The Congested Districts Board was formed in 1897 to ease by means of grants and schemes the poverty identified in the remoter parishes of Scotland. From about 1906 the Board sought to improve the conditions of (and income from) poultry keeping in the the crofting parishes, and introduced distribution centres in target districts. The Uig centre was at Gisla Farm, where Duncan Maclean (brother of Big Bear) and his wife Marion (nee Shaw) were enthusiastic poultry breeders. They were both about 60 when they were visited by the Poultry Breeding in Scotland Commission.

Minutes of Evidence taken by the Poultry Breeding in Scotland Commission, 1909.

Mr Duncan Maclean and Mrs Maclean, visited and examined [on 22 July 1908].  The evidence obtained was as follows:–

252. Mr Maclean is a farmer, and his wife, who is a native of Cambridgeshire, takes a keen interest in poultry. (a) She has had eighteen years’ experience of it. She started by getting two sittings of eggs from the south – white Leghorns and silver Wyandottes – 8 and 7 hatched out of these sittings respectively. The white Leghorns did not do well afterwards, but the silver Wyandottes did splendidly. Next year she got Andalusians and Anconas. These were a lighter breed and did very well until the winter, when it was too bleak for them. She then tried Buff Orpingtons. At present Mrs Maclean has Orpingtons, Wyandottes, brown Leghorns, etc., but she thinks the Orpingtons are the best. (b) She has supplied the neighbouring lodge [Morsgail] with fowls for the table at 1s. 6d. apiece. The crofters’ fowls only fetch 6d. (c) The lodge also buys her eggs at 1s. a dozen, while the remainder are sent to London at an average of about 1s. 4d. per dozen. She gets 1s. 6d. a dozen for a standing order of 6 dozen per week. These are sent to a lady in London, and are rubbed with butter and wrapped up in paper before being dispatched. (d) They are put in special boxes, for which Mrs Maclean pays the carriage to London, and the lady pays the carriage on the return of the empty box. Mrs Maclean keeps boxes containing 6, 10 and 12 dozen, all fitted with cardboard sections, and the eggs are rolled in paper.

(e) Mrs Maclean has this season supplied 100 sittings of eggs to the Congested Districts Board, at 3s. a sitting, for distribution among the crofters in the neighbourhood. They put the result at 80per cent, and in some cases even higher where proper care had been taken. Mr Maclean delivered every sitting himself, and Mrs Maclean packed and sorted them so that each sitting should contain a portion of summer as well as winter layers. These eggs are not pure breeds; they are first crosses — that is what the Congested District Board wanted. (f) Mrs Maclean says she has lots of potatoes, and these are made into a mash mixed wiht meal, oatmeal, and barley meal for the hens. If a sheep dies it is boiled up for them, and she says that she is never without winter eggs. (g) The greatest number of of eggs is got in March and the least in October. The proportion is about 4 to 1. In the months of March, April and May, about 1000 eggs a month are got from a stock of from 40 to 50 hens. (h) Mrs Maclean says that the climate of Lewis is very much windier than Cambridgeshire, but she thinks that with care even more can be made of the poultry in Lewis, because it is much milder although windier than in her native place. (i) Disease rarely occurs among the fowls, and chickens are never lost in this way. The fowls are kept in outhouses, where they are kept scrupulously clean and free from vermin.

(j) Mrs Maclean would very much like to have movable houses as she has plenty of room for them. She would also like to have an incubator. (k) Mrs Maclean puts the net profit per hen per annum at 4s. 6d. but she thinks that if feed stuff could be obtained in larger quantities – which might be done if people joined together for the purpose – a much higher profit could be obtained (l) Mr and Mrs Maclean distribute pure white Orpingtons, Buff Orpingtons, partridge Wyandottes, Jubilee Orpingtons. These are all winter layers and have been distributed to all the people. They have also sent out Anconas, Andalusians and brown Leghorns. This year Mrs Maclean has tried white and black Leghorns. She has also sent out Faverolles and Indian Game. (m) The eggs weigh, as a rule, from to 17 lbs per long hundred in summer, and 17 lbs in winter. Mr and Mrs Maclean buy eggs themselves at 1s. in winter and they pay 8d. a dozen in summer. The market value of brown eggs is higher than white ones.

(n) They have tried ducks but they have no suitable place to keep them in, and they are so dirty that they do not associate well with the hens.

