The Macaulay Resistence

The Rev William Matheson, “Mac Gille Chaluim” and the pre-eminent Island genealogist of his day, gives the following account of the Macaulays resistence to, and eventually tentative alliance with, the Mackenzies who took ownership of the Isle of Lewis in 1610, after the decline of the ruling Macleods and the failed attempt at colonisation by the Fife Adventurers.  This is from his History of the Mackenzies, first published in the Stornoway Gazette in 1955.

The dislodgement of Neil Macleod [natural son of the last chief of the Lewis Macleods] from his island fortress of Berisay may be said to signalise the conquest of Lewis by the Mackenzies. This was effected by a force led by Alexander Mackenzie of Coul in the summer or autumn of 1611; for it is stated that it was within a few months of the death of Kenneth, Lord Kintail, which took place in February of that year. The expedition to Lewis was under the command of Lord Kintail’s brother Roderick, better known as the Tutor of Kintail, and we are told that, after the execution of Neil Macleod in 1613, he “returned to the Lewis, banished those whose Deportment he most doubted, and settled the rest as Peaceable Tenants to his Nephew.” It is probably that it was about this time that Alexander Mackenzie was appointed chamberlain, and that he was the principal agent in these transactions.

Among the last to accept losses from the new chamberlain were the Macaulays of Uig. Their chief at the time was the redoubtable Domhnall Cam mac Dhughaill. It is greatly to his credit that he stood by the Macleods to the last. Even now, when all seemed lost, he was by no means in a yielding frame of mind, and apparently maintained his independence in Uig for a number of years. Eventually, Alexander Mackenzie and other officers were sent by the Tutor of Kintail to negotiate with him, but he rejected all their offers out of hand.

Their threats made no impression on Domhnall Cam, but it was otherwise with his son Angus. When the plenipotentiaries took their departur, Angus Macaulay had second thoughts, and set out after them. He overtook them as they were making their way from Valtos to the Uig Ferry at a place call Braigh Thais. There the conference was resumed, and the outcome was that Angus Macaulay agreed to accept lands from Lot Kintail.

To confirm the pact, it was arranged that he should marry Alexander Mackenzie’s daughter Ann.  This marriage was duly solemnised and Anna nighean Alasdair, as she was called, took up residence with her husband at Brenish, which was the tack he received in virtue of the treaty with his father-in-law. In Uig she is represented as having developed into something of a termagent; but it must be remembered that, whatever her disposition, she can hardly have been a welcome intruder among the Macaulay clan.

Anna was of course the one who sent her husband off to the battle of Auldearn with her scolding, and he stopped on his stone to consider his fate.  Rev Matheson goes on to indicate that the Mackenzie genealogies uphold the tradition of the marriage between Anna and Angus, giving Alexander a son-in-law by the name of Angus Mac Conil Vic Cowil, ie Aonghus mac Dhomhnaill mhic Dhughaill, and that therefore “the rest of the story may be relied upon in the main.”  Alexander himself was supposed to be a very capable man, but fell out of favour with the Earl of Seaforth and Matheson wonders if it was his alliance with the Macaulays that was the cause of it. Alexander is meant to have lived at Eilean Chaluim Chille in South Lochs, on the garden island.

Rev Donald Macaulay also tells this story, with a little more colour, here.

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Abhainn Dearg: the Peacemaker Launch

Abhainn Dearg, the new whisky from Uig, will not be whisky until 2011 but thanks to the intrepid Leodhaisiach Mike Donald and his colleagues, a small cask of the new spirit is lying cosseted in a cellar in Glasgow. MacSorley’s Music Bar on Jamaica Street will be the venue for a tasting of the Peacemaker batch on Tuesday 16 March, from 7.30. From the invitations:

On February 21st 2010 at the Abhainn Dearg Distillery in Carnish on the far west coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides released its first casks of legal spirit.

The MacSorley’s management embarked on a four day, 600+ mile journey from Glasgow to collect one of these casks and become the first people to take a legally distilled dram off the island inover 160 years.

The new make spirit came fresh from the still and has sat in a 30 litre Oloroso cask for the last few weeks. We are proud to be the only public retailer of the spirit (it’s NOT whisky!) in the world.

Tonight we invite you to join us for the tapping of the cask and the first tasting of what should prove to be an interesting drink.

