BBC ALBA’s popular programme about life as a crofter in the Outer Hebrides has returned for a brand new series this month.
Viewers will get the chance to catch up with Donald ‘Sweeny’ MacSween on his croft in the Isle of Lewis in this five-part series of programmes, which runs until Monday, February 3.
Sweeney’s croft has been in the family for over 100 years and he first captured the imagination of BBC ALBA viewers in 2015 in the first series, as he tried to turn his passion for crofting life in to a full-time occupation.
Over the last four years there have been many challenges as he strives to fulfil his dream. Now in his second year full-time, Donald is always on the lookout for something new to maximise his income from ‘An Lot’.
In this series he looks at different ways of using wool, gets ready for 600 new hens, and builds a new shed shop for tourists, largely due to an increase in cruise ships coming in to Stornoway in recent years.
Many of these visitors are keen to experience life on a Hebridean croft, and Donald welcomes them with his cheeky charm and offers some novel new wool products in his newly-opened shop.
Donald said: “For me, the most important thing about this series is that I feel it is a true reflection of what crofting is like.
“It is easy to share stories exclusively of cute lambs and positive stories, but that isn’t a true picture of what crofting is. It can be brutal, heart-breaking, depressing but the positives outweigh the negatives, otherwise I wouldn’t be doing it. It is what I love.
“There is no better feeling than being in the croft on a beautiful Spring day, watching newborn lambs get to their feet.”
He says one of the most exciting parts of this series was producing his own Harris Tweed using the wool from his own (black) Hebridean sheep.
He said: “I think the special part of this tweed, as well as looking great, is that I can name everyone that was involved in the process from shearing the sheep myself, to it being spun at Uist Wool, woven in Harris, and finished in Lewis.”
He added: “We are entering extremely uncertain times for agriculture and no one can be sure what is going to happen.
“I have spent the past few years trying to earn an income outwith the traditional lamb sales.
“Diversification is the buzzword but it is important to not have all your eggs in one basket. Hopefully, my branching into tourism and adding value to what I produce can help other crofters and farmers think about what is possible.”
Also, in this series Donald heads to the bright lights of Edinburgh for the Scottish Rural Awards, where he is nominated, before heading back to the realities of crofting life, lambing and early mornings.
And he takes a trip to Shetland for the first time to find out more about crofting life in the Northern Isles and to check out a new type of building that could make a big difference to his future plans.
The first episode of An Lot/The Croft was on Monday, January 6 and it’s on again on Mondays, January 13, 20, 27 and Monday, February 3 at 8.30-9.00pm on BBC ALBA. It’s also available on the BBC ALBA iPlayer for 30 days after it airs.
Sweeny air ais air An Lot
Tha am prògram air BBC ALBA air a bheil a h-uile duine dèidheil, mu chroitear às na h-Eileanan an Iar, air tilleadh airson sreath ùr air a’ mhios seo.
Gheibh luchd-amhairc cothrom faighinn a-mach dè tha dol air an lot aig Dòmhnall ‘Sweeny’ MacSuain ann an Eilean Leòdhais, anns an t-sreath seo de chòig phrògraman, a tha a’ ruith chun an 3mh den Ghearran.
Tha lot Sweeny air a bhith anns an teaghlach aige airson còrr air ceud bliadhna agus b’ ann ann an 2015 anns a’ chiad sreath, a thòisich e a’ glacadh aire dhaoine, a’ feuchainn ris a’ chur-seachad aige na chroitear a thionndadh na obair làn ùine.
Thairis air na ceithir bliadhna a chaidh seachad, tha iomadh dùbhlan air a bhith roimhe is e a’ feuchainn ris a’ mhiann aige a choileanadh. A-nis, is e anns an dàrna bliadhna aige na chroitear làn ùine, tha Dòmhnall an-còmhnaidh a’ coimhead airson dòighean ùra tuarastal a dhèanamh às an lot.
Anns an t-sreath seo, tha e a’ coimhead ri diofar dhòighean a bhith a’ cleachdadh clòimh, a’ dèanamh deiseil airson fàilte a chur air sia ceud chearc, agus a’ togail bùth ùr airson luchd-turais, air sgàth gu bheil barrachd shoithichean turais a-nis a’ tighinn a Steòrnabhagh.
