There is mutton in the mountains
And lobsters by the score
And the odd wee tail of salmon
That got tired and came ashore.

In the homes of Pairc and Uig
Where they shoot like William Tell,
Though the keeper mustn’t know it,
There is venison as well.

So the poor old Highland crofter,
Butt of all the would-be wits,
Can provide a slap-up dinner
That would gratify the Ritz.

Stornoway Gazette, 23 September 1972

The book looks in detail at the development of the estate, the tenants under the Mathesons and Leverhulme, the subsequent owners (including Col Digby), the various keepers at Morsgail and Kinlochresort, extracts from the game books, reports by visitors and in newspapers, a detailed and dramatic account of a day’s stalking by Lord Granville Gordon in 1894, and photographs of staff and visitors.

The following is from the gamebook of Sir Francis Denys, favourite nephew of Lady Matheson:

October 22nd to 26th, 1894:

Left the Castle at 8am for Morsgail, walked thence to Loch Hamnaway with Rory Mackenzie and James Matheson. The latter had spied a good stag on his way across in the morning and we made straight for the shielings where we found him lying on the flat in an impossible position Waited until 5pm then had to leave him. Next day we hoped to meet with him again, but only found the two eight-pointers which were with him the previous evening. A crofter and dog spoiled the stalk; we saw nine men with dogs on different hills during the day who consequently swept the ground of deer. Much bad language ensued. On the 24th we walked the ground but saw nothing. Fished the loch and pool and caught 1 salmon, 6lbs, and 4 sea trout. The 25th was too stormy for the hill. Fished from 1pm and caught 1 salmon, 5lbs, and 3 sea trout. The next day, the 26th, I left Matheson’s at 8.30am to stalk my way back to Morsgail. Saw a fine stag with a herd of 30, which we were about to stalk, when they were frightened over the march by the inevitable crofter and dog. Then turned back for a shot at a seven-pointer which missed. Just as we reached the mark, a young stag with seven hinds crossed in behind us, and we again turned back. Mackenzie made an easy stalk and I had a missed shot which took effect through the liver. We lost him through our own stupidity in not keeping our glasses on him until he laid down, as after we sprang him the first time, as usual in such cases he would travel until he dropped, so we lost view of him. Arrived Morsgail 5pm without the 3 stags Gore-Langton had given me permission to kill.

Among the interesting snippets is the note that Matheson had begun to build a surfaced track from Morsgail to Lochresort, before being stopped by the Chamberlain who persuaded him it would spoil the shooting.

Morsgail is available from the museum (80pp;£12) or by post (email for detail); we also have some of David’s other books.

Gamekeeping and Sporting Tales from the Hebrides and the Highlands (new)
A collection of stories and histories from estates and associated activities around the North and West, including the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Small Isles and the Mainland. Lady stalkers, maharajahs, poachers and taxidermists, and the development of the industry, with many photographs and documents. 100pp; £12

Soval: the History of a Lewis Sporting Estate (new)
A richly illustrated history of the Soval sporting estate in Lochs, laid out in 1850 by Sir James Matheson for letting purposes. 60pp; £10.

The Sporting Estates of the Outer Hebrides
A detailed, insightful and account of the owners, tenants and gamekeepers of all the sporting estates in the Outer Hebrides, with many photographs. Already a classic. 144pp; £12.

Salmon and Seatrout Angling in the Outer Hebrides, Past and Present (updated)
The updated version of a previous volume, covering Lewis and Harris, now extended to the Southern Isles. Packed with detail about the rivers, the methods, the owners, gillies and visitors, and the development of angling. 110pp; £15. (Previous Lewis and Harris volume, £12)

Luachar, Saturday, 18th October.

Let me describe the scenery, shooting grounds, house and its inhabitants. The scenery is generally of the grand order with little or no beauty. We have a long series of lofty mountains, turning into ridges & forming deep glens. These mountains are all rugged & precipitous, they run north-east and south-west. Stretching toward the north from them are low hills and extensive plains several miles in length and toward the south higher hills & vallies. On the declivities and under the rocks are the haunts of the deer, not easily found by a stranger, but well known to the inhabitants. Loch Rezort terminates the ground of sport on the north, the ocean on the west and south, and the Lewes on the east. The whole ground is broken into little eminences & depressions, covered with heath and some other plants – at this season of the year of a yellowish or brown colour, which renders it extremely difficult to see the deer – though the broken nature of the surface facilitates an approach to them when discovered.

