An account of the cattle sales at Ardroil from the People’s Journal, 27 September 1958. In the Outer Isles the folk who make their living off the land can’t come to the market. So the market goes to them.  And the cattle sales may well decide whether the crofter and his family have a good year or a bad year.

Thanks to Donald John Macleod, Enaclete and Bridge of Don, for these memories of Enaclete during the 1940s. As a boy in Enaclete I heard many stories about the war, including the Onslow action, being discussed by Calum Iain Smith and the worthies who used to congregate at night for a ceilidh at Norman Macdonald’s (Puff’s) house, Post Office, Enaclete, and also at the Coisich’s house after the family had moved from Ungeshader. Calum Iain’s father, Donald, was one of six men from Uig who [ » read more ]

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 [ » read more ]

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 [ » read more ]

John Nicholson 3 Crowlista, Peter Angus Maclean 8 Timsgarry; and a Macdonald from 5 Crowlista.  Can anyone identify the ladies, or where this is taken?