Following his tour of the island in the spring of 1851 to assess arrears owed by tenants and determined which of them were “to be emigrated”, the Chamberlain of the Lews, John Munro Mackenzie, drew up the following memorandum (from the Acair publication of his 1851 Diary.)  Two emigrant ships, the Marquis of Stafford and the Barlow, sailed from Loch Roag in May and June of 1851. 1.  112 families have volunteerd to emigrate this season.  184 families have been told that they may avail themselves of [ » read more ]

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 party returned the womenfolk told them what had happened, and they set off in their boats direct across the mouth of Loch Roag so as to intercept them, as they would be slow with [ » read more ]

A song about her native village, by Peggy Eric Maciver, 7 Kneep Tha Cnip os cionn mo dhachaidh tha mu choinneamh Cnoc nan Còrr Is an tom air cùl an tighe ris an canar Cnoc an Oir An Fhaoilinn ‘S rubha Iolmoir air am b’ eòlach mi bho m’ òig Is Sgealasbhalis Liongal cumail fasgadh ris an lòn. Gun dìrinn bruthach cus nuair a bhithinn a falbh a lorg nam bò Gun gamhainn seo Druim Raonabrie mu chùl a’ Bhaca Mhòir Gun dìrinn suas Druim [ » read more ]