(o) they are of opinion that it would be a great advantage to the crofters to have a central depot for collecting eggs, where they could be graded and set off to market in large quantities and thus realise better to market in large quantities and thus realise better prices. (p) They are also of opinion that the best way for the Government to improve the Lewis poultry would be to institute experimental farms with a good practical man at the head, who could give lectures and demonstrations to the people. Most of the people understand English quite well, and anyone who could not, could have the information interpreted.

We have one egg-shipping box in our collection (picture above), made of card and dating we think from the 1940s, though as Mrs Maclean was sending larger quantities she was presumably using a sturdier wooden box like the one shown here – or perhaps something like this one with wee hammocks, though that seems unlikely given her description of the process.

The Commission took very detailed evidence from communities across Scotland but the only other West Uig visit was to Macdonald and Macleod in Enaclete, on the same day:

Mr Macdonald and Mr Macleod [Enaclete], visited and examined.  The evidence obtained was as follows:–

253. There were 20 chickens out of two settings at each croft; these were well grown and were true to their kind. The majority of them were crosses hatched from the Congested Districts Board eggs supplied by Mrs Maclean of Gisla. The poultry in this district are very much improved.

The last visit of the day took place on the Commissioners’ road back to Stornoway, when they saw Mrs Maciver in Lochganvich, who was not in receipt of Congested District Board sittings and seems to be showing the effects of that.

Mrs H Maciver [Lochganvich], visited and examined.  The evidence obtained was as follows:–

254. Mrs Maciver keeps about 10 hens. They do not pay very well because the price is poor. (a) She gets 6d. a dozen in summer and 1s. in winter. The chickens are hatched about May. She has never received any of the Congested Districts Board’s eggs. (b) The hens are kept in outhouses with a fire at night in the witner. (c) She gets no eggs in winter till after New Year. (d) The fowls are the old-fashioned breeds. They are two or three years old, but she did not know exactly.

Evidence was also taken in other parts of Lewis, including from Kenneth Maclennan, merchant in Stornoway, who was buying between 297 and 1570 hundred eggs a month for export – and he agreed that quality had improved (the eggs being bigger, and less fishy) and that brown eggs attracted a higher price.

Martin Martin, in his Description of the Western Isles of Scotland (1695) gives an account of the use made of the Flannan Isles at the time and the superstitions that attended a visit. (photo: Murdanie Macdonald)

The inhabitants of the adjacent lands of the Lewis, having a right to these islands, visit them once every summer, and there make a great purchase of fowls, eggs, down, feathers, and quills. When they go to sea, they have their boat well manned, and make towards the isalnds with an east wind; but if before or at anding the wind turn westerly, they hoist up sai, and steer directly home again. If any of their crew is a novice, and not versed in teh customs of the place, he must be instructed perfectly in all the punctilioes observed here before landing; and to prevent the inconveniences that they think may ensue upon the transgression of the least nicety observed here, every novice is always joined with another, that can instruct him all the time of their fowling; so all the boat’s crew are matched in this manner.

After their landing, they fasten the boat to the sides of a rock, and then fix a wooden ladder, by laing a stone at the foot ofit, to prevent its falling into the sea; and when they are got up into the island, all of them uncover their heads, and make a turn sunways round, thanking God for their safety. The first injuection given after landing, is not to ease nature in that place where the boat lies, for that they reckon a crime of the highest nature, and of dangerous consequence to all their crew; for they have a great regard to that ver piece of rock upon which they first set their feet, after escaping the danger of the ocean.

The biggest of these islands is called Island More; it has the ruins of a chapel dedicated to St Flannan, from whom the island derives its name. When they are come within about twenty paces of the altar , they all strip themselves of their upper garments at once; and their upper clothes being laid upon a stone, which stands there on purpose for that use, all crew pray three times before they begin fowling; the first day they say the first prayer, advancing towards the chapel on their kneews; the second prayer is said as they go round the chapel; the third is said hard by or at the chapel; and this is their morning service. Their vespers are performed with the like number of prayers. Another rule is that it is absolutely unlawful to kill a fowl with a stone, for that they reckon a great barbarity, and directly contrary to ancient custom.