We have named our batch “Peacemaker” after our founder, Philip MacSorley’s original blend.

There will be tradition live music from rising Lewis artist Iain Morrison. Abhainn Dearg’s owner & distiller will be present as well as a coopering demonstration from local firm Fishers. Food from Biadh chef Sam Carswell will also be served.

Slainte mhath!

To be added to the guest list, send a request to miked-at-subclub.co.uk (replacing the -at- with @). You can read about Mike’s journey to a wintry Uig starting here and see a pre-tasting video by whisky reviewer Ralfy here.  Abhainn Dearg is also offering a three day “whisky experience”.

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Fishing Boats in Uig

Many thanks to Donald J Macleod of Enaclete and Bridge of Don for his research into the fishing boats of Uig. He adds that these boats used lines and not trawls to catch white fish. It was the end of March and beginning of April that was known as the ‘Hungry month’ in Gaelic as fish did not take the bait. See the chart. I’m not sure where this leaves our Rose (above), apparently SY 47 - more research required.

The following Uig fishing boats were registered between 1900 and 1912:

Maggie SY 417, owned by W. Matheson and others, Kneep.
Clan MacAulay SY 496, owned by Donald MacAulay, Islivig.
Florence SY 750, owned by J. MacRae, Timsgarry.
Julia SY 384, owned by J. MacLennan and others, Valtos.
Pride of Harris SY 620, owned by A. MacAulay, Valtos.
Mabel Scott SY 594, owned by A. MacAulay, Valtos.
Brothers SY 754, owned by M. Buchanan, Valtos.
Maggie Jane SY 664, owned by Hector Matheson, Valtos.
Lord Lothian SY 251, owned by D. MacKay, Crowlista.
Admiral SY 492, owned by Malcolm MacLeod and others, Crowlista.
D. MacLeod SY 598, owned by D. MacDonald, Crowlista.
Stephanus SY 161, owned by J. MacDonald, Crowlista. He was drowned in the Iolaire disaster on 1 January 1919.

There were also many small family boats and though fishing they were not registered, for example Enaclete and Ungishader had eight boats between, belonging to Donald MacLeod 1 Enaclete, John MacDonald, Croft 1a Enaclete, Donald MacLeod 3 Enaclete, John MacRitchie 4 Enaclete, John MacDonald 6 Enaclete, John MacLeod 1 Ungeshader, Malcolm Morrison 1b Ungeshader, and Peter MacLean (Coll) 3 Ungeshader. These boats were not registered but fished with lines and herring nets.  During WW2 I remember herring being fished in Little Loch Roag, and Loch Drovernish had a small sweet herring that was very popular.

Some of the boats were built locally and others were bought. Before the Clearances there were a number of boatbuilders in Uig including John MacLeod, Carishader, MacDonald, Enaclete and the renowned MacLeans. Donald MacLeod, 1 Enaclete, bought his Zulu designed boat from an East Coat fisherman at the Flannan Isles and sailed the boat to Enaclete.

There were many netmakers in the parish though a number of nets were handmade in the homes from hemp yarn. These were eventually replaced by less bulky cotton machine-woven nets, which were deeper and longer. Rev Hugh Munro, states in the first Statistical Account about 1795 that there were 275 netmakers in the Uig Parish at that time. To have this number of netmakers gives us an idea how heavily populated Uig was before the ethic cleansing of the population by the Clearances.  The second half of the 18th and the first half of the 19th centuries (before the heavy Clearances) were prosperous times in Lewis when cattle, herring, dried salted fish, dogfish oil, blanketing and hides were exported to the mainland and to the European continent. Ships from Lewis used to sail directly to the continent.

Heavy losses in WW1, the Iolaire disaster and emigration resulted in the virtual demise of the Uig fishing fleet, as by 1924 there were only two fishing boats registered in Uig:

Mairidh Bheag SY 306, owned by Norman Morrison, Valtos.
Johanna Macleod SY 1159, owned by Malcolm Smith, Valtos.

In 1926 there were two other boats registered: Johanna MacLeod SY 1159 (Ex-Valtos) now owned by Malcolm MacLeod, Crowlista and the Bosta SY 1171 owned by Donald MacLeod who may also be from Crowlista.  Murdo MacSween, Valtos, also owned a boat that fished in the 1920s or 1930s.

