A picture from the early years of the new Uig School, with the closed Crowlista School in the background. Thanks to Donna for the names… please help to fill in the rest!

Back Row: 1. MA Buchanan (Bambi)
2. Cub
3. Racko
4.
5. Willie
6. Duval
7.

Middle row: 8. Meg
9. Pat
10. Donna Macaskill
11. Gina
12. KB
13. Norma
14. Lena
15. Anna
16. CB

Sitting: 17. Flora
18. Rhona Macleod
19. Dean
20. Meg
21. Maureen Mackay
22. Anchris Macleod
23. Lena Smith

Front: 24. John Tochie Macdonald
25. Sid
26. Nangie
27. Flookie
28. Duck
29. Christopher Smith
30. Ali Macritchie
31.

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 island, but in many other circles.

Take the old folk in Stornoway. He has taken them under his wing, brightens up their eventide with his cracks and joviality, and they, in turn, just dote on him.

The doctor has such a deep-rooted interest in them that he often makes a special journey from his old family homestead in Gisla, 35 miles away, to help entertain at the weekly ceilidhs arranged for them.

And he has the enthusiastic backing and support of his charming wife.

but there are times when the stalwart doctor, whose ‘hail-fellow-well-met’ disposition makes him an immensely popular personality with young and old, gets angrier and angrier. It’s when you mention the Gaelic. Then he throws out his massive chest and snorts like a grampus.  For the Gaelic to him is soemthing dear, a priceless gem to be cherished and preserved. And it makes him furious to think of the way the old language is being neglected.

“You haven’t go the Gaelic?” he asked our reporter. “And you from Inverness. Inverness is going all o pot. The capital of the Highlands and no Gaelic!”

It was the doctor who, some time ago, suggested that, in order to give it a real uplift, the young Prince Charles should be taught the language.

“But what’s happened to my proposal?” and his deep voiced boomed again in anger. “It’s been pigeonholed for good. And now,” he sighed, “the Welsh have got him, ” alluding to the Prince’s new title.

The Gaelic,” he went on, “what can we common folk do about it? Parents, even in Lewis, aren’t interested in keeping it alive. They don’t see what good it will do their children in earning their livelihood.”

“What’s the use of john Bannerman and me getting up in our Highland dress on a platform and talking about it? It’s only the converted who are there to hear us. I don’t know where its decline is going to end, probably by taking a plunge of the Butt of Lewis out into the Atlantic.”

But, whatever the fate of the old language, there’s one thing sure. So long as he can raise his voice, the doctor will champion its cause and strive to keep it alive.

The National Mod is a ‘must’ for him. He’ll be there in Glasgow next week, in full Highland array, keeping time with head and hands to the lovely lilts of Gaelic melody and music. He’s being going to the Mod off and on since 1910 and he’s loved every minute of it.

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 Harris, and this is where Angus was born. So it is not difficult to understand why everybody in the area knew his as Aonghas na Beann, Angus of the Hills. Angus was caught up in the great Revival in uig in the Rev Alexander Macleod‘s time. He was a simpleton who could not even count his fingers, yet when he engaged in public prayer hardly any trace of lack of intellect was noticeable. What was noticeable about him was the Spirit of reverence of one who practised the Presence and whose prayers surprised, affected and moved the hearer.

He was held in high regard by the minister who engaged a teacher to teach him reading – without success. Yet when he applied to the minister for the privilege of sitting at the Lord’s Table, he was refused on account of his lack of intellectual capacity. Angus must have been deeply hurt; and it appears that the minister and Kirk-session must have relented at a later date, for the tale is told that Angus at one time dropped his communion token and could not find it. Someone seeing him searching asked:

“Na chaill thu am comharra Aonghais?”

“Cha do chaill, ach chaill me am pios luaidhe thug iad dhomh!”

[Did you lose your token Angus? No, but I lost that piece of lead they gave me.]

Tales of Aonghas nam Beann remain in oral tradition and are still related in the Parish. At a communion season in Uig a visiting minister noticed Angus talking with a group of people at the church after the service. He told Rev Alexander that he was going over to the church to see what was going on, and was advised to stay where he was. However he insisted and he arrived to hear Angus, who had noticed his approach, say:

“Bha fios agam gu robh ni math againn ‘s nach fhada gus am biodh an Satan an torr oirnn”

[I knew we had something of spiritual worth and that ere long Satan would attempt to spoil it.]

The minister beat a hasty retreat to the manse, where he was was asked how he got on. He replied, “I was castigated as an instrument of Satan.”

Angus was a frequent and welcome visitor at communions, and it is probably that his death occurred during such a visit to a communion in Skye. There he was buried in the cemetery at Uig (Skye).

In The Skye Revivals, Steve Taylor reports that once Angus discovered Skye he was rarely away from it. He also gives further stories of Angus in Skye and Lochs:

On one occasion Angus was attending communion services in Snizort in Skye when the Rev Roderick Macleod invited him to the manse. During the meal Roderick said, “Angus, has not grace greatly honoured you when it brought you to my table?” Angus replied,”And did not grace greatly honour yourself, minister, when you invited me?”

The Rev Robert Finlayson of Lochs was interviewing three women on one occasion who were seeking admission to the Lord’s Table. One had been convertedas a result of hearingAngus in prayer, the second on hearing a neighbour repeating on of Angus’s private prayers, and the third under Finlayson’s own preaching. “I see,” said Finlayson, “thatI have only one share in this work.”