It is also unlawful to kill a fowl before they ascend by the ladder. It is absolutely unlawful to call the island of St Kilda (which lies thirty leagues southward) by its proper Irish name Hirt, but only The High Country. They must not so much as once name the islands in which they are following by the ordinary name Flannan, but only the Country. There are several other things that must not be called by their common names, eg visk, which in the language of the natives signifies water, they call burn; a rock, which in their language is creg, must here be called cruey, ie ‘hard’; ‘shore’ in their language, expressed by claddach, must here be calle vah, ie a ‘cave’; ‘sour’ in their language is expressed by gort, but must here be called gaire, ie ‘sharp’; ‘slippery’, which is expressed bog, must be called ‘soft’; and several other things to this purpose.

They account it also unlawful to kill a fowl after evening prayers. There is an ancient custom by which the crew is obliged not to carry home any sheep suet, let them kill ever so many sheep in these islands. One of their customs is not to steal or eat anything unknown to their partner, else the transgressor (they say) will certainly vomit it up; which they reckon as a just judgement. When they have loaded their boat sufficiently with sheep, fowls, eggs, down, fish, etc, they make the best of their way homeward. It is observed of the sheep of these islands that they are exceeding fat, and have long horns.

I had this superstitions account not only from several of the natives of the Lewis, but likewise from two who had been in the Flannan isles the preceding year. I asked one of them if he prayed at home as often, as fervently as he did when in the Flannan Islands, and he plainly confessed to me that he did not; adding further, that these remote islands were places of inherent sanctity; and that there was none ever yet landed in them but found himself more disposed to devotion there, than anywhere else.

If you’d like to try any of this, Seatrek do daytrips and Island Cruising takes it in too.

[singlepic id=1278 w=240 float=right]Three buses went from Uig to Stornoway daily during the war – John Macaulay Islivig, Peter Macritchie Aird and John Buchanan Valtos. During the war the buses used to be full of servicemen coming and going back from leave, some never returning. I remember as a kid I was on holiday at my uncle’s house in Timsgarry and got on Peter Macritchie’s bus to go back to Enaclete. I was sitting beside Neil Matheson, 22 Crowlista, (right) who was in naval uniform. It was his last leave, and he was lost at sea, aged 27, off North Africa. (Neil died on 11 November 1943 and was attached to HMS President III at the time. His hatband reads HMS Iron Duke (which spent the war in Scapa Flow) and the troopship HMS Ombra on the frame was a minesweeping yacht – presumably Neil served on both.)

[singlepic id=1277 w=180 float=left]All buses coming and going stopped at Puff’s house – Norman Macdonald, Post Office, Enaclete. There were always people ceilidhing at his house, as he had a wireless and the bodachs used to visit to hear the nine o’clock news about the war. There was great hilarity when the service lads came off the bus and they were welcomed by all and sundry. Bottles of beer would be drunk beside the bus and enws was swapped, length of leave, where they were serving and whether there were any other Uig lads with them.

Puff, left, had been a policeman in Glasgow but came home after his wife, who was from Lemreway (South Lochs) died. John M Macdonald, Puff’s son, was a Quartermaster in the Merchant Navy, on the Anchor Donaldson Line of Glasgow. He was on SS Gregalia during the war. John was later the postmaster in Enaclete, a highly intelligent man who should have stayed at sea as he had no idea how to work a croft.

[singlepic id=1276 w=280 float=right]Puff’s brothers Domhnall Dubh (Donald) and Iain Masach (John) – right, with John Macleod 5 Enaclete – ran a shop beside the Post Office and also had the tank for paraffin. The people from Ungeshader, Enaclete and Gisla used to queue there for petrol. Donald had been a policeman in Glasgow but had to resign, possibly because of epilepsy. He swore like a trooper but was very kind to children. On the counter of the shop were small tin pails with boiled sweets. When we went into the shop he would put his hand in the tin and give us some sweets for nothing, and then in Gaelic tell us to bugger off. He was not religious; I think some people looked on Enaclete as a ‘place of darkness’ in those days as nobody sat at the Lord’s Table to take communion.

We used to have two grocery vans, a butcher’s van and a fish van every week during the war. The Co-op van and Lipton’s van came with groceries from Stornoway; John Buchanan, Valtos had a grocery van and John Matheson, Cliff, used to come on Saturday with his butcher’s van. During the summer herring season Alex Morrison, from Achmore but with a paternal connection to Reef, used to come with fresh herring, charging 2/- or 2/6 for 20 or 25 herring, and he always gave you a couple of extra. My grandmother did the curing and every week she used to put around 20 into a barrel with rough salt for our winter feed. Being from Bernera she was a dab hand when it came to fish.