In 1940 the only registered fishing boats in Uig were in Valtos:

Flora SY 34, owned by D. MacIver.
Annie SY 178, owned by J.MacDonald.
Annie Lowrie SY 207, owned by A. Morrison, previously owned by K. MacDonald. (possibly should be Annie Lawrie)
Rose SY 281, owned by G. MacLeod.
Mairidh Bheag SY 306, owned by Norman Morrison.
Olive SY 342, owned by N. Morrison.
Rosebud SY 552, owned by D. MacLennan and others. This was the largest of these boats at 8.17 tons.

In 1951 there was only one Uig boat fishing out of Stornoway, the Kilda SY 346 owned by Kenneth J. MacKay, Valtos, and others. Another member of the crew was Donald MacDonald, Reef. They fished for white fish. Kenneth J. MacKay, a noted footballer, later emigrated to Australia with his family.

©Donald J. MacLeod, ex 1 Enaclete, Uig.  January, 2009.

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The Chessmen Talk (not literally)

Comann Eachdraidh Uig played host last week to a visit from two experts on the Lewis Chessman, who hit the headlines in November with their theories relocating the find-site to Mealista, rather than Ardroil.

Dr David Caldwell, Keeper of Scotland and Europe at the National Museum of Scotland, and Dr Mark Hall, curator at Perth Museum, were on the island to make arrangements for the touring Chessmen’s visit in 2011.

Their proposal that the findspot was a souterrain on the site of a supposed nunnery at Mealista, Taigh na Cailleachan Dubh, has previously met with strong scepticism in Uig, where local tradition maintains that the 92 Chessmen, along with 14 plain tablemen and a buckle, were found at the Bealach Ban in the Ardroil dunes in 1831 by Malcolm “Sprot” Macleod of Pennydonald.

Dr Caldwell suggests that other sources point to Mealista, notably Captain Ryrie of Stornoway, who bought the pieces in April 1831 and the Ordnance Survey records from 1853, and that the Ardroil connection may have originated, erroneously, with Donald Morrison, writing in 1833.

Arguments from the assembled crowd challenged the new proposal, citing in particular the account of the local minister, Rev Alexander Macleod, who lived a quarter of a mile from the findspot and wrote of it in the New Statistical Report of 1833. Also mentioned was the fact that Mealista was inhabited in 1831, and a significant find there would certainly have passed into local memory.

The presentation also touched on the variety in styles, workmanship and possibly originating dates between the Chessmen, which meant that they may have been gathered over a period of time, rather than made as a discreet set. Of particular interest was the work done by forensic anthropologist Dr Caroline Wilkinson on the facial variations between the “families” of chessmen, which may indicate different craftsmen.

Dr Hall said that some of the plainer pieces - the pawns - may also have been used along with the flat tablemen also found in the hoard for Hnefatafl, and that the set represented a “compendium” used by a wealthy individual, for whom luxury goods were a sign of power and prosperity.

A strong message from the presentation was that Lewis certainly had the wealth and power to support a high-status material culture. It is reasonable to suppose that the Chessmen, or the games compendium, were kept and used here in the Kingdom of the Isles, contrary to other suggestions that they may have been accidentally lost while en route to Dublin or some other Viking centre.

Dr Caldwell said that there was still a large amount of research to be done on the Chessmen before all their secrets were known. It is only in the recent preparations for the touring exhibition that high-resolution photographs have revealed working marks on the carved pieces.

It is hoped that the Chessmen will return to Uig for a brief visit during the summer of 2011, for the first time since 2000. The touring exhibition, which brings together 30 pieces from the British Museum and the National Museum, begins in Edinburgh in May and will continue to Aberdeen and Shetland before opening at Museum nan Eilean in Stornoway on 15 April 2011.

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Life under St Kilda

There is a set of spectacular photos of the marine world under St Kilda, over on the new Ionad Hiort website. Many thanks to the photographer Paul Kay.  Click on the fish to see more.

St Kilda has been inscribed as a World Heritage Site under both natural and cultural criteria; in 2004 the WHS designation, at the time only for its natural attributes, recognised also the “complex ecological dynamic in the three marine zones present in the site” which was extended to included the surrounding marine area.

