A village on the western shores of Little Loch Roag, comprising nine crofts. An abundance of small stone piers and landing stages on the shore indicate the importance of fishing and boat transport to and from the village. A sub-postoffice operated at 6 Enaclete. The village was never a large farm and was not cleared – many came in from other cleared districts from about 1850. The crofts were occupied principally as follows: 1: Maclean, then Macdonald from Bosta 2: Macdonald from Bosta, Macleod 3: [ » read more ]

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 ]

The following was written by Maggie Smith for Hebridean Connections.  The genealogies of all the known inhabitants of the island of Vuia – uninhabited since 1841 – can be found here. Life on the island of Vuia Mhòr was hard, with little fertile land and no safe anchorage. The peats were cut and harvested in Drovinish and taken home by rowing boat or sail. Boats had to be beached after each fishing trip. Amongst the inhabitants were the family of Neil Macleod, who had found [ » read more ]

The pressmen get their snaps – Lewisfolk provide a little colour Stornoway Gazette, 21 Jan 1944 American press photographers visited the vicinity of St Pauls on Hogmanay to pick up a few colourful pictures of New Year celebrations in London. A group of Lewisfolk gave them their best ‘shots’ of the evening when Pipers Findlater and Grant accompanied some of the lads and lasses totheir stations to see them off. While waiting for the train at Tottenham Court Road and Hyde Park Corner, the pipers [ » read more ]

Lochcroistean School, c1928. Teachers Annie Macaulay 35 Cliff and Donald Macarthur, Carloway. Back Row:1. Angus Hugh Smith, 2 Carishader 2. Angus John Macdonald, 6 Carishader 3. Donald Macritchie, 4 Enaclete 4. Donald John Mackay, 6 Geshader 5. Malcolm John Smith, 2 Ungeshader 6. Donald Smith, 2 Ungeshader 7. Donald Gillies, 9 Carishader 8. John M Macdonald, 6 Enaclete 9. Norman Macdonald, 12 Carishader 2nd Row: 10. Peter Macleod, 9 Enaclete 11. Murdina Maclean, 3 Geshader & Hushinish 12. Peggy Macleod, 10 Geshader 13. Johan Matheson, [ » read more ]

Place names in Enaclete and the surrounding area, mapped by Finlay and Kenny Maciver.  They did Geshader too and you may like to compare the Ordnance Survey map. 1. Airigh Dhubh 23. Caol Loch 2. Loch Croistean 24. Druim Mor 3. Loch a’ Phealair Beag 25. Loch nan Learg a Tuath 4. Old Sheilings 26. Cnoc a’ Charnain 5. Tom nan Laogh 27. Druim na Cloiche Moire 6. Loch na Craobhaig 28. Giarol 7. Loch na Craobhaige Moire 29. Druim a’ Charnain 8. Loch Mor [ » read more ]

New pictures for our collection; thanks to Mary Macleod, Lochcroistean.

Marianne hosted a lovely evening for about forty past pupils of Lochcroistean school, and their spouses, on the 130th anniversary of the opening of the school. If the slideshow isn’t working for you, the pictures are also in the Gallery.

From Islands Postal History Series, No 3: Lewis, by James A Mackay.  Published by the author, 1978. Miavaig The Gaelic name Miabhaig is derived from an earlier Norse name whose vik ending signified a bay – in this case one of the many inlets of West Loch Roag on the west coast of Lewis. A foot post from Stornoway to Miavaig was instituted in 1857 and was eventually upgraded to a horse post and then a mail car service, providing a thrice-weekly collection and delivery [ » read more ]

Ciorstaidh Mhòr, Christina Matheson, was born in 1861 in Enaclete, a daughter of William Ruadh and a sister of William Dearg.  Her father came with his family to Geshader in the late 19th century and built this house at 2 Geshader, on the hillside overlooking the loch on the right as you drive into the village – though there was no road then, of course.  Ciorstaidh, a notably tall woman, married Calum Macleod of 8 Geshader in 1883, remained at No 2, and raised four [ » read more ]

Teachers Donald Macarthur (Soup) and Annie Macaulay 35 Cliff (Anna Bheag) Back Row 1. Peter Macleod 9 Enaclete 2. Farquhar Macdonald 12 Carishader 3. Angus Hugh Smith 2 Carishader 4. Donald Macritchie 4 Enaclete 5. Calum Iain Smith 2B Ungeshader 6. Donald Gilleis 9 Carishader 7. John Murdo Mackay 1 Carishader 8. John MAcdonald 6 Enaclete 2nd Row 9. Angus John Macdonald 6 Carishader 10. Christine Macdonald 5 Carishader 11. Dolina Macneill 11 Carishader 12. Dolina Smith 2B Ungeshader 13. Johann Matheson 8 Enaclete 14. [ » 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 ]

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!