LISTEN: Hilarious north of Scotland impressions from 1956
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A CLASSIC audio clip brings back memories of north of Scotland dialects circa 1956.
The clip of Moray man John MacDonald, born 1905, is on the Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches archive of audio recordings.
In it, Mr MacDonald performs impressions of a Banffshire accent, an Inverness-shire accent and ends with a Moray accent.
Click here to listen to the clip.
Mr MacDonald, who was known as the Singing Molecatcher of Morayshire, lived at Pitgaveny, Elgin.
He started working as a molecatcher at the age of 13, through which he collected his stories and songs.
In the clip, Mr MacDonald said: "Aye, I get a lot of fun listening to different dialects.
"I'll gie ye some o them fae Banffshire and so on.
"Weel, I'm a molecatcher you see and I geen oot tae a farmer in Banffshire who addressed me.
"The farmer said: 'Ay, ay, Molie, come awa man, it's high time you was here; the place is in an awfa sotter, jist aa except that field hind ower there: a futrat got in there an, oh, he jist galloped up a hale swine o them, ay, a hale whine o them.'
"Then I had occasion to go over to Inverness-shire and this is how the farmer addressed me there: 'Well well and it's the molecatcher, and its myself that is so pleased to be seeing you.
"'Well, if you're ready we will go over and I will show you the fields.
'"Aye, don't be going too hard though because she's no sae soople as she used tae was, but I mind the day, och ay, boy and I mind the day.'
"And then coming home on the bus I waited at Forres a while and there were two lads there and one addressed the other.
"This is Morayshire like.
"He said: 'Ay, ay, Sanny, fit like?'
"'Oh, just chauvin, Geordie.'
"'Ay, did ye hear at I got a son?'
"'Na.'
"'Ay, oh a real groff loon.'
"'Foo's the aal man keepin?'
"'Ach, he's jist smorin wi the caal, the aal chiel ay, ay.'
"And then their bus comes and I just had to awa and leave them there."
