Watch Gaelic Coimhead Gàidhlig

[Sweeny] Latha ùr, latha àlainn agus latha obrach eile air an lot. Tha mi ag ionndrainn Innes an-diugh oir tha fios ’m cho dèidheil ’s a tha e air na caoraich, ach tha Martin agus an co-ogha againn Iain ‘Cheeks’ ann an seo airson mo chuideachadh.

[Iain] I’m going to get you, Martin.

[Sweeny] Did it go in your eyes?

[Iain] No, it’s ok.

[Sweeny] Greas ort. Martin, come on, greis ort!

[Sweeny] Tha Martin deònach gu leòr a bhith am measg na tha a’ dol agus ged a tha e a’ toirt mionaid no dhà a bharrachd rudan a dhèanamh tha e a’ toirt togail dhòmhsa a bhith ga fhaicinn nar measg. Tha an-còmhnaidh gàire ann nuair a tha e timcheall.

[Sweeny] Your face is covered, Iain.

[Sweeny] Right Martin, cà’il am machine?

[Martin] Here.

[Sweeny] Agus am peant? Trobhad.

[Sweeny] An rud a tha sinn a’ dol a dhèanamh an-dràst’, tha deich uain ann an seo a dh’fheumas a bhith air an spoth. Tha iad seo ... Is Martin scratching his bum behind me on camera?

[Sweeny] Right, trobhad a-steach.

[Sweeny] A rèir an lagh feumaidh uain a bhith air an spoth taobh a-staigh seachdain so tha iad seo, tha feadhainn aca dìreach a’ tighinn suas chun na seachdain so feumaidh mi an spoth an-diugh.

[Sweeny] Martin’s stuck.

[Martin] That’s not funny.

[Sweeny] Yes it is.

[Sweeny] Right, cà’il am peant?

[Sweeny] Mar a thuirt mi, tha an-còmhnaidh gàire ann nuair a tha e mun chuairt.

[Sweeny] Right Iain, who’s next?

[Sweeny] Tha am peant a’ dol orra dìreach airson sealltainn gur ann leamsa a tha iad. Bidh sinn gan cur, uill ma bhios uan marbh aithnichidh tu cò leis a tha e, ma thèid e gu lot cuideigin eile tha fios aca cò leis a tha e, ma bhios iad anns a’ phàirc a-muigh tha fios aca cò leis a tha e cuideachd.

[Sweeny] Just go in and get it!

[Iain] What if they headbutt me?

[Sweeny] Then you deserve it.

[Sweeny] Tha Iain ‘Cheeks’ a cheart cho math air gàire a thoirt orm. Smaoinich, eagal aige fo na caoraich!

[Sweeny] Tha truas agam ri na beathaichean nuair a bhios sinn a’ dèanamh seo, ceart gu leòr. So tha mi a’ cur a’ phoca a-steach, tha mi a’ bruthadh gach taobh dheth, dìreach a’ dèanamh cinnteach tha an dà chlach a-staigh ann so feumaidh mi ring bhon t-uan. Tha an dà chlach fhathast ann. Sin e. Ok Martin, peant.

[Sweeny] Seall, there, there. Is wasn’t you?

[Sweeny] Tha dhà no trì adhbharan ann airson uain a spoth – airson gum bi iad nas fhasa a làimhseachadh nuair a dh’fhàsas iad; gus nach mill iad blas an fheòil; agus gus nach tig caoraich a ruigeachd gun fhiosta.

[Sweeny] Tha còrr air trì fichead ’s a deich uan ann an-dràsta. Chan eil mi buileach cinnteach, ’s dòcha seventy two no seventy three , rudeigin mar sin.

[Sweeny] Woah, woah, woah! Thoir dhomh am peant.

[Martin] My eyes!

[Sweeny] Your eyes?

[Iain] Last one.