[singlepic id=1263 w=400]

In 1959 I was a 23-year-old Corporal Technician in the Royal Air Force. I had been stationed for some time at RAF Beachy Head near Eastbourne in Sussex – an early warning radar site literally on the top of Beachy Head. There I met Hilary Macdonald who was a nurse in one of the local hospitals. We arranged to get married in the September of 1959. No sooner had we made our plans and I was informed that I was to be posted, in September, to RAF Aird Uig.

RAF Aird Uig was also an early warning radar site. The prospect did not enthral us, as there were no facilities for families at the station. The only slightly good thing was that postings to this station were only 18 months duration. Also, theoretically, one could request where the next posting might be at the end of your tour.

I applied for a delay in my posting date but did not expect to get it. In consequence we rearranged our wedding bringing it forward to 22nd August. No sooner had I done this than the unexpected delay was granted with a new date in November. In those days trainee nurses were not allowed to marry so Hilary gave up nursing. The wedding went ahead in August, as replanned, and we lived with her relatives for the next few months.

Despite the lack of family facilities at Aird Uig we were determined that Hilary would join me during my tour on the island. Amongst other things we bought a Morris Minor car with canvas top. The plan was for me to take the car up to Aird Uig and look for rented accommodation.

On the appointed day we loaded the all our worldly goods into a large tin trunk, put it in the back of the Morris Minor, and I set out for Scotland. It was a considerable journey in those days. The part through the Highlands was particularly interesting. I can’t remember if I loaded the car onto the Loch Seaforth at Mallaig or Kyle of Lochalsh. What I do remember is that they put slings under the wheels and dragged the car sideways across the quay and up onto the foredeck.

There were several other RAF personnel making the crossing and I was able to get some information about things to come from them. On arrival at Stornoway the car was dumped off the Loch Seaforth on to the dock. An RAF bus was waiting to transport the RAF people to Aird Uig and I arranged to follow it, not knowing how to get there any other way. The boat arrived in the early evening and in November it was getting dark. Following the bus right across the island, with the roads as they were then, was a bit nightmarish. Needless to say we made it and I was installed in the billet for the Corporals. If you visit Aird Uig today you will find all the RAF buildings still there but put to other uses. The technical site is still there but the radars have gone.

In the next few days I made enquiries amongst other airmen about available rented accommodation. There was not much on offer, it seemed. One of the Radar Operators, George Banks, and his wife Chrissie, lived at Linshader.  He said that his landlady was looking for another couple to rent a room. (Chrissie was a Lewis Islander.) Those who know the island will appreciate that Linshader is half way across the island, between Stornoway and Aird Uig. A long commute, especially if working shifts.

Never the less I arranged to visit Linshader and meet Mrs Mackay. After the inevitable hospitality with drop scones, crowdie and jam, washed down with tea, she showed me the room she was willing to rent and the rest of the cottage. The arrangement was that George and Chrissie had the downstairs room, we would have the room above them.   Mrs Mackay had the other upstairs bedroom and we all shared the kitchen, bathroom, lounge, etc. I can’t remember how much the rent was but it included electricity and peat for fuel. As it seemed to be the only option I agreed to take the room.

While having more scones and tea Mrs Mackay’s son, Murdanie arrived. Murdanie was home on leave from sea. I enquired where I could get oil for the car. He enthusiastically said he would show me and we set out for Stornoway. It didn’t occur to me that at that time of the evening nowhere would be open. We spent some time in Mac’s Bar but didn’t get any oil for the car. Mrs Mackay was not best pleased, I feel, when we returned later that evening.

I spoke to Hilary and told her all about our new home and we planned her journey up to the island. She arrived at Mallaig by train, a long journey from Eastbourne. I had gone across on the boat to meet her and on arrival at Stornoway we drove to Linshader.

Life in Linshader

Life soon settled into a steady routine. My work involved working shifts. The routine was; morning and evening on the first day. The next day was afternoon, and eleven pm to eight am the following day. There was then one day off, (sleeping). This was followed by a repeat of the first two days after which one had three days off, the first being to catch up on sleep.

