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 ]

Comann Eachdraidh Uig played host last week to a visit from two experts on the Lewis Chessman, who hit the headlines in November with their theories relocating the find-site to Mealista, rather than Ardroil. Dr David Caldwell, Keeper of Scotland and Europe at the National Museum of Scotland, and Dr Mark Hall, curator at Perth Museum, were on the island to make arrangements for the touring Chessