Archive for the ‘crofting’ Category

At Strome

Thursday, December 24th, 2009

[singlepic=1046,357] A very unseasonable picture:  a party from Reef, out at Strome for peats in fine weather.  Angus Mackay (an Gagan), James Morrison (Seumas Mhurchaidh Seumais), Christina Mackay, Peggy Macritchie (Peggy an Irish) and Murdo Macdonald (Morgan).

Air raid warning!

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Stornoway Gazette, 6 October 1939 West Uig, along with other parts of the Island, has contributed its quota to the fighting forces, both army and navy.  Being on the Atlantic Seaboard, much interest is taken in all surface craft observed, and much speculation as to their intentions is rife.  More interest, ...

Quadruplets

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009

Stornoway Gazette, 17 May 1940 Some of the people of Crowlista were the spectators of a very unusual sight last Tuesday.  While the 1pm news was being broadcast, a sheep belonging to Angus Matheson was labouring to give birth to quadruplets.  We regret that two of the lambs were dead on ...

Shonnie Goravig at the peats

Monday, November 16th, 2009

[singlepic=1031,713] Shonnie Goravig, John Maclean, 3 Ungeshader, who we talked about here.

The Norse Mills of Lewis | Muilnean Beaga Leòdhais

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

[singlepic=936,388] The cause of my sadness is the mill's decline, Not getting what I need for my baking. -Calum Ruairidh Bhàin (Calum Mackay, Bragar) The Norse Mills of Lewis by Dr Finlay Macleod (Acair, 2009) is surely the most comprehensive volume imaginable on our horizontal mills - including their construction and use, context in ...

Milling

Thursday, June 25th, 2009

From Lewsiana, by W Anderson Smith (1874, 1896). During the autumn and winter the grain is prepared at leisure as potatoes are first consumed, or nearly so, before the meal is much run upon. When in urgent need of meal, the grain is sometimes dried in an iron pot on the ...

A Haystack in Kneep

Friday, June 12th, 2009

[singlepic=664,390] Peigi Eiric Smith, Chirsty Ann Macarthur, Mary and Sandy Smith, in Kneep.

The Girls at Gearraidh Thodail

Saturday, May 23rd, 2009

[singlepic=634,432] Left, Mairead Macdonald (8 Kneep) and right, her sister Chirsty Ann (Ciorstaidh Anna a'Phurpois) at the shieling at Gearraidh Thodail.  The shieling is at NB095290, between Suainebhal and Direadh Beinn, and the Comann Eachdraidh visited it last summer - see pictures. Chirsty Ann was born in 1912 and so this was ...

May

Thursday, May 14th, 2009

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Crofting at the Upper End, 1958-9

Saturday, March 14th, 2009

Another extract from Uig, A Hebridean Parish, compiled by HA Moisley and members of the Geographical Field Group, Universities of Glasgow and Nottingham.  This section was written by Pamela M Gough; see also the further detail on life in the townships. Soils are generally deep, and there are few rocky outcrops ...

Brenish and Islivig in 1959

Sunday, March 1st, 2009

[singlepic=359,390] From Uig, A Hebridean Parish, 1960. The photo of Brenish is by Sam Forrest, taken on land court business in 1965. More of his pictures in the gallery. Brenish has a south-westerly aspect whilst Islivig faces north-west; in both the elevation of the crofts decreases seawards from about 125 ...

Prosperity and Overcrowding in Uig, 1850s-1890s

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

From Uig, A Hebridean Parish, by HA Moisley and the Geographical Field Group, 1960. The crofting population of Uig started the second half of the nineteenth century with far less land than had been occupied by their forebears fifty years before, and, although famine, clearance and emigration had slightly reduced the ...

Norman Morrison’s Testimony

Thursday, December 4th, 2008

On 4 June 1883 the Napier Commission, chaired by Lord Napier, was in Miavaig to take evidence from crofters and others on issues surround land management and tenancy.  Among those interviewed was Norman Morrison, crofter and fisherman at Brenish, aged 61, who stated he had two milk cows, three young beasts, ...

Mussels and Peats

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

[gallery] Finlay, Thelma, Fiona and Kenneth Maciver, Carishader, at the mussels and the peats.

A Treat for a Cold Friday: Uig, 1964-65

Friday, November 21st, 2008

Many thanks once again to Robin Forrest for providing these wonderful, and previously unknown to us, pictures of Uig in 1964-65, taken by his father Sam Forrest on Land Court business.  Some things have changed... some have not! [gallery=24]