It was the testimony of Rev Murdo MacAskill [Dingwall, in 1885] when speaking of Angus that “this poor witless man could claim more spiritual children in the parish of Lochs than all the ministers who had preached there in his generation.” No one who met him was allowed to walk away without an answer to the question, “Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ?” All who came into contact with Angus were aware of an indescribably power and influence.

The Church of Scotland is organising an outdoor service on the hillside at Baile na Cille where Alexander Macleod held the famous Communion Service of 1827:  Thursday 13 August at 7pm.

Thanks to the comments below from Dolly and Murdina, we now know that this is a joint expedition by Lochcroistean and Mangersta School to see the Bernera Bridge on 25 June 1952, before it was officially opened in 1953.  Of course, it can be seen across Loch Roag from Carishader so the children (at Lochcroistean at least) would have been well aware of its progress. More pictures of the construction period and opening of the bridge can be seen on Hebridean Connections.  See the comments for more detail – and if you were there, and have more to add, please do.

Miss Ina Macdonald, Ardbheag, is of course now our Mrs Ina Macdonald, Islivig.  More on the side schools here.

Lochcroistean School, c1928. Teachers Annie Macaulay 35 Cliff and Donald Macarthur, Carloway.

Back Row:1. Angus Hugh Smith, 2 Carishader
2. Angus John Macdonald, 6 Carishader
3. Donald Macritchie, 4 Enaclete
4. Donald John Mackay, 6 Geshader
5. Malcolm John Smith, 2 Ungeshader
6. Donald Smith, 2 Ungeshader
7. Donald Gillies, 9 Carishader
8. John M Macdonald, 6 Enaclete
9. Norman Macdonald, 12 Carishader

2nd Row: 10. Peter Macleod, 9 Enaclete
11. Murdina Maclean, 3 Geshader & Hushinish
12. Peggy Macleod, 10 Geshader
13. Johan Matheson, 8 Enaclete
14. Catriona Matheson, 8 Enaclete
15. Margaret Matheson, 8 Enaclete
16. Dolina Smith, 2 Ungeshader
17. Dolina Macneill, 11 Carishader
18. Murdina Nicholson, 1 Geshader

3rd Row: 19. Kenneth Beaton, 7 Geshader & Glasgow
20. Ina Macdonald, 6 Enaclete
21. Mary Buchanan, 3 Carishader
22. Peggy Ann Macdonald, 4 Geshader
23. Katie Ann Smith, 2 Ungeshader
24. Katie Ann Morrison, 1 Ungeshader
25. Margaret Morrison, 1 Ungeshader
26. Annie Macleod, 8 Carishader
27. Kenina Smith, 2 Ungeshader
28. Ina Macleod, 10 Geshader & Sandwick

Front Row: 29. Neil Macleod, 9 Enaclete
30. Kenneth Gillies, 9 Carishader
31. Kenneth Dan Smith, 2 Ungeshader
32. Malcolm Duncan MacNeill, 11 Carishader
33. Donald Macleod, 1 Ungeshader
34. Angus Maciver, 4 Geshader
35. Roddy MacIsaac, 5 Geshader
36. Angus Murdo Matheson, 8 Enaclete
37. Norman Macleod, 9 Enaclete
38. Donald Munro, 8 Geshader & Melbost

Back 1. Donald John Smith
2. Murdanie Macdonald
3. John Buchanan
4. Ray Goodge
5. DM Buchanan

Front 6. Mary Peggy Mackay
7. Seonag Matheson
8. Chrissie Smith
9. Chirsty Bell Mackay
10. Annie Mackay
11. Marlene Morrison Schoolhouse

A mile or two from the terminus of the road [at Brenish] there is a wayside school, attended by about fifty scholars. It is conducted in that ordinarily fatal way of an absentee teacher attending college and leaving a substitute to conduct it on a pittance.  Yet, in spite of the admitted faults of the system, through the strict supervision of the Free Church minister of Uig, who takes a personal and active interest not only in all the schools but in all the scholars in his district, we found the standard respectable. The scholars had a fair average knowledge of the English language, and the rudiments of a general education, showing how the conscientious discharge of an onerous duty by one man may improve the prospects of a whole community.

We found the people of Uig generally much more conversant with English than were the other outlying districts, and the church showed a large proportion of “comfortable” people, rationally dressed. The children, too, were of a more refined and civilised type than we found at Ness, more resembling those about Carloway district; show less of the rude Norse, more of the sensitive Celt. [sorry, Niseachs -ed.]

Teacher: Sophie Macsween (Macleod). Thanks to Mary Peggy Mackay for putting the names to the faces.

Back 1. John Angus Mackay 7 Reef
2. Dan Buchanan 7 Valtos
3. DA Morrison 13 Reef
4. Calum Ian Buchanan 8 Valtos
5. Archie Macdonald, FP Manse

Middle 6. John Andrew Buchanan 7 Valtos
7. Donald C Morrison 32 Valtos
8. Norman Mackay 31 Valtos & Miavaig
9. Donald Angus Mackay 30 Valtos & Crowlista
10. Donald N Morrison (Tammy) 32 Valtos
11. John Smith 30b Valtos

Front 12. Peggy Morrison 3 Valtos
13. Murdina Buchanan 7 Valtos
14. Gladys Goodge Miavaig
15. Annie Matheson 10 Reef
16. Mary Ann Matheson 10 Reef
17. Isa Smith 30b Valtos
18. Mary Morrison 3 Valtos
19. Joan Mackay 31 Valtos & Miavaig