[Sweeny] Tha iad mì-chofhurtail airson greiseag às dèidh a dhèanamh ach nuair a tha thu ga dhèanamh cho òg ri seo chan eil iad really ga fhaireachdainn. Tha seo bhon rùda Zwartble agam. What’s that doing? That’s its mum. Chan eil mi buileach cinnteach dè tha mi a’ dol a dhèanamh leis. Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gum fàg mi am fear seo slàn. Tha James suas an rathad ag ràdh gun gabhadh e e mar rùda.

[Sweeny] Tha na h-earbaill air an dèanamh aig an aon àm airson deireadh an uain a chumail glan agus creathall a chumail air falbh. Ged a tha na h-uain mì-chofhurtail an-dràsta, chan eil iad ann am pian ’s bidh iad ceart gu leòr ann an greiseag bheag.

[Sweeny] Agus ’s dòcha gu bheil iad mì-chofhurtail ach chan eil iad leth cho mì-chofhurtail ’s a tha Martin an-dràst’!

Chaidh am prògram seo, An Lot, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2015. Le taing do MacTV.

[Sweeny] A new day, a beautiful day and another working day on the croft. I’m missing Innes today because I know how fond of the sheep he is, but Martin and our cousin Iain ‘Cheeks’ are here to help me.

[Iain] I’m going to get you, Martin.

[Sweeny] Did it go in your eyes?

[Iain] No, it’s ok.

[Sweeny] Hurry up. Martin, come on, hurry up!

[Sweeny] Martin is keen enough to be involved with what’s happening and although it takes a minute or two longer to do things it pleases me to see him in our company. There’s always a laugh when he’s around.

[Sweeny] Your face is covered, Iain.

[Sweeny] Right Martin, where’s the machine?

[Martin] Here.

[Sweeny] And the paint? Come on.

[Sweeny] The thing that we’re going to do just now, there’s ten lambs here that must be spayed. These are ... Is Martin scratching his bum behind me on camera?

[Sweeny] Right, come in.

[Sweeny] According to the law lambs must be spayed within a week so these are, some of them are just coming up to a week so I must spay them today.

[Sweeny] Martin’s stuck.

[Martin] That’s not funny.

[Sweeny] Yes it is.

[Sweeny] Right, where’s the paint?

[Sweeny] As I said, there’s always a laugh when he’s around.

[Sweeny] Right Iain, who’s next?

[Sweeny] The paint goes on them just to show that they’re mine. We put them, well if there’s a dead lamb you’ll know who it belongs to, if it goes to someone else’s croft they’ll know who it belongs to, if they’re in the common grazing they know who it belongs to too.

[Sweeny] Just go in and get it!

[Iain] What if they head-butt me?

[Sweeny] Then you deserve it.

[Sweeny] Iain ‘Cheeks’ is just as good for giving me a laugh. Imagine, he’s afraid of the sheep!

[Sweeny] I feel sorry for the animals when we do this, right enough. So I’m putting the sack in, I’m pressing each side of it, just making sure that there’s two testicles in there so I need a ring for the lamb. The two testicles are still there. Ok Martin, paint.

[Sweeny] Look, there, there. Is wasn’t you?!

[Sweeny] There are two or three reasons for spaying lambs – so that they’re easier to handle when they grow; so that they don’t spoil the taste of the meat; and so that sheep aren’t unknowingly castrated.

[Sweeny] There’s more than seventy lambs just now. I’m not entirely sure, perhaps seventy two or seventy three, something like that.

[Sweeny] Woah, woah, woah! Give me the pain.

[Martin] My eyes!

[Sweeny] Your eyes?

[Iain] Last one.

[Sweeny] They’re uncomfortable for a while after it’s done but when you do it as young as this they don’t really feel it. This is from my Zwartble ram. What’s that doing? That’s its mum. I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do with him. I think that I’ll leave this one intact. James up the road is saying that he would take him as a ram.

[Sweeny] The tails are done at the same time to keep the ends of the lambs clean and to keep horsefly away. Although the lambs are uncomfortable just now, they’re not in pain and they’ll be alright in a wee while.

[Sweeny] And perhaps they’re uncomfortable but they’re not half as uncomfortable as Martin is just now!

This programme, An Lot, was first broadcast in 2015. Courtesy of MacTV