Friday, February 5th, 2010
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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, ...
Posted in fishing | 3 Comments »
Thursday, June 25th, 2009
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 ...
Posted in crofting, history, life in uig, mills | 1 Comment »
Sunday, April 5th, 2009
The BBC Alba series A Reir na h-Aimsir, which looks at how weather affects us, was this week in Lewis, looking at how traditional blackhouse architecture has been adapted for a new house in Brenish, amongst other things. There's a trio of well-known Uig bodachs on local weather lore at ...
Posted in gàidhlig, video | 4 Comments »
Tuesday, October 7th, 2008
An further extract from the unpublished memoirs of Rev Col AJ Mackenzie, born Kinlochresort in 1887. Here he tells of how the family came to be at Kinlochresort, and also how they left it for the gamekeeper's house at Uig Lodge. His account of the pleasures of Traigh Uig is ...
Posted in fishing, history | 3 Comments »
Sunday, September 21st, 2008
From the Highland News, 30 August 1913; we've already had the fundraising concert and the domestic prizes:
The West Uig and Bernera Crofters' Show was held at Lochcroistean School on Wednesday the 20th August, under most favourable auspices, the day being sunny and warm and in every way pleasant for the ...
Posted in entertainments, history, life in uig | No Comments »
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2008
In 1851 several shiploads of emigrants left Lewis for Canada. The arrival and departure of the Barlow was delayed for a month, causing desperation amongst the prospective emigrants, but she eventually sailed at the end of June from Loch Roag. The following is from the Diary of John Munro Mackenzie, ...
Posted in emigration, history, land issues | 2 Comments »
Friday, August 29th, 2008
The Barlow sailed from Lewis in 1851 with 287 emigrants on board, one of several emigrant ships that year. Like the Marquis of Stafford it carried people who had been removed from their land and offered paid passage to Canada by the proprietor, but unlike the Marquis, which sailed in May, ...
Posted in emigration, history, land issues | No Comments »
Thursday, August 7th, 2008
From Gerard Lemmens, who, with his wife, Gillian Lesley Lemmens nee Macleod (great grand daughter of Rev George Macleod of Garrabost), is writing a book about her aunt, entitled "Anna Macleod - from Daughter of the Manse to Professor of Brewing". Gerard is interested in the genealogy of the Macleods ...
Posted in genealogy | No Comments »
Tuesday, July 29th, 2008
Extracts from the Evidence presented to the Dewar Commission in 1912, regarding medical service in the Highlands and Islands. Among the people interviewed was Dr Victor Alexander Ross, doctor at Garynahine who served Uig from 1900. The commission was chaired by Sir John Dewar MP (he of Dewar's whisky) and included ...
Posted in history | No Comments »
Monday, July 28th, 2008
At the end of April 1851, following his tour of the island to assess the number of tenants who were to be helped to emigrate to Canada, the Chamberlain John Munro Mackenzie travelled to Glasgow, in the company of Sir James Matheson and his wife who were proceeding to London, to make the arrangements. ...
Posted in emigration, history | No Comments »
Saturday, July 19th, 2008
Rev DA Macrae was born in Miavaig and lived latterly in Harris. He was interviewed by Maggie Smith in November 2004, and died in July 2005.
Our home Miavaig House was built in 1855 for my grandfather James Macrae, who was the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages and was also an ...
Posted in history | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, July 9th, 2008
Willie Matheson (Mac Gille Chaluim) wrote in his Families of Lewis series that Nicolson was "perhaps the oldest surname in Lewis" and that the Macleods came into possession of the island by marriage into the family. The name disappears and does not surface again until the 18th century, when Angus Nicolson is ...
Posted in genealogy, history | 1 Comment »
Monday, July 7th, 2008
A tale from Donald Macdonald's Tales and Traditions of the Lews:
Dòmhnall Càm and the big smith went one summer to the Flannan Isles, and the Morrisons of Ness, hearing the Macaulays were from home, came and drove the cows from the moor, for they met with no opposition. When Dòmhnall and his ...
Posted in history, tales | No Comments »
Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
From the 1851 Diary of John Munro Mackenzie, Chamberlain of the Lews. Carnish was cleared in the 1850s and the land added to Ardroil Farm. The small tenants at Mangersta moved to Doune Carloway in 1872/3, at their own request as the salt gales were damaging their crops. Both townships were resettled, ...
Posted in history, land issues | No Comments »
Stornoway, UNITED KINGDOM