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The Clearance of Vuia Mhòr

The following was written by Maggie Smith for Hebridean Connections.  The genealogies of all the known inhabitants of the island of Vuia - uninhabited since 1841 - can be found here.

Life on the island of Vuia Mhòr was hard, with little fertile land and no safe anchorage. The peats were cut and harvested in Drovinish and taken home by rowing boat or sail. Boats had to be beached after each fishing trip.

Amongst the inhabitants were the family of Neil Macleod, who had found refuge in Vuia Mhòr after being cleared from the old village of Mangersta. Neil was married to Catherine Mackenzie of Kirkibost, Bernera and they had twelve children, ten of whom emigrated to Cape Breton between 1821-1826. Kenneth, one of the sons, emigrated in 1826 with his wife Ann Macleod from Balallan, and their child died on the long sea voyage across the Atlantic. They managed to keep the child’s death a secret so that the child would not be buried at sea.

A grandson of Neil Macleod, ‘An Og (John, son of John), lived on Vuia and was courting Ann Maclennan from Reef. It is said he swam across to Reef regularly with his dry clothing strapped to his head.

The islanders fished to sustain the families and paid their rent by harvesting the sea-kelp with the substantial profit from the sales going to the landowner. When the landlord’s greedy eye focused on sheep rearing the community was sacrificed and scattered to the four winds.

The land officer evicted the inhabitants from the seven homes and forty-six souls young and old came ashore in the village of Geshader.  The strong swimmer John Macleod married his Ann in 1847 and lived in Geshader, having been cleared from the island along with his mother and sister. They lived there as cottars and the ruins of the house can be seen to this day at No 2. The Martin and the Smith family became cottars on No 10 Geshader and later emigrated. The Mathesons went to Ungeshader, then some emigrated and others went to Brue. The MacArthurs settled south of Enaclete at a place still known as Buaile Mhic Artair.

Tales of the eviction were repeated in oral tradition and are expressed in the poetry:

‘S iomadh athair agus màthair
Bha gu làr a ’sileadh dheòir
Mar chaidh a fuadach as an àite
Far an deach an àrach òg.
Chuala sinn e bho ar cairdean
Mu’s do dh’fhag iad tìr nam beò
Gu’n ghabh mallachdan an àite
Air na dh’fhàsaich Bhuidha Mhòr

À Amhran Lord Lever
le Domhnall Donn, Donald Maciver Cnip

The land officer responsible for the evictions, Kenneth Stewart, tacksman of Hacklete, went to Canada after his wife diedand fell on hard times. According to tradition, he was a tramp and went to the door of a house and knocked. The girl who opened the door gave him a piece of bread and after he had eaten she enquired if he had enjoyed this morsel. He replied that he truly had and was very grateful. She then proceeded to tell him that he had been responsible for the eviction of herself and her family from Vuia Mhòr!

Cha robh dùil agad fhads a bha thu gam fhuadach à Bhuidha
Gum biodh tu lorg aoigheach orm ann an Canada.

Though she had only been a very young girl at the time of the eviction, she recognised the man at her door. She then urged him to leave before her husband came home. She believed he would murder, either he who carried out the evictions, or her for showing compassion to the man who had evicted the families so brutally years before.

Kenneth Stewart was born in 1781 in Skye and came to Uig - in fact to Bernera - with his relative, Rev Hugh Munro. He married Mary Smith, daughter of Farquhar the tacksman at Earshader, and lived at the farmhouse in Hacklete where they had nine of a family. Six of his children emigrated; five to Canada and one to Australia. He went to Canada after his wife’s death in 1851 (she is buried at Baile na Cille) and himself died before 1861 in Victoria County, Nova Scotia.

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Frosty days in Uig

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Rev Aulay Macaulay and Tarmod Cleireach

The Reverend Aulay Macaulay was born in Brenish in 1669, son of Dugald, grandson of Angus Beag Macaulay, he of the big stone and the critical wife, and brother of Donald Òg.  Aulay started his career in Tiree and Coll and was minister at Scarista, Harris from 1712 until his death in 1758.   He was married to Margaret Morrison, daughter of Rev Kenneth Morrison of Stornoway, and they had fourteen children; one of them, Rev Kenneth Macaulay, Ardnamurchan, wrote an account of St Kilda, and another, Rev John Macaulay, Inveraray, was the father of the abolitionist Zachary Macaulay and grandfather to the writer and MP Thomas Babbington Macaulay.  Dr Johnson visited both John and Aulay on his famous tour of the Hebrides.

