The Cone-Gatherers

Cathy Macdonald visits Argyll where Robin Jenkins set his classic novel, The Cone-Gatherers. The book centres around two brothers collecting cones for woodland regeneration during World War Two and their difficult and ever-deteriorating relationship with the estate gamekeeper. It’s a powerful story of love and hate, contentment and envy, nature and conflict, class and power.

Cathy explores the facts behind the fiction. She looks into the themes in the book, where it might have been set and why, and finds out about the process of and reasons for cone-gathering – then and now.

Tha Cathy Dhòmhnallach an Earra-ghàidheal, far an do stèidhich Robin Jenkins a leabhar, “ The Cone Gatherers”. Aig àm an Dara Cogaidh tha dithis bhràithrean a’cruinneachadh dhuircean giuthais airson coilltean a’leudachadh: tha an nobhail a’sealltainn mar a tha mì-ghean a’fàs eatorra fhèin is geamair na h-oighreachd. Stòraidh làidir de ghaol is gràin, sonas is eud, nàdar is còmhstrì, inbhe is cumhachd.

Tha Cathy a’lorg na fìrinn air cùl na sgeòil. Tha i a’coimhead cuspairean an leabhair, càite an robh e stèidhichte agus carson ann a shin, agus gheibh i mach carson agus ciamar a bha daoine a’cruinneachadh nan duircean giuthais aig an àm – agus a bheil iad ris fhathast.

In Gaelic with English subtitles