“Nuair a bha a’ mhuir na coille ‘s na crìonaich, bha mise an sin nam nìghneig òig.”

Tha sgeul na Caillich Bheur, ban-dia Cheilteach nàdair, stoirmean agus a’ gheamhraidh, ainmeil anns a’ Ghàidhealtachd. Thathar ag ràdh gun do shnaigh i na beanntan ’s na gleanntan le deigh, agus gun do ghiùlain i na h-eileanan mar leanaban air a druim. Dh’fhalbh a’ Chailleach o chionn fhada, ach dh’fhàg i a h-òran dhuinn – sgeul brònach, rabhaidh.

’S e pròiseact ealain ùr Gàidhlig a th’ ann am ‘Beura’ a tha a’ toirt ceòl, film agus bàrdachd còmhla gus sgeulachd na Caillich innse airson an latha an-diugh. Le dealbhan cumhachdach den chruth-tìre leis an filmeadair à Arcaibh, Gregor D. Sinclair, agus pìos ciùil ùr airson còmhlan teudan leis an sgrìobhaiche-ciùil às a’ Ghàidhealtachd, Lisa Robertson, a bharrachd air bàrdachd agus clàraidhean de nàdar, tha ‘Beura’ na thachartas beò gun samhail.

“Tràghadh às dèidh tuile, tuile às dèidh tràghadh. Na bheir an tonn-tuile, bheir an tràghadh air falbh e.”

Tha cruthan-tìre àlainn is cumhachdach na Gàidhealtachd ainmeil air feadh an t-saoghail. Ach an-diugh tha iad an aghaidh èiginn dhùbailte: bagairtean don àrainneachd agus don chànan is chultar Gàidhlig. Tha cumhachdan nas fharsainge a’ reubadh às a chèile cearcallan nàdarra co-chèileach a bha ann eadar daoine agus nàdar airson linntean.

Dealbh bòidheach is sgriosail den dùthaich mhòr fhiadhaich againn, tha ‘Beura’ a’ sealltainn mar nach urrainn dhuinn ar n-àm ri teachd a shàbhaladh ach le bhith a’ coimhead air an àm a dh’fhalbh.

“Cha tig tràghadh às dèidh tuile thugam tuilleadh. Far an robh tràghadh ann roimhe, tha a h-uile càil na thuil.”

“When the great sea was a mossy forest grove, I was there, a young girl.”

The tale of the Cailleach Bheur, the Celtic goddess of nature, storms and winter, is well known to many in the Gàidhealtachd. Said to have carved the mountains and glens with ice, and borne the islands like children on her back, the Cailleach disappeared long ago leaving us only with her song – a sad, cautionary tale.

’Beura’ is a new Gaelic arts project bringing music, film and verse together to reimagine the Cailleach’s story for the modern era. Combining the intense landscape visuals of Orcadian filmmaker Gregor D. Sinclair with a new musical work for string ensemble by celebrated Highland composer Lisa Robertson, as well as poetry and field recordings, ‘Beura’ is a live experience unlike any other.

“Ebb after flood, flood after ebb. What the flood-wave brings, the ebb carries away.”

The sublime and powerful landscapes of the Gàidhealtachd are renowned across the world. But today they face the twin crises of environmental collapse and the disappearance of Gàidhlig language and culture. The natural cycles of reciprocity that existed between the people and the earth for centuries are being pulled apart by wider forces.

A beautiful and devastating depiction of our vast and wild homeland, ‘Beura’ shows how it is only by looking to our past that we can ultimately hope to save our future.

“No more shall ebb after flood come to me. Where once there was ebb, all is flooding.”