According to Capt FWL Thomas’s Traditions of the Macaulays “Maighstir Amhlaigh” was “much esteemed for his piety, benevolence and conduct” and very rigorous in his duties. Thomas relates several stories that include Norman Maciver, Tarmod Cleireach, who was his kirk-officer and a bard, and as another Uigeach, often accompanied Aulay on his journeys home, which would have been on foot over the hills. The following is from Thomas’s book.

When they were returning home to Harris [after a visit to Uig] they both got very tired with their long day’s travel, and towards evening sat down to rest by a spring on the hills of Luskentyre. They were both very hungry, and as Norman had some graddan [grain husked by briefly holding it in a flame, rather than in a kiln] with him in his bag, which his mother had sent to his wife, he mixed some with a little water and made two large lumps. They began to eat with much eagerness, and when Mr Aulay had made considerable progress with his cnap up jumped Norman and addressed some advancing travellers with “Your most humble servant,” and “How do you do?” Up sprang Mr Aulay in a hurry, throwing away the remainder of his cnap, but there was nobody there. Mr Aulay set off home as fast as he could, and the next day remonstrated with Norman about his tricks, but he excused himself by saying that he was afraid the minister was wasting time, and he wanted him to proceed on his journey.

There was a meeting of Presbytery at the house of Macleod of Bernera[y], Harris, which was attended by the Rev Aulay Macaulay and his faithful kirk-officer, Tarmod Cleireach. The ministers’ servants had a room to themselves and got beef and broth for their dinner. There was then the custom of Lettrimaid, that is, the beef and broth were both placed on the table together in the same large dish or bowl. It happened that Norman was one day late in coming to dinner and his greedy messmates had eaten all the meat, but they had not begun on the broth for it was scalding hot. Norman came in, and finding that his share of the beef had been eaten, he lifted the large bowl of broth and poured it over them. The screams of the scalded lads brought everybody to the spot, but Norman went off and hid himself under some hay in a barn. The next day Norman left his retreat, and defended himself before the assembled clergymen with so much spirit that he was excused. Mr Aulay was afraid he should still go on with his tricks, for, being born a bard, he was allowed to do almost anything he liked.

Tarmod Cleireach was retained as kirk-officer till Mr Aulay died [in 1758], and the minister on his deathbed desired that his much-beloved friend and servant should, when he died, be buried beside him; and the two rest together immediately within what was the door of the church, and on the right hand side as you enter.

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Mealista v. Ardroil

By long and solid tradition in Uig, the spot where the Uig Chessmen were found in 1831 is held to be the Bealach Ban, a hollow in the dunes in Ardroil. In November of last year, a paper by Dr David Caldwell et al in Mediæval Archaeology proposed that, on the evidence of the Ordnance Survey Place Names book compiled by contractors from local information in the 1850s, the findspot may have been a few miles away at Mealista. Anna Mackinnon, Ardroil, wrote an initial response countering that suggestion and gives more evidence from the Place Names book here. This piece appeared earlier this month in the Uig News; thanks to Anna and the Uig News for the opportunity to republish it.  Meanwhile Dr Caldwell will be speaking in Uig about the Chessmen on Thursday 4 March.  Further detail will follow.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been delving into the book of place names collected by the very first Ordnance Survey of the 1850s to find out for myself what’s actually there and to work out how much import can be given to the entry that states that the Chessmen were found in Mealista, in the ruins of Taigh nan Cailleachan Dubha. The Place Names book is easily accessible, on microfiche in the Stornoway Library.

I have to say that it’s an example of meticulous paperwork, a colossal amount of painstaking effort must have gone into its compilation but to the 21st century eye, it looks fussy and overdone. It’s handwritten and ruled out in column after column: place name; its correct spelling; any other known variation of the spelling; the location; the English “significance” i.e. translation of the name; the names of the person or persons who were the authorities for the information and of the Ordnance Survey Clerks who wrote it all down and, finally, a column for comments.