As Hilary was, by our standards, rather isolated living at Linshader, I elected to travel too and fro for each shift. This meant that I was travelling approximately eighty miles a day. If I was duty NCO on the station I would of course not come home. George Banks worked similar shifts and he travelled separately on a motorbike. I would fill up my car with petrol at the wind up pump at Miavaig. If no one was about we would leave a note of how much we had taken and pay later. With all this travelling the car tyres soon wore out. I would take them off the wheels and make “gaiters”, cut from old tyres, and fit them inside over the holes and then put the tyres back on the car. Eventually I had to get some new ones from Stornoway. Travelling between Linshader and Aird Uig was pretty arduous especially when the snow came. With a couple of sacks of peat in the boot, to give the car some weight, I managed it without ever getting stuck.

Evenings would mostly be spent around the fire in the lounge. We would read, Hilary would knit or darn socks, etc. Later Mrs Mackay taught me to crochet. Supplies were obtained from a weekly visit from the Co-op van. Occasionally a van with fish would call. You had to buy the whole fish as there was no filleting or selling part of the fish. A big Minch eel or cod would last us for days. We also got occasional items from the Naafi Shop on the station. At this time we only visited Stornoway about once a month. Also once a month a catholic priest would come up from Barra and a Mass would be said on the station to which our spouses were allowed to attend.

Christmas and New Year were a little different to most of our previous years celebrations. I seem to remember we visited the camp, and then went with another couple to their rented accommodation for Christmas Dinner. At that time there was about four couples from the RAF living in rented rooms in crofts not far from the station. We would meet in each other’s accommodation from time to time for a chat, smoke and may be a meal. We all seemed to smoke hand rolled ‘fags’ at that time so someone was always rolling the next cigarette to hand round. Once in a while the RAF would run a liberty bus to Stornoway for the airman on the station. They could also travel on the bus that most days went to meet the boat for those travelling to and from the mainland. Personnel on the station found many things to occupy their time. There was a boat that could be taken out to sea to fish. One could of course fish in the lochs for trout, etc. A couple of the lads took up scuba diving and brought scallops, clams and lobsters up from the deep. Much of their time was spent playing board games and cards.

From time to time Mrs Mackay would leave to stay with her relatives on Bernera or her daughter Jessie. On these occasions we would look after the dog, chickens and the bullock. The dog, having no work to do, would herd the chickens, one by one at a time, out of the hen house. He would then put them all back, one by one. Needless to say, we didn’t get as many eggs as we might have done. The bullock had been brought back, from an island in the loch, for the winter and housed in the byre. One of our jobs, when Mrs Mackay was away, was to let the bullock out onto the moor to graze. He had been treated as a pet by Murdanie when a calf. Having been kept in the byre most of the time, due to bad weather, he was full of fun when let out. He would charge up the lane and bash the next peat stack, then turn around and rush up to you to “play”. It was very nerve wracking and difficult to avoid getting a prod with a horn. We learnt a few things from Mrs Mackay. She made great drop scones, crowdie, jam, and wonderful marag dubh and marag geal. She even made me a haggis on one occasion.

Early in the New Year we discovered we were to become parents. Hilary started knitting and I crocheted a shawl during our evenings around the fire. Hilary went once to Stornoway Hospital and afterwards was visited by the local District Nurse.  The Nurse had done her training in Glasgow and she had some remarkable tales to tell of her experiences there.

Life in Aird

In June Alec Gumbrecht, another RAF person, came near to the end of his eighteen-month tour. He and his wife had rented rooms from John [An Geal] and Maggie Maclennan at Aird Uig and with his help we negotiated a move from Linshader to Aird Uig. Mrs. Maclennan did not seem to think it was a problem that Hilary was pregnant and that the baby would arrive in September. We would still have six months of our tour to complete at that time. We were sad to leave Linshader as Mrs Mackay was such a nice person, but the travelling was a bit excessive.

At Aird Uig we had one living room and a bedroom and the use of the bathroom. We also had the use of the kitchen at the other end of the house. We supplied our own fuel for the fire in our lounge but could use their peat for the Rayburn range to cook on, etc. I can’t remember what the rent was but it included the electricity and the kitchen fuel.  Mrs. Maclennan was always worried that we were using too much electricity. As well as our selves and Mr and Mrs Maclennan their son, John Angus lived in the house. One of our jobs was to look after and clean the public telephone that was located in the entrance porch. On our recent visit we noticed it still is.

Our bedroom was at the back of the house. Behind the house was the byre, which had a room for the tweed loom, right outside my bedroom window. The other end of the byre housed a cow. When I came off watch after a night shift my sleep was not always peaceful. First Maggie would take the cow out through the alley between the byre and my bedroom. Apart from the “mooing” it was not always the sweetest smelling cow. Later Maggie would go into the loom room to start the bobbin-winding machine, usually just after I had dropped off to sleep. Later John would come out and start weaving. You will all know that the “clack, clack” of the loom is not the most restful thing to have outside your bedroom window.