The house, our place of rendezvous, is situated at the distance of between one and four miles from the places of resort of the deer, at the head of an arm of the sea which constitutes part of the northern boundary of Harris. It is what in the Hebrides is denominated a black house and what Dr Johnson calls a hut. Its inhabitants are Ewen McDiarmid, a shepherd in the employment of a gentleman of Kintail who has a very extensive tract in Harris under sheep, a tough, unpolished, but honest and civil man advanced in years; his wife Christina McCaskill, daughter of Mr McCaskill schoolmaster of Uig in Lewis, a genteel woman of about thirty; little John their son, a comical cross-grained boy; two female servants, the one a clumsy lump, the other a half-idiot with only one eye.

Luachar, Thursday, 30th October.

On Sunday, the 19th, Ewen and Miss Nelly and I and little John went to Toray, a small farm two miles down Loch Rezort on the Lewis side. One of our incitements to go there was to see two children of Ewen’s who were lodged there. Here we were treated with cream and potatoes. I made a very hearty repast. The vessels which held the cream were only two in number, so the good-man and the good-woman and Ewen were placed about one, while Miss Nelly and I got the other. Had any other arrangement been made, I had been disgusted, and I could not refuse to partake of their fare without being liable to the imputation of pride. We returned in the evening.

On Monday, 20th, the weather was unfavourable for shooting, being very rainy. So I contented myself with fishing upon a lake about two miles from the house. I caught about twenty trouts. In the evening as I was sitting by the fire, half naked, and drying myself, who should come in but my uncle, Mr McG[illivray], Miss McDonald and their attendants. The Doctor had not joined the party.

On Tuesday and Wednesday we traversed the hills without success. A man from Kinrezort accompanied my uncle as guide, while I scampered along alone. They fired several shots, while I did not see a single deer. In one of my expeditions I entered the cave of Ulladil, accompanied by a servant, several plants grew in it e.g. the Common Wood-sorrel, Common Chickweed, a fern, and a moss unknown. We drank with my shoe, a draught or two of water from the well, but soon relented for it left us sickish for a considerable time.

Thursday was spent in the same way – nothing was shot by either party – Mr McCaskill came over to see his daughter & niece.

On Friday, the 24th, we all left Luachar, with the intention of going to Uig. About two miles from the house, we observed a small herd of deer, consisting of five. Little worthy of remark occurred till we reached Timisgarry in Uig – on the west side of the Lewes, and about twelve miles from Luachar. The day had been tolerably good, but the road was very rugged. Hills and glens and lakes compose the whole scenery – not a blade of soft or meadow grass was seen in the whole route. After dining in Mr McCaskill’s we were visited by two ladies of the minister’s family who invited me to drink tea with them. This invitation was of course accepted. Mr Hugh Munro is an old man of clear complexion, sub-sickly, sub grave phiz, not very robust habit. He wears a white cotton nightcap – aye – even in the pulpit. His two daughters are accomplished girls. Katherine is on the list of old maids is said to have been beautiful. I deny this. Her lips are thin as paper. It is verily queer that the Hebrideans should esteem thin lips and linear eyebrows as beautiful. As to my own opinion on the subject – Oh! by the powers! rosy checks and pouting lips. Marion has a genteel figure, an excellent face, with a nose of taste, and a mouth of eloquence!

On Sunday we went to church [at Baile na Cille old church]. The kirk is a thatched house, without regular seats, and having a most miserable pulpit composed of a few fir sticks. I did not see a good female face in the congregation. Mr Munro, honest man, is but a lame preacher – in good sooth I thought he was but a man of mean parts when I first saw him.

Dined and drank tea in his house. Master Alexander Simson, who had come here last evening, conducted himself with great politeness, while I, poor booby! sat sulky in a corner – and why? because I could not relish the conversation. lt consisted of scandal – A minister’s house, Sunday evening, a professed Christian servant of God, light conversation, scandal, strangers – these cannot be reconciled.

Monday proved boisterous and we kept the house all day. In the evening I drew two flounce patterns for the Munroes.

On Tuesday, the 18th left Uig – After travelling upwards of a mile we took a boat, and rowed up to near the head of Loch Rog, where we entered a shepherd’s house. Mrs MacNaughton, the good-wife treated us with warm milk, potatoes and cheese. She is a most excessively kind woman – Master was not at home. It now rained most mercilessly. From the head of Loch Rog, we travelled about four miles to Luachar over a very wet and soft flat. In this course we saw a Red Grouse, a Woodcock, and a Water Rail. The latter was found dead – We reached Luachar in the dusk, weary and wet. Miss MacDonald had a headache.