Tha tòrr den luchd-tadhail seo a’ miannachadh faicinn co ris a tha beatha coltach, air lot anns na h-Eileanan an Iar, agus tha Dòmhnall a tha a’ cur fàilte mhòr, bhlàth orra a’ tabhainn nithean ùra air an cruthachadh a-mach à clòimh anns a’ bhùth aige, a chaidh fhosgladh bho chionn ghoirid.
Thuirt Dòmhnall: “Dhòmhsa, ’s e an rud as cudromaiche mu dheidhinn an t-sreath a tha seo, gu bheil e a’ toirt dealbh fìrinneach de chroitearachd.
Tha e furasta a bhith ag innse sgeulachdan dòigheil mu na h-uain bheag àlainn, ach chan e dealbh ceart a tha sin de chroitearachd. ’S urrainn dha a bhith gu math cruaidh, trom, ’s a’ briseadh do chridhe aig amannan, ach bidh na rudan math a bhios a’ tachairt ga do chumail a’ dol. Tha mi air mo bheò ghlacadh leis.
Chan eil càil nas fheàrr na bhith air an lot air là brèagha Earraich, a’ coimhead nan uan bheaga a’ faighinn gu an casan.”
Tha e ag ràdh gur e aon de na rudan as inntinnich dhen t-sreath seo a bhith a’ cruthachadh a’ chlò Hearaich aige fhèin, a’ cleachdadh na clòimhe bho na caoraich dhubh Innse Gall aige fhèin.
Thuirt e: “Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gur e an rud as sònraichte mu dheidhinn a’ chlò seo, gu bheil e a’ coimhead math, agus gun urrainn dhomh a h-uile duine a bha an sàs anns a’ phròiseas ainmeachadh bho bhith a’ bearradh a’ chaora mi fhìn, chun snìomh aig Uist Wool, am fighe a’ gabhail àite anns na Hearadh agus an crìochnachadh ann an Leòdhas.”
Thuirt e cuideachd: “Tha an t-àm ri teachd mì chinnteach do àiteachas, agus chan urrainn do dhuine a bhith idir cinnteach dè thachras.
Tha mise air na dhà no trì bhliadhnaichean a dh’ fhalbh a chur seachad a’ feuchainn ri tuarastal a chosnadh taobh a-muigh margaidean reic nan uan.
’S e bhith a’ leasachadh chùisean air a bheil a h-uile duine a’ bruidhinn, ach a bhith faiceallach aig an aon àm. Tha mi an dòchas seach gu bheil mi a-nis air a dhol an sàs ann an turasachd, agus gu bheil mi a’ cur ri luach na tha mi a’ cruthachadh, gun cuidich seo croitearan agus tuathanaich eile a bhith smaoineachadh air dè b’ urrainn dhaibh fhèin a bhith dèanamh.”
Cuideachd anns an t-sreath seo, tha Dòmhnall a’ dol gu baile mòr Dhùn Èideann airson Duaisean Dùthchail na h-Alba, far an deach a chur air adhart airson duais, mus till e air ais chun na tha feitheamh ris air an lot, àm breith nan uan agus a bhith ag èirigh tràth sna madainnean.
Agus tha e a’ falbh a Shealtainn airson a’ chiad uair airson an tuilleadh fhaighinn a-mach mu dheidhinn croitearachd anns na h-Eileanan mu thuath, agus mu thogalach ùr a dhèanadh eadar-dhealachadh mòr dha fhèin airson nam planaichean a th’ aige anns an àm ri teachd.
Bha a’ chiad phrògram de ‘An Lot’ air Diluain, 6mh den Fhaoilleach, agus bidh e air a-rithist a h-uile Diluain, air an 13mh, 20mh & 27mh den Fhaoilleach, agus an 3mh den Ghearran aig 8.30 – 9.00f air BBC ALBA. Tha e cuideachd ri fhaotainn air iPlayer BBC ALBA airson 30 là as dèidh dha a bhith air a chraoladh.
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