“Life in the Outer Hebrides with the legendary and historical background”.  1953, Oliver and Boyd.  From the dustjacket: This book gives a most comprehensive picture of the Outer Isles, and is particularly valuable in the information given on the small unfrequented islands. It achieves and interesting synthesis, drawing on history, folklore and archaeology, and the topography is given in some detail. This caters for those who know the islands, and for those who have still to make their way there.  The illustrations give a good [ » read more ]

New to our bookshop are some numbered and signed copies of a recent limited publication by David SD Jones entitled Salmon and Sea Trout Angling on Lewis and Harris, Past and Present.  The book looks at the fish, principle rivers, fishing hotels, associations, notable anglers and recorded catches throughout the two islands. The Fhorsa.  Considered to be one of the best salmon and sea trout systems on Lewis at the present time, the Fhorsa flows out of Loch Suainebhal into Loch Stacsavat, then takes a [ » read more ]

Alexander Mackenzie published his comprehensive genealogical History of the Mackenzies in 1879 and reissued it in 1894 with a considerable number of additions.  The text of the second edition, in its entirety, is available in various places online including from the link below.  It becomes especially relevant to Lewis on p150 with the arrival of Colin Ruadh, the first Earl of Seaforth, who took possession of the Isle of Lewis in 1610, but is fully text-searchable for other connections. The History of the Mackenzies

A series of articles published in the Stornoway Gazette in the 1950s and 60s by “Mac Gille Chaluim”, Rev William Matheson who came from the West Side and lived latterly in Edinburgh.  He conducted extensive research into original manuscripts and estate records and collected oral traditions for many years, testing the validity of the traditional tales against other sources and producing very detailed histories of the Macaulays, Macdonald, Macivers, Mackenzies, Smiths, Murrays, Macphails, Matheson, Nicolsons and Macleods.  Some of these were also issued in other formats but no comprehensive volume [ » read more ]

By Bill Lawson (Birlinn July 2008).  ISBN 9781 84158 36816.  A new publication in the format of Bill’s earlier books on Harris and the Uists, looking at the history and traditions of places up and down the west of the Island, including Uig.  Full of interesting information from a variety of sources (though we reserve the right to quibble over a few points in the Uig chapter!).  Available from the museum and all usual outlets.

by John Macleod OBE DL MA (1928-1998), of Carishader.  Published by Comann Eachdraidh Uig in 2001.  ISBN 0 903960 73 7. A detailed account of all the ministers in Uig and the significant developments and changes under their ministries from 1778 to 1929, with supporting material and documentation; in addition to the church records, it provides good wider historical and social background.  Out of print but may be consulted at the Museum and copies of particular sections can be provided by CE Uig on request.

by Ian Armit. Edinburgh University Press 1996. ISBN 0 7486 0640 8. A comprehensive look at early and recent (to 1996) excavations in the Hebrides, exploring the history of human settlement from the Neolithic period to the Clearances.

by Emily Macdonald, niece of Lord Leverhulme and wife of Dolly Doctor.   Written in 1939 and privately published in 1965. An account of holidays in Lewis, marriage to Dolly Doctor, owning Uig Lodge and building Gisla Lodge, and general reminiscences 1918-1938.

by David SD Jones, February 2008. An illustrated history of the sporting estates, including Morsgail, Scaliscro, Grimersta, Uig & Hamnaway, Garynahine, Eishken, Barvas, Galson and others.  Information from estate records and game books, detail of tenants and development programmes, and many photographs previously unknown to the Comann Eachdraidh, coming as they do from private collections in England.  Available from the museum (£10) or direct from David Jones.  

Donald Macdonald Savage 1978, 2004 ISBN 1 904246 08 7 A comprehensive history of the Isle of Lewis from the Norse and Mediaeval periods through to the 20th century, covering landlords and land struggle, crofting and fishing, education, religion, emigration and many more topics, drawn from a wide range of sources including oral tradition.  An excellent and very readable introduction to these many subjects.  Donald Macdonald was born in 1904 in Tolsta and was a teacher and headmaster in Edinburgh.

Joni Buchanan Acair 1996 ISBN 0 86152 166 8 A study of the crofter’s uprisings in Lewis as they resisted landlordism, clearance and emigration, with a focus on four crucial flashpoints (Pairc, Aignish, Coll and Gress and Bernera) as well as background on the wider issues. Includes songs and poems that came out of the land struggle and supplementary articles in Gaelic from Angus “Ease” Macleod, Rev Donald Macaulay, Iain M Macleod, Iain MacArthur and George Stewart.

John Munro Mackenzie, Chamberlain of the Lews.  Acair 1994.  ISBN 0 86152 908 1/86152 923 5. John Munro Mackenzie (grandson of Hugh Munro, minister at Uig from 1778) was Chamberlain of the Lews, under Sir James Matheson, from 1848 to 1854 and was therefore a key player in several significant events in Lewis, including the relotting of crofts, the organisation of assisted passages to Canada for some 1771 emigrants (many of them unwilling) and the prosecution of numerous schemes of improvement.  His published diary of 1851 [ » read more ]

HA Moisley MSc & Members of the Geographical Field Group Glasgow and Nottingham Universities 1960 A very detailed survey of crofting in Uig in 1958-60, with information on the physical geography, historical background (when and how townships were crofted) and the crofting structure, and a close look at the practice in each district, including demographic statistics. Many maps on historical and contemporary land use. Ex-libris copies are occasionally available.

Donald Macdonald Birlinn 2004 ISDN 781841580555 Donald Macdonald (1891-1961), “Dolly Doctor”, was a native of Stornoway and Uig who practiced medicine in London but retired to Gisla in Uig. He married Emily Lever, niece of Lord Leverhulme. This miscellany of legends, stories, lists, reports and poetry is a rich collection of material drawn from a variety of sources, including oral tradition. It’s particularly good on Uig and mediæval tales involving Macleods, Macaulays and Morrisons.  The recent reissue from Birlinn is currently out of print but is due for [ » read more ]