Yesterday we slept till ten. The day was good, but as the ladies were fatigued we did not set out for Northtown. I learned that my Water Rail had been killed by a child some days ago, and left on the moor. Rory of Kinrezort killed two deer for us, a very fine stag & a small doe. About twelve o’clock Mr MacNaughton, who had come after us today, accompanied us to the hill. But we saw no game, and returned about sunset. In the evening I recited some poetry to Miss MacDonald in the little house – Mrs Mary was snoring for part of the time. This was the first time I had completely broken that sulkiness which had oppressed me for upwards of a week[...]

Sunday, 2nd November, 1817

We have been kept here by the badness of the weather. On Wednesday night when in bed we had three very vivid flashes of lightning accompanied by the most terrific peals I ever heard. On Friday & Saturday, I traversed part of the shooting ground without success. Yester evening I heard two sublime peals of thunder – The pleasure they afforded was of a nature not entirely new to me. Every awful object in nature yields sensations resembling this. Our situation has become disagreeable – a dirty and smoky house, conviction of having become troublesome, bad humour, want of books & in fact of any suitable employments render the time tedious. Eagles are very numerous here. The Snow Bunting is frequently met in the hills in small flocks. I am told they are never seen in summer. I have seen the Woodcock several times – and my uncle saw another of the Water Rail kind. The weather has been boisterous with much rain and hail for upwards of a week – the mountains are tipped with snow. At Luachar is a good fishing stream; twenty barrels of salmon being caught each season upon it. The lakes in the vicinity are well stocked with trout. The salmon trout (sea trout) abounds. Ptarmigans are found in the hills. The Water Ouzel (Dipper) I saw upon the river – Ducks of different kinds, Scarts, gulls and Herons frequent the loch.

The party finally got away from Luachar on Monday morning and went by sea, still in  boisterous weather, to Miavaig (Harris) and Luskentyre, where they put the terrified ladies ashore and proceeded to Northton, returning the next day on horseback to recover the ladies.

MacGillivray’s uncle, with whom he was staying in Northton, was married to Mary McCaskill, a daughter of John McCaskill who is mentioned above and who was the first school teacher in Uig. The schoolhouse was Taigh Sgoile Chiosamuil, near Baile na Cille, and John and many of his family later emigrated to Cape Breton. MacGillivray himself married another daughter, Marion (though not necessarily the Marion he admires here, as it’s not absolutely clear that this is the other sister present, and William’s diaries are full of swooning admiration for another Marion of his acquaintance). The McCaskills were also related to the minister Hugh Munro: Hugh was married to Janet McCaskill, believed to be the sister of John the schoolteacher, and John’s first wife was Christina Munro (relation unknown, by us at least, but likely). They were all Skye people originally.

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.

The Uilleam Dubh on the pier at Hushinish; photo by John J Maclennan.

This little story revealed itself in stages: thanks to John J Maclennan especially, and to Finlay Maciver, Shonnie Buchanan and Calum Maclennan Govig for piecing it together.  The Uilleam Dubh has been a Scarp boat for many years, and the suggestion was that she was built in Brenish, and/or by a Malcolm Maclean of the famous Maclean boatbuilders of Uig, and called after her builder or owner.  These Macleans were in Mangersta, which was voluntarily cleared in 1873, and they went to Doune Carloway where they were fishing and crofting.  (In the 1881 census for (new) Doune most of the adults give their birthplace as Mangersta, Carnish or Islivig.)  I don’t know if the boatbuilding continued, but in that case it wouldn’t really have been an Uig boat anyway.

Coming back to Uilleam Dubh, the one by that name who presents himself most readily in Uig is William Maclennan of 36 Cliff, an Iolaire survivor who died of cancer in 1948, leaving a young family.  It transpires William did have this boat for a time, and sold it to Scarp in 1940.  If she had any name at all in Uig, it wasn’t Uilleam Dubh – you wouldn’t name your boat after yourself – but after she was sold she was thus known.

The name Uilleam Dubh has a resonance in Harris that it lacks in Uig.  William Longsword (1415-1480) was known as Uilleam Dubh; he was the 7th Chief of Macleod and father of Alasdair Crotach, who is buried in St Clements at Rodel.  Perhaps it was the coincidence that prompted the naming of the boat; I suppose if a Domhnall Cam from somewhere else were to sell a boat to Uig, she would have to become the Domhnall Cam.

