi ann an SSAFA, tha mi a’ ruith SSAFA, sin Earra-Ghàidheal agus Bòid, ‘S e Solider, Sailor And Air Force Association a tha a’ toirt taic do shaighdearan a tha bochd no aig a bheil tinneas no rud mar sin.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Is carson a ràinig sibh Taigh an Uillt, àite sinnsearachd taobh bhur màthar seach a dol air ais a Mhuile?
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Uill, ‘s e ceist car doirbh a tha sin, chan eil fhios a’m carson, bhon bha taobh m’ athar gam tharraing do Thobair Mhoire, ceart gu leòr. Ach tha Tobar Mhoire air atharrachadh cho mòr. Chan e àite Gàidhealach a th’ ann idir a-nis agus tha mi a’ faireachdainn, tha Muilich ann fhathast ach tha mòran de choigrich ann cuideachd. Agus, ann an Taigh an Uillt, bha e a’ còrdadh rium a bhith far an robh Rèile, Railways bhon Òban dlùth, ‘s urrainn dhomh a dhol gu Muile uair sam bith.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Seadh, agus co às a tha a’ bhean agaibh
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Tha ise à Siorrachd Pheairt.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] An robh ise toilichte a’ tilleadh dhan Ghàidhealtachd?
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Cha robh.
[Dòmhnall Moireasdan – Am Preseantair] Nach robh?
[Brigadier Iain MacPhàrlain] Cha robh, bha ise airson fuireach ann an Hampshire far an robh na bùithtean agus far nach eil stoirmean ‘s gèillidhean agus clachan-meallain agus siud ‘s an seo. Bha sinn a’ fuireach, far an robh an taigh againne ann an Winchester, baile brèagha agus tha fhios a’d, cofhurtail agus tha an dùthaich cofhurtail.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] In spite of this, did you ever feel in the Mess with the other high, high officers who came from another world, do you ever say to yourself “What am I, from Tobermory, doing here?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] No. As I never felt like that at all, as I believe that Gaels are as good as anyone else and I didn’t change myself and they accepted me as they saw me.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] Well, that is clear that you didn’t change and you returned to the Highlands to Taynult after leaving the army and you are involved in the Highland world again.
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] I enjoy being back so much and putting my roots down in the ground where my ancestors came from and I sing in the choir. We have a great choir in Taynult and we sing at almost every Mod there is, pretty much. And I am involved in the Episcopalian Church and I am involved in giving support to soldiers, I’m in SSAFA, I run SSAFA in Argyll and Bute. That’s Solider, Sailor And Air Force Association which gives support to soldiers who give support to soldiers who are poor or who have sickness or anything like that.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] And why did you come to Taynult, the ancestral place of your mother instead of going back to Mull?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] Well, that’s a quite difficult question, I don’t know why, as my father’s side was pulling me to Tobermory right enough. But Tobermory has changed so much. It’s not a Highland place at all now and I feel, there are still people from Mull there but there are a lot of strangers there too. And in Taynult, I liked that it was on the railways, the railways from Oban are close and I can go to Mull whenever I like.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] Indeed, and where is your wife from?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] She is from Perthshire
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] Was she happy to be returning to the Highlands?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane] She wasn’t.
[Donald Morrison - Presenter] She wasn’t?
[Brigadier John MacFarlane She wasn’t, she wanted to stay in Hampshire where there was shops and where there were no storms, gales and hailstorms and this and that. We were staying, where our house was in Winchester, a lovely town and you know, comfortable and the countryside is comfortable.