Carnish was lotted in 1850 and several new crofts were established, some for tenants from the recently-cleared Erista.  It was gradually cleared itself during the 1850s. The following table from the Estate papers gives the heads of families and their rent. No. Tenant Rent Remarks 1 Kenneth Buchanan, Erista £ 3.7.0 New land in the westward and easily reclaimed 2 John Maclean Erista £ 3.7.0 Do. Formerly John and Angus 3 John Macarthur, Erista £ 4.12.0 Partly new. Formerly widow 4 Widow Henrietta Macritchie & [ » read more ]

From a statement lodged with the Crofters Commission by the Estate management in November 1888, showing alterations made over farms in Lewis, with the occupancy and rent of each during the period 1844-1888. Mealista, Keannhusly and Island Mealista 1844-49 Alex and John MacRae £80.0.0 1850 do. £105.0.0 1860 do. £120.0.0 1870 John Mitchell £130.0.0 1886-87 do. (lands taken off) £85.0.0 1888 do. £85.0.0 Mangersta 1873 Donald and Malcolm Macleod £122.0.0 1880 do. £95.0.0 1888 do.   Ardroil 1844-48 Donald Macaulay £100.0.0 1849 John and James [ » read more ]

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 [ » read more ]

From an article by Dave Roberts with Norman Macaulay, John Macdonald and Donald Maciver. In the Seaforth Muniments, there are letters in which various people had recognized the need for a safe anchorage for the larger boats in Camus Uig. Representations were made to the Fisheries Board, and a plan and specification were prepared in 1835 for a pier at Carnish, with the completion date for the work set as 30 September 1836. There were plans for a road to be blasted through, a wharf wall [ » read more ]

From Uig, A Hebridean Parish, by HA Moisley and the Geographical Field Group, 1960. The crofting population of Uig started the second half of the nineteenth century with far less land than had been occupied by their forebears fifty years before, and, although famine, clearance and emigration had slightly reduced the population between 1841 and 1861 (from 3828 to 3630) thereafter it again increased, reaching 4600 in 1891.  Rising agricultural prices after 1850 favoured farmers and crofters alike but, whilst the farmers prospered, the crofters [ » read more ]

From Sanais, 1988, with some additions. The first school in the Western Isles was founded shortly after 1610, when the Seaforth Mackenzies gained possession of the island, and in 1680, a report by ‘Indweller’ says that the Seaforth school had done much good, not only for Lewis but also for the adjacent isles.  It was the ‘the great good of gentlemen’s sons and daughters and to the comfort and good of the people’.  Martin Martin reported in 1695 that English and Latin were taught. In [ » read more ]

A series of articles on the Old Soldiers of Uig appeared in the Comann Eachdraidh Uig publication, Sanais, in the 1980s, from which this is an extract. John Munro, Iain Mac a’ Mhinisteir, was the only son of the Rev Hugh Munro, minister at Bailenacille for fifty years; a son of the manse with a taste for adventure, he obtained a commission in the new battalion of the 78th (Seaforth Highlanders) raised from the Seaforth estates in 1804.  He was an ensign and his commission [ » read more ]

Thanks to Murdag, and to Finlay for the identification.

Many thanks once again to Robin Forrest for providing these wonderful, and previously unknown to us, pictures of Uig in 1964-65, taken by his father Sam Forrest on Land Court business.  Some things have changed… some have not!

William Matheson, Mac Gille Chaluim, wrote extensively of his own family in Uig: Malcolm Matheson [a younger son of Donald Ruadh (or Ban) Matheson, of Kneep and Valtos] known as Calum Ruadh or Calum Mòr, was tenant in Carnish when John Nicolson was tacksman.  In his time the population of the townlands of Uig was increasing rapidly, with the result that what were previously summer pasturages came to be occupied permanently by some of the tenantry.   Thus it was that Calum Ruadh, although a tenant [ » read more ]

From an article in Uig News by Dave Roberts. It appears that shielings were constructed so that one airigh could easily be seen from another, but it is said that very often the girls from a number of shielings would sleep in one building for company. The ancient shieling grounds for Brenish, Islivig and Mangersta were way beyond Raonasgail valley, in the moors north of Loch Craobhaig, at Fidigidh. The people of Carnish had their shielings by Loch Raonasgail, and at Ceann Chuisil. There are also [ » read more ]

This week the Comann Eachdraidh was pleased to welcome Mr and Mrs Jack Duncan from Michigan, USA, on their first visit to Uig. Jack is the great grandson of “An Irish”, Calum Macritchie, a well-known character in his day and one of the leaders of the Reef Raiders in 1913. Jack’s grandparents were Tarmod an Irish and Ceit Bhan (daughter of Barney O’Hare) who lived latterly in Stornoway, and Jack’s mother Catherine emigrated to America as a young woman in the 1920s where she settled in Detroit [ » read more ]

Mac an Irish, a dance and pipe tune (click for more; music courtesy of Sven Axelsson) was evidently written about a son of “An Irish”, Calum Macritchie (b1845) of Carnish, Aird, Kneep and Reef, and the eldest of the Reef Raiders.  He wasn’t Irish of course, but so called as he was always a rebel.  We don’t know which son is the Mac an Irish referred to.  We are in the process of compiling the verses; if you can help with this, or know someone who can, please let us know.  No descendents of [ » read more ]

Donald Maciver was born in Crowlista in 1857, son of John Maciver, the Gaelic schoolmaster and missionary, and they lived in Ness and then South Lochs.  Donald also became a teacher, at Lemreway (see the school log), Breasclete and latterly Bayble. The family had come from Carnish, just across the sands, which had been cleared in the early 1850s.  Donald would spend a lot of time in Crowlista with his maiden aunts, Mary, Ann and Effie, who were very enterprising.  Effie used to take a [ » read more ]

All identified now, thanks to Dolly. Teacher Babag Smith, Carishader Back: 1. Neil Morrison Brenish 2. Dolly Norma Morrison 12 Ardroil 3. Kathleen Morrison Mangersta 4. Chrissie M Matheson Ardroil 5. Catherine Macdonald 3 Ardroil 6. Nan Matheson Ardroil 7. Angus M Montgomery Islivig (Monty) Front: 8. DJ Montgomery Islivig 9. Flora Shaw Carnish 10. Lena Matheson Ardroil 11. Murdina Maciver Ardroil 12. Cathie Buchanan Brenish 13. Murdina Buchanan Brenish 14. Mary Peggy Shaw Carnish 15. Kenny D Morrison 12 Ardroil