Sunday was different for us. The Maclennans would go to church. Usually Maggie would have boiled her Sunday mutton on Saturday night and on Sunday she would ask Hilary to put it into the oven to brown for their lunch after church. We were somewhat restricted on Sundays. For example, we were asked not to have the radio on. It was a very quite day. On occasions there would be “meeting” held in the house. At these times we would be restricted to our own rooms. We found the style of hymn singing at these meetings fascinating, and by our standards, most unusual.

We had the privilege of being invited to John Angus’s wedding in Stornoway. This was a big event with about four hundred people attending. I happened to have tape recorder and John Angus asked if I could record the wedding for him. In consequence we were seated at the top table with tape recorder. I think most of the other guests wondered who on earth we were. One of the interesting things was that people would get up and sing, usually without prior announcement, as far as we could tell. Needless to say all the songs were in Gaelic and some of them were very beautiful.

Eventually September came. Hilary went into labour while I was on duty on the camp and I had some difficulty getting away. We called the District Nurse and the three of us started out for Stornoway Hospital. Every few miles the nurse got worried that things were progressing too fast and we might have to deliver the baby behind a peatstack on route. We arrived at the hospital and I left Hilary, not expecting anything to happen too soon. I returned to duty on the station and later went to bed. The next day I discovered that a baby boy was born within half an hour of my leaving. I was in serious trouble for not ringing up earlier for news and to see how she was. About a week later we brought Mark back to Aird Uig. Hilary found it difficult to get organised due to the domestic arrangements and also need to be treated by Dr. Matheson for some time. She will tell you that he always warmed his hands before examining her.

About March the following year my tour at Aird Uig came to an end. We packed our worldly goods and baby into the car. Having said good by to all our friends and acquaintances we set off for Stornoway and the boat to the mainland. It took two days for us to reach our home in the south of England. We never forgot our stay on the island and have just revisited fifty years later. But that’s another story.

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

One day last week, Mr Murdo Macleod, Cliff, found on the sands close by, a small tin box which had just been washed ashore. He carried it home and opened it. Inside were four steel tubes. As the damp seemed to have got at them he considered them quite harmless, and he began making a closer examination when one of them exploded, badly damaging his hands and face. The thumb and forefinger of the left hand were practically blown off, and the other fingers badly lacerated. The right hand and arm and the right side of his face were also badly injured. His little boy, who was standing close by, got some of the stuff into his leg. Fortunately, the nurse was immediately in attendance and dressed their wounds. That same night, the father was removed to Stornoway Hospital where, we are glad to hear, he is progressing favourably. The boy is also doing well. It is hoped that any person finding anything of an uncertain character will exercise every precaution in dealing with it.

19 March 1920

His many friends are glad to see Mr Murdo Macleod, cliff, back again to his home, and looking so well after his treatment in hospital in the south. It will be remembered that mention was made in these columns of a serious accident he had in November last, when he narrowly escaped death from the explosion of a fuse found on the shore. His hands (particularly the left one) and face were badly damaged, and he was removed to Stornoway hospital that same night. After a fortnight’s stay there he had to come home with his hands still unhealed.

The district nurse – Miss Jeannie Maclean – began to attend him. Great credit is due to her for the manner in which she discovered and extracted, under many disadvantages, two pieces of brass tubing which had lodged and had been left in his hand. His eye, however, needed attention, and he was sent for treatment to an infirmary in Glasgow. There it was found that the sight had been damaged, the eyeball being penetrated in different places. That necessitated the immediate excision of the eye. A decaying bone was also taken out of his thumb; and now, so successful has the operation been, his eyes look quite normal.

Abhainn Dearg, the new whisky from Uig, will not be whisky until 2011 but thanks to the intrepid Leodhaisiach Mike Donald and his colleagues, a small cask of the new spirit is lying cosseted in a cellar in Glasgow. MacSorley’s Music Bar on Jamaica Street will be the venue for a tasting of the Peacemaker batch on Tuesday 16 March, from 7.30. From the invitations:

On February 21st 2010 at the Abhainn Dearg Distillery in Carnish on the far west coast of the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides released its first casks of legal spirit.