Back to her builder now: Iain Maclean in Valtos was repairing and building a few boats about the right time, but the final word from Govig is that she wasn’t built by a Maclean, but by Donald Shaoir, Donald Macaulay of 19 Brenish, son of John Macaulay who built our Rose.  Uilleam Dubh – now laid up – may not sail again but we have another chapter on the little Uig boat that went to Scarp to follow shortly.  She was very photogenic, at the Hushinish pier, so if you have photos of her, we’d be happy to have copies of them.

The Northern Lighthouse Board yesterday received intelligence in Edinburgh of a terrible disaster that had occurred on the Flannan Islands, which are about 44 miles west of the Butt of Lewis, and 40 miles north of St Kilda.  The lighthouse is one of the rock stations where three men are continually stationed, fortnightly reliefs being given. The three men last stationed on the lighthouse were named James Ducat, the principal keeper; Thomas Marshall and Donald McArthur, the last-named being an occasional keeper, employed in this instance during the illness of one of the regular staff. The relieving keeper, Moore, was landed on the island yesterday by the Board’s steamer, and the absence of all the men showed that a dreadful occurrence had happened. So far as it is presently known, the men have vanished, and nothing definite is known of their fate. It is, however, surmised that the calamity happened during the great storm of last week. As the regulations proved that during the night one man must remain in constant attendance on the lights, it is regarded as practically certain that the accident occurred in daylight, and it is suggested as one probably cause that the men have been blown over the cliffs and drowned while trying to secure the crane. Another theory is that they may have been trying to give assistance to a fishing boat or other vessel in distress.

The relieving keeper, Moore, was yesterday left at the lighthouse with three other men to keep the light burning pending permanent arrangements. The Flannan Islands are a group of seven small precipitous islands, sometimes called ‘the seven hunters,’ covering an area of about three miles by two. The eastmost is 17 miles of Gallan Head in [Uig,] Lewis, and the islands lie near the track of vessels bound from the westward, and making the north passage through the Pentland Firth. the light, which was first lighted on the 7th December of last year, is seen 24 miles off in clear weather. A system of signalling, in case of need, exists between the lighthouse and the nearest point on the main islands, from whence the light is visible in clear weather. It is explained that the absence of signalling gave rise to no suspicion that anything was wrong, and that it would be taken for granted that the light could not be seen on account of the  recent bad weather.  Of the three men lost, two were married men, Ducat and McArthur. The former’s wife and family reside at Breascleit in Lewis, to which place McArthur, who was an old army man, belonged. It is understood that no such occurance ever before happened in the history of the Board, the most serious previous disaster being the loss of the attending boat, with all hands, on a run between Kirkcudbright and the Little Ross some years ago.

A passing ship had noticed that the light was out on 15 December, and reported it at Oban; evidently the news did not reach the Lighthouse Board until after the relief ship Hesperus called on a routine visit and put a party ashore on 26 December.  The mystery has never been conclusively solved and has caught the popular imagination, being compared to the Marie Celeste and generating many theories, from murder or kidnapping to sea-serpents and a displeased Phantom of the Seven Hunters (there were other accidents) – though the most likely explanation is that the men were simply washed away in severe weather while attending to loose equipment.  The lighthouse continued to be manned until September 1971, when the last three keepers left it to automatic power.

More detail from the Northern Lighthouse Board.

Enormous Shoal Of Dogfish. – From all quarters we are furnished with information regarding the appearance of a prodigious shoal of dogfish along the whole north-east coast of Scotland, and as far as to the westward of the Lewis. This circumstance, so unusual at this early period of the year, and without precedent in the memory of the oldest fishermen so far as the size of the shoal is concerned, has raised quite a commotion among the seagoing fraternity. Certain it is, that if these destructive creatures remain on our coasts till the commencement of the fishing season, the effect on the catch of herrings cannot but be very serious. The shoal is to ‘be found at a great offing, and close in shore. A correspondent at the distant island of Uig, near the Lewis, say they are not only found at a distance of 20 to 30 miles at sea, but are seen floating on the surface at the head of every harbour, bay and creek, and are caught in hundreds and thousands by fishing rods and nets. Several have been caught in this bay, and a good many have been washed ashore along the whole coast during the recent gales. From the Moray, Banff and Aberdeen coast we have similar information. All this was from opposite Fieness northward there seems to be one almost unbroken shoal of ‘dogs’. We trust they may disappear before the herring fishing commences, their appearance on our shores being some three months earlier than usual. – Northern Ensign

When the factor, Mr M’Kenzie, with MacLeod’s vessel, did not put in an appearance in autumn last year [1876], as usual, the inhabitants at once began to make preparations for the winter’s store. Last harvest was very bad with them, and they knew they would be short of meal; and from the first they began to husband that commodity. They also killed a number of the proprietor’s sheep on the island of Soa, and salted the carcasses for their own use during winter. Whether they are expected to pay for these sheep I cannot say.