We used to be advised as students not to use it as a reliable source as the information was only as good as the knowledge of the informant and also, because its accuracy could have been compromised in translation. There’s a long time since I last looked at it and this time round, I found its main impact, apart from its painstaking “clerkery,” was the sheer volume of place names in the parish of Uig. Going through the pages nearer home, I felt as if I was meeting old friends as place names jumped out at me from the screen, names I used to hear in daily conversation, which are now rarely, if ever, aired.

I was also intrigued by the names of the local informants of the 1850s. I would really like to go back to it and list them all down to see how many can be identified with the help of the census returns. I found my great, great grandfather, Murdo Macleod, Gisla, (Murchadh Ghioslaigh) and his neighbour and brother-in-law, John Macdonald, (Iain Laghach) reeling off names. That pinpoints the collecting of place names to before 1853 and the Gisla clearance, after which all the Laghach family but two ended up in Quebec.

From memory, I was sure that the Chessmen were noted in the pages relating to the Ardroil area although the name Ardroil wasn’t in use in its present form as early as the 1850s. The farm was known initially by variations of Eadar Dha Fhadhail, such as Ederol. The entry about Chessmen is there, under the place name “Bealach Ban.”  It reads, “A glen on the south side of Camus Uig, it is composed of sand. A few years back a number of carved Ivory images of horses, sheep and other animals were found in this glen. Signifies white glen or pass.” Read the rest of this entry »

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Dr Duncan Maclennan

Dr Duncan Maclennan served as the doctor in West Uig from 1935 to 1945. A native of Stornoway, he studied at Aberdeen and Uig was his first post. He was greatly liked throughout the district, as this piece from the Stornoway Gazette on the occasion of his leaving demonstrates:

20 July 1945

On Tuesday, 3rd July, in Crowlista School, Dr and Mrs Maclennan were met by a large company of friends who had gathered to present them with a token of appreciation of Dr Maclennan’s professional services in the parish since 1935. Rev Norman Morrison was called upon to preside. He spoke with regret about the impending departure of Dr Maclennan, who had put in ten years of arduous work in the face of many difficulties in a wide and scattered district. Being young and energetic, Dr Maclennan never spared himself, and he was always promptly on the spot when his services were required. Although the people of Uig were sorry to lose him, Mr Morrison said that it was the sincere wish of everyone that Dr Maclennan would be happy in his new sphere of labour. Mr Maciver, the headmaster of Lochcroistean School, referred in glowing terms to Dr Maclennan’s capabilities. He was always promptly at his post when needed, and he carried away with him blessing from every home in which he brough succour in times of need.

Cpl Kye, RAF, said that Dr Maclennan was regarded not only as a medical adviser but as a friend, and he was very glad to get the opportunity to wish him luck in the name of the boys at the camp. Cpl Hutcheson, medical orderly, RAF, spoke about his long association with Dr Maclennan, and of the speed and willingness with which he covered the twelve miles to Brenish when required to do so. Mr Peter Macdonald, Crowlista, told of the regret felt by everybody in the community when it became known that Dr Maclennan was leaving to take up work on the mainland. He said that the good wishes of young and old would follow him to his new home. Mr Ian Macdonald, Miavaig Post Office, said that he had been doing business with Dr Maclennan for many years and he was one of the best neighbours that any man could wish to have. Mrs Maciver, Ardroil, spoke feelingly of the relief which the doctor brought in time of trouble, and she thanked him for his attentiveness and kindness during many years of illness in her home.

The Chairman then called on Mrs Sutherland, the headmistress of Crowlista School, to hand over to Dr Maclennan a wallet of Treasury notes from all the townships in the parish. She did this, wishing him all success and happiness in the future. In a speech of thanks, Dr Maclennan said that he and his wife would never forget the kindness of the people of Uig, and he expressed the intention to come back sometime again to see their friends. A splendid tea was then served to all present. Mrs Sutherland, and other local ladies, had prepared a magnificent spread such as is seldom seen in war-time, and everybody enjoyed the good things provided. The meeting was closed with prayer by the Chairman.

Dr Maclennan is still warmly remembered in Uig, as one who came very quickly when called and, though kind and efficient, would never hang about for a cup of tea. It was he who identified the outbreak of diphtheria in Geshader in 1939, in the face of official scepticism - saving the life of Finlay Maciver, and probably others.