The MacSorley’s management embarked on a four day, 600+ mile journey from Glasgow to collect one of these casks and become the first people to take a legally distilled dram off the island inover 160 years.

The new make spirit came fresh from the still and has sat in a 30 litre Oloroso cask for the last few weeks. We are proud to be the only public retailer of the spirit (it’s NOT whisky!) in the world.

Tonight we invite you to join us for the tapping of the cask and the first tasting of what should prove to be an interesting drink.

We have named our batch “Peacemaker” after our founder, Philip MacSorley’s original blend.

There will be tradition live music from rising Lewis artist Iain Morrison. Abhainn Dearg’s owner & distiller will be present as well as a coopering demonstration from local firm Fishers. Food from Biadh chef Sam Carswell will also be served.

Slainte mhath!

To be added to the guest list, send a request to miked-at-subclub.co.uk (replacing the -at- with @). You can read about Mike’s journey to a wintry Uig starting here and see a pre-tasting video by whisky reviewer Ralfy here.  Abhainn Dearg is also offering a three day “whisky experience”.

20 July 1945

On Tuesday, 3rd July, in Crowlista School, Dr and Mrs Maclennan were met by a large company of friends who had gathered to present them with a token of appreciation of Dr Maclennan’s professional services in the parish since 1935. Rev Norman Morrison was called upon to preside. He spoke with regret about the impending departure of Dr Maclennan, who had put in ten years of arduous work in the face of many difficulties in a wide and scattered district. Being young and energetic, Dr Maclennan never spared himself, and he was always promptly on the spot when his services were required. Although the people of Uig were sorry to lose him, Mr Morrison said that it was the sincere wish of everyone that Dr Maclennan would be happy in his new sphere of labour. Mr Maciver, the headmaster of Lochcroistean School, referred in glowing terms to Dr Maclennan’s capabilities. He was always promptly at his post when needed, and he carried away with him blessing from every home in which he brough succour in times of need.

Cpl Kye, RAF, said that Dr Maclennan was regarded not only as a medical adviser but as a friend, and he was very glad to get the opportunity to wish him luck in the name of the boys at the camp. Cpl Hutcheson, medical orderly, RAF, spoke about his long association with Dr Maclennan, and of the speed and willingness with which he covered the twelve miles to Brenish when required to do so. Mr Peter Macdonald, Crowlista, told of the regret felt by everybody in the community when it became known that Dr Maclennan was leaving to take up work on the mainland. He said that the good wishes of young and old would follow him to his new home. Mr Ian Macdonald, Miavaig Post Office, said that he had been doing business with Dr Maclennan for many years and he was one of the best neighbours that any man could wish to have. Mrs Maciver, Ardroil, spoke feelingly of the relief which the doctor brought in time of trouble, and she thanked him for his attentiveness and kindness during many years of illness in her home.

The Chairman then called on Mrs Sutherland, the headmistress of Crowlista School, to hand over to Dr Maclennan a wallet of Treasury notes from all the townships in the parish. She did this, wishing him all success and happiness in the future. In a speech of thanks, Dr Maclennan said that he and his wife would never forget the kindness of the people of Uig, and he expressed the intention to come back sometime again to see their friends. A splendid tea was then served to all present. Mrs Sutherland, and other local ladies, had prepared a magnificent spread such as is seldom seen in war-time, and everybody enjoyed the good things provided. The meeting was closed with prayer by the Chairman.

Dr Maclennan is still warmly remembered in Uig, as one who came very quickly when called and, though kind and efficient, would never hang about for a cup of tea. It was he who identified the outbreak of diphtheria in Geshader in 1939, in the face of official scepticism – saving the life of Finlay Maciver, and probably others.

After leaving Uig, Dr and Mrs Maclennan went to Dufftown, where they became very prominent members of the community. In addition running his practice, giving exceptional support to his patients during hard winters, establishing two cottage hospitals, one for long-term patients and one including maternity facilities, and raising three sons (David, Christopher and Robin) Dr Maclennan was a founder of the Dufftown Pipe Band and became Hon President of Dufftown Golf Club. He joined the town council in 1947, becoming Dean of Guild, Housing Convenor, Senior Bailie and finally Provost in 1969. He retired in 1971 and died on 14 April 1975 at the age of 63.

The picture below shows the doctor with the staff of the Stephen Cottage Hospital in Dufftown in 1953. Many thanks to the family for the photos and information.

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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.