Moreover, their population – of (in 1878) 61 adults and 14 children – grew by nine with the arrival of a party of shipwrecked Austrians.  The following is from the Times, 13 February 1877:

A Message from the Sea – Lloyd’s Agent at Stromness [Orkney] telegraphs under date February 12, 10am, that the following message was picked up in a bottle secured to a lifebuoy on the 8th inst. in the parish of Birsay and handed to him last night – viz., “St Kilda, January 22, 1877. The Pete Mubrovacki of Austria, 886 tons, was lost near this island on the 17th inst. The captain and eight of the crew are in St Kilda, and have no means of getting off.  Provisions are scarce. Written by J Sands, who came to the island in the summer, and cannot get away. The finder of this will much oblige by forwarding this letter to the Austrian Consul in Glasgow.”

According the Highlands and Agricultural Society report, the Austrians were wrecked around the middle of January, and were billeted with the inhabitants, each of the 18 households taking a man or two for a few days at a time.  The minister accommodated three, and the whole experience lasted five or six weeks, before they were rescued by HMS Jackal.  The captain sent some biscuits and meal ashore, and the Austrians were described as “very grateful, and content with the humblest fare; very peaceable, and anxious and willing to assist and help them in everything.”   J Sands himself must have got away at last too; the following year he published Out of the World; or Life in St Kilda.

The proprietor finally sent provisions in April, and in May, HMS Flirt was commanded by the Government to convey a consignment of provisions to the St Kilda, paid for partly by a gift of £100 from Austria, in recognition of the help provided to the nine castaways, and partly by the fund maintained by the Highland and Agricultural Society.  The ship carried to St Kilda seed oats, bere, potatoes, oatmeal (7000lb), flour, sugar (1200lb), horsehair for ropes, leather for shoes, medicinal spirits, 30lbs of tea, 20lbs of sweeties and a parcel of turnip seed.  The minister received in addition seed oats, potatoes, tea, sugar and a parcel from Walker & Sons, Aberdeen.  The Society report, written by their officer John MacDiarmid, gives further detail and is a little sceptical:

From the time the Austrians left until the arrival of MacLeod’s vessel in April was the period of greatest hardship, and they had to go for a week or or two without their porridge, although they had, I think, plenty of salted meat. They say they could not afford to make any bread, that their chief sustenance consisted of brew made from the flesh of the fulmar – a sea-fowl which they catch in large numbers – mixed with a handful of oatmeal. There was little or no milk to be had, none of the cows having calved. MacLeod’s vessel brought them 16 bolls of seed-oats, 38 bolls of meal, and 20 barrels of potatoes. A good part of their land remained unsown (about one-third), and several patches remained unturned, as they preferred leaving it in that state until the supplies arrived, when they would know if there would be sufficient seed for all the land, besides food to serve them until autumn.

Judging from outward appearance, I cannot believe the St Kildians suffered much from want of food. They are, on the whole, full-faced, fresh-looking, and some of them well-coloured and quite rosy. Several of the women are, in my opinion, more than ordinarily stout. No doubt they might be wanting in farinaceous food, and had to take more than was good for them of cured meat, which may account for some of the complaints found under “Medical Report.” It may be mentioned that at this moment there are twenty carcasses of good cured mutton lying in the storehouse in two barrels for the proprietor. These were killed for him from his own flock in the island of Soa. There can be no doubt, had the St Kildians been in great want they would have used this mutton, and been made quite welcome to it by MacLeod. Of course, since the arrival of the sea-fowl in March, they have had plenty of eggs. Salt fish was very scarce with them last winter; they say the fishing season was very stormy, that they could not go out, and that on one occasion they lost the most of their lines.

The ordinary diet of a St Kildian consists of-

Breakfast – Porridge and milk.
Dinner – Potatoes, and the flesh of the fulmar, or mutton, and occasionally fish.
Supper – Porridge, when they have plenty meal.

They take tea once or twice a-week, and expressed themselves as rather fond of it. They seemed surprised at the small quantity of tea sent in proportion to the amount of sugar, and there was no evidence of the partiality for sugar and sweets which has been attributed to them. Tobacco was what they invariably asked for, and among the first questions put by the minister was, if I had brought any tobacco, and when I had unfortunately to answer in the negative, I perceived he felt far from happy.