After leaving Uig, Dr and Mrs Maclennan went to Dufftown, where they became very prominent members of the community. In addition running his practice, giving exceptional support to his patients during hard winters, establishing two cottage hospitals, one for long-term patients and one including maternity facilities, and raising three sons (David, Christopher and Robin) Dr Maclennan was a founder of the Dufftown Pipe Band and became Hon President of Dufftown Golf Club. He joined the town council in 1947, becoming Dean of Guild, Housing Convenor, Senior Bailie and finally Provost in 1969. He retired in 1971 and died on 14 April 1975 at the age of 63.

The picture below shows the doctor with the staff of the Stephen Cottage Hospital in Dufftown in 1953. Many thanks to the family for the photos and information.

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Bus ‘ain Uisdein

John Mackay (Iain Uisdean, b1870) 1 Carishader in his bus, with (left to right) his son Angus and Farquhar (Fearchar ‘a Chomhnard) and Caluman Macdonald, 12 Carishader.

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St Kilda seeks archaeologist

From the National Trust for Scotland website:

The National Trust for Scotland is recruiting for an Archaeologist based in Inverness and on St Kilda. St Kilda has an outstanding historic environment dominated by 19th & 20th century remains with a time-depth that belies the archipelagos remote North Atlantic position and it is the only mixed heritage site in the UK. Working with volunteers and visitors, this is a rare opportunity to work on a remote and spectacular island archipelago.

The post holder will be required to monitor archaeological remains, undertake practical interventions and supervise volunteers and contractors as necessary; to update the Sites and Monuments Record, produce reports and undertake research; and to liaise with Historic Scotland, part-funders for this post, and other partners and stakeholders in the management and conservation of the World Heritage Site.

To be successful in the role, you will have a degree in archaeology or related subject, strong communication skills, be a team player and have a proven track record in field work and conservation, with experience of building recording and practical building skills considered as an advantage. In addition, you will be self motivated and capable of living and working in a remote environment, and on occasion, working alone. The post also includes some weekend and evening work.

Applicants must also be confident in their personal physical abilities as the role requires considerable crossing of remote, rugged terrain in all weathers. Vehicular access to many parts of the island is not possible or appropriate for conservation reasons.

For more details and to apply see the job advert; the closing date is 26 Feb 2010.  St Kilda is also seeking a volunteer mousecatcher.

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Of Finns and Fairies

This is the final section of an interesting and detailed piece on the Pygmies Isle (first mentioned by Dean Monro in 1549 as having been inhabited by “little people”) near the Butt of Lewis , published by WC Mackenzie in the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquities of Scotland, 13 March 1905 (vol XXXIX, p257).  It’s of no particular relevance to Uig but see what you make of it, in spite of its rather dated tone (and for Lapp, read today Sami - the Sea Sami in particular.)

The Island of Lewis offers a remarkably wide field of investigation to ethnologists in view of the marked diversity of types. Dr Beddoe, whose authority will be acknowledged, suggested that one of these types, “a short, thick-set, snub-nosed, dark-haired and even dark-eyed race” was probably aboriginal and probably Finnish. Have we here the descendents of the so-called Pigmies? The Laplanders or true Finns have certainly some physical affinities with the short and dark type of Lewisman (a type which is but sparsely represented on the island); while the gammar or huts of the Lapps, as described by travellers, bear a resemblance to the Luchruban [as the island is also known] structure, as it must have been originally designed. Customs lingered in Lewis as recently as the 18th century, or even the 19th century, which have elsewhere been regarded as peculiar to Lapland. And Professor Sven Nilssen (The Primitive Inhabitants of Scandinavia) shows convincingly I think that the pigmies of tradition and dwarfs of the Sagas belonged to the same race as the Laplanders of the present day. Moreover the well-authenticated traditions in Shetland about Finn-men apparently offer corroboration of the view that the “little men” of this island were of Finnish or Lapponic origin. The Firbolg, the short dark men of Irish tradition who were driven from Ireland to the Hebrides by the Tuatha de Danaan, represent, not improbably, the same race.¹ Dun Fhirbolg in St Kilda may be of some ethnological value.

