Abhainn

The word would be "cac" -- there's no "q" or "k" in Gàidhlig :) Edited to add: no "j", "v", "w", "x", "y" or "z" - unless there are "modern" words that have no equivilent in Gàidhlig because they just didn't exist.

At this time, and in particular this area of The Islands and The Highlands, just before Culloden and the 1872 Eduction Act, you would be hard-pressed to find a lot of people in these areas speaking Lowland Scots--it would have been strictly Gàidhlig. Lowland Scots [their form of English] would have been the exception at this time, not the rule. But of course you couldn't make a show with nothing but Gàidhlig dialogue. It wasn't saved just for ceromonies, or politics, or because you didn't want the kids to know what you're talking about -- it was the language of the majority there at the time. This book and show is historical fiction afterall. Based on actual historical events, to be sure, but fiction nonetheless. And it's how the language is being kept alive and taught today -- it's called "total immersion". :) The best way to learn it -- hard...but effective - lol!

Yes! The first one was "Gille Bòidheach", and the second waulking chorus was "Mo nigh’n donn ho gù - Hi ri ri hu leo - Mo nigh’n donn ho gù." The second is one we sing quite often as part of our "òran-luaidh" song list. Waulking songs are very popular here still, with many groups performing, and nowadays, even the men take part. :)

Sin thu fhéin, Enigma! Glad to hear you're keeping on with the learning. There are many Gaelic speakers here still where I'm from -- brought over from The Highlands with our ancestors, and we have a few native ones still with us and from whom are our greatest teachers. It's so refreshing to see it spoken amongst our young ones now, and many of our schools have a Gaelic curriculum. Many schools in Scotland now look to us to see how we've kept the language alive here, as they realize how important it is to ensure the young ones maintain their mother tongue. Read the first books many moons ago, and hope the series won't disappoint--sometimes you have in your head how things/people "should be", and then the casting and/or story line disappoints! So far, so good... :)