More of the Transactions of the Highlands and Agricultural Society of Scotland can be read at Electric Scotland.

It is many years since there was a fishing boat of any size in Uig but four Uigeachs arrived in Stornoway on Tuesday of last week with a 45-foot motor-boat which they have purchased in Inverness.

The boat will take her new name from the initials of the four owners – KJ Mackay, who is the skipper, and the three brothers L, D and A Macdonald – giving the name ‘Kilda’.

The ‘Kilda’ is powered by a 36-horsepower diesel engine and averaged 8 knots on her way over from Inverness.  She has previously been engaged in ring-net fishing and is of such a size as to be suitable for drift net, seine net, line or lobster fishing.

At the moment the ‘Kilda’ is to fish the great lines from Stornoway, and last Thursday her crew were busy getting their lines, of which she will carry sixteen, so as not to waste any time in getting their new boat to sea.

Kenny John Mackay was renowned as a footballer, had a shop at Miavaig and later emigrated to Australia.  The brothers were Louis, Donald and Angus Macdonald.  We don’t seem to have a photo of the Kilda – if you do, please let us know.

See more on the fishing boats of Uig here.

From Uig, A Hebridean Parish, 1960. The photo of Breanish is by Sam Forrest, taken on land court business in 1965. More of his pictures in the gallery.

Breanish has a south-westerly aspect whilst Islivig faces north-west; in both the elevation of the crofts decreases seawards from about 125 ft in the east to 50-25 ft in the west. Only on croft in Islivig, and the eight most southerly crofts in Breanish, run to the sea – the rest obtain some shelter from a line of low hills about 300 yards wide and rising to a little over 100 ft, which forms their western boundary. In Breanish and Islivig the soils are mainly peaty, becoming wetter in the west. Where visible the subsoil is gravel or stony boulder clay. There are no trees or shrubs and vegetation consists of marshy grass moors in the Mealista area with a considerable amount of cotton grass bog further north.

Breanish and Islivig are old settlements, never cleared. In both, the sites of the original clachans can still be seen clustered around the mouths of their respective streams. The houses are now situated at the east end of the crofts, near to the road. To the south, Mealista – cleared in the 1840s to make a sheep farm – was divided in 1921 to give enlargements to the common grazings of both Brenish and Mangersta. The arable land was divided into 29 shares as enlargements to Brenish crofts, and is held in a modified form of runrig.

Breanish, at the end of the tarred road which also serves Islivig, is 40 miles from Stornoway. on the thrice weekly bus the return fare to Stornoway was £1, and fright cost half-a-crown for a hundredweight, but because of competition from privately owned vans the bus service ceased in 1960. General merchandise, fish and meat are supplied by weekly vans; there are no shops. There is a post office at Islivig; banking facilities are supplied by a mobile bank.

There are now no thatched houses inhabited in the townships and most houses have kitchen and other extensions added. Some crofters have built concrete two-story byres of modern design. In Breanish, where the hills to the east provide a good catchment area and the Brenish river a good source of supply, all the crofts have their own private piped water supplies, while in Islivig and Mangersta most crofts now have, or are getting, a water supply. All croft houses are supplied with electricity from the grid.

Commercial fishing has long ceased and as there are only three boats, there is now very little fishing for domestic use, the principle use of the boats being to ferry sheep to the off-shore islands. Weaving is an important occupation. There are seventeen weavers [in the Upper End] – nine in Breanish, two in Islivig and six in Mangersta, and during 1959 they were kept busy; in 1958, however, few orders were received. Weaving cannot be said to bring in a steady income here, and some of the weavers, and others, find additional employment outside the township. This includes four men at the hydro-electric scheme at Gisla, three at Mangersta Ministry of Civil Aviation station, three at Aird Uig RAF station and at least one in the Glen Valtos quarries. In addition, one man owns a tractor which he hires out and one, owning a lorry and van, does haulage work. Altogether, out of a total of 27 men under the age of 65 who do work, all but three (one just out of school and one a semi-invalid) have other employment in addition to their crofts.

The total population for the three townships (Breanish, Islivig and Mangersta) is 121 residents, and 14 permanently away from home. Of the residents, 28 are children, 47 are in the 15-45 age group, 15 are in the 45-65 age group and 31 are over 65. The relatively young population may help to account, together with the better soils, for this area giving an impression of a fairly prosperous crofting district compared with some of the others in Uig.

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