It is a noteworthy fact that while Highland folklore is full of the Famhairean (the Irish Fomorians) or giants, there is an absence of complimentary Luchrubain or dwarfs. How is this to be accounted for? May it not be that they are represented by our old friends the fairies, who, by the way are sometimes called the Daoine Beaga, the ancient name of the Pigmies Isle?  It is impossible to elaborate this suggestion here, but I may mention one fact concerming the Lewis fairies. One of their names is Muinntir Fhionnlagh, translated as the Finlay people, a title which as applied to fairies baffles Lewis folklorists. I venture to suggest that this name means “the little Finn people” and that it unites the Finnish aborigines with the “good little people” of fairy lore who dwell in the bowels of green hills, like Luchruban, and practice uncanny arts like the Lapland wizards.

Note: 1. It may be observed that in Foley’s Dictionary one of the Irish names for pigmie is Leappacán. [hence Luchrubàn and Leprechaun]

A more recent examination of Eilean nan Luchrubain (with pictures) was carried out by the STAC project, 2003-5.

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Another find at Kneep

From Dave Roberts, first published in Uig News. Thanks to Andrew McVean for the photo of Carol Knott excavating at Kneep Headland.

In the middle of January fragments of human bones began to appear in large numbers on the surface of the sand at Kneep headland. The location was very close to the three burials that were examined there in January 2009. I called the local authority Archaeologist Deborah Anderson to report them. This is what anyone who notices any eroded human bones, or any archaeological remains, should do. She organised with Historic Scotland for an archaeologist to visit the site, and assess the situation. Carol Knott came out and proceeded, with my help, to excavate the burial. We spent a very cold few days on the job.

Until a report is published it is not wise to make statements about e xactly what was found. However we can say that there was a disturbed grave that contained an incomplete adult skeleton, and below that there was what appeared to be a complete skeleton of a baby. Whether the two were associated, and whether the burials took place at the same time, at this stage it is not possible to say. At the moment, it is very difficult to be certain about the date of the burials. Because of their position I would guess that they are probably Bronze Age, and associated with the already dated Bronze Age cairn.  This would make them very roughly 3000 years old. Analyses of the bone and soil samples and radio-carbon dating would answer these questions. Unfortunately, in the present economic climate it may not be possible to carry out a complete analysis of the remains from either the 2009 or the 2010 excavations.

Once again these recent discoveries highlight the importance of the Cnip headland as a place to respect, as it is a significant ancient burial ground.

These two skeletons bring to 16 the number of burials found at Cnip headland so far.  information about the 2009 excavation is given here. That was almost exactly a year ago: it’s the winter winds that are exposing the burials.

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Dòmhnall Cam and the Blind Woman

We do fairly harp on the heroic stories of Dòmhnall Càm, the local chieftain, warrior and cattle-plunderer, particularly ruthless in wars against the Morrisons of Ness, but there are some deeply unpleasant traditions about him too. The following is from Capt FWL Thomas’s Traditions of the Macaulays (1880).

Donald Cam and the Gow Ban [the Smith of Kneep] were walking together at Kneep, close by a small bothy in which an old blind woman lived. Some of the tenants’ wives were sitting outside the bothy talking, and one of them remarked that they need have no fear of an enemy attempting to invade or plunder them, for there were few like Donald Cam and the Gow Ban in all the country. The blind woman from within asked who were they whom they were praising so much? On being told, she indignantly exclaimed: “Had you seen the men who fought the battle of Machir-house (a strand and level spot at Reef); I say had you seen those heroes who repulsed and killed a Danish pirate and crew, you would not say that either Donald Cam or the Big Smith is a man of such valour and prowess.” Donald Cam and the smith asked what the blind woman inside was talking about, and when the women told them, they fell to and blocked up the door of the bothy with stones, and threated with instant death anyone who should give food or drink to the old blind woman, so being left to starve she soon died.

The battle alluded to was fought by a Danish pirate who landed his men at Berry [Beirghe] or Reef, and who thought to have plundered the country with impunity; but the clans faced the Danes as they landed, and a bloody battle ensued, when all the Danes except three were killed on the spot, and of the three who ran to their boat to save themselves, one was shot dead by an arrow. It was the warriors in this battle to whom the blind woman alluded, and for which she was starved to death.

Thomas comments in a footnote: “Such an event as this has no doubt occurred, but it is hard to believe that it happened in the beginning of the seventeenth century”. (Dòmhnall Càm died before 1640.)

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