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 world history, references in bàrdachd, photos and a complete (?) annotated list of all known mills on the Island.  Uig has the greatest concentration.  An exhibition of Dr Finlay’s research opens in [ » read more ]

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 fire, and then taken to the quern or hand mill, where, however, a great quantity is necessarily lost, from the difficulty of collecting it as it issues from between the stones. This meal is [ » read more ]

A letter dated 1836, from Thomas Knox, Chamberlain of the Lews at Seaforth Lodge to JA Stewart Mackenzie of Seaforth, MP, the Proprietor.  Mealista was cleared in 1838 and the farm let to John Macrae of Kintail (and latterly Harris.) Seaforth Lodge 21 April 1836 Dear Sir I have now the honour to reply to your letter regarding the offer of Alexander MacRae for the lands of Mealista, Keanhusly and the Island of Mealista, and to send you two letters from him on the subject, dated the [ » read more ]