Fresh notes and old stories from Uig Historical Society, Isle of Lewis
The Last Man of Bereiro
The Uig Landscape Project (Durham University) is looking at sites around Crowlista, including the old settlement of Bereiro at the head of Traigh na Sruban. The last inhabitant of Bereiro was Donald Matheson, born about 1794, who was a Hudson’s Bay man, returned to Uig, and emigrated again in 1834.
An Airman at Aird Uig, 1959-61
RAF Corporal Technician Pete Davis and his wife Hilary spend the first 18 months of their married life Lewis after he was stationed to RAF Aird Uig. They lived in Linshader and Aird. This is an engaging account of their time in Uig.
Uig School, mid 1970s
A picture from the early years of Uig School, with Crowlista school in the background. Most (nick)names now filled in, thanks to Donna, but we need a few more yet.
RAF Party Stuck at Achmore
In the winter of 1961, the Commanding Officer of RAF Aird Uig and twenty-six of his officers and men were stranded in Stornoway while returning from the first night of the charity concert organised by the camp in the Town Hall.
In the Freezer
There are no safes for breaking in the Outer Hebrides… but we didn’t go hungry in 1972.
A Serious Accident at Cliff
After the end of the Great War, dangerous materials were still washing up on the beach. All credit to Nurse Maclean for her tender care of Murdo Macleod, Cliff, in 1919.
Little Tales from Capadal
Two tales from when Alexander MacRae and then his widow had Ardroil Farm (see also our new list of Uig farms and their owners and rental). English follows. Bha bean Alasdair na Riobhach ‘na boireannach diadhaibha bha cumail smachd theann air na searbhantan. Glè thric, anns [ » read more ]
Dolly Doctor speaks up for Gaelic
From the People’s Journal, 27 September 1958. It’s a while now since Dr Donald Macdonald [Dolly Doctor] of Gisla in Lewis practised at his profession. But the jovial, big-hearted doctor is still a cure and a tonic for many folk not only in his native [ » read more ]
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 [ » read more ]
The Uig Landscape Project
Starting next week (25 Aug) a team from Durham University Department of Archaeology will be in Uig to investigate some of the archaeological sites in the area, reviewing excavations from 10 years ago and preparing a publication. Two public events.
The New Website
Welcome to the new-but-familiar CEUig.com. I hope it helps you to discover stories you may have missed previously. It’s also a little more robust behind the scenes, and has room for more in-depth resources that weren’t fitting on the front page very well. So what’s new here?
Lewis Chessmen in concert, free at the Fringe
The National Museum of Scotland is presenting a month-long programme of music that draws on the Lewis Chessmen for inspiration, with a programme that “stretches from Norway to the shores of Lewis”. In partnership with Live Music Now Scotland, the Museum on Chambers Street in [ » read more ]
Murchadh Ban
This story comes from the end of the 18th century, but seems to hark back to an earlier time. However it is likely that the Viking element was grafted on later – did Vikings pick up local pilots? And potatoes didn’t arrive in the islands [ » read more ]
Aonghas nam Beann
Angus nam Beann was a well-known figure in Uig at the time of the Revivals, and ever since. The following is from John Macleod’s History of the Church in Uig. Angus MacLeod’s father was a shepherd in the hills of Uig towards the border with [ » read more ]
Dòmhnall Càm in South Dell
Another grisly story about our Uig hero, Dòmhnall Càm, who has a much less heroic reputation in other parts of the island. This is from Capt FWL Thomas’s Traditions of the Macaulays (1880) and he notes that “this tale is certainly mythical”. We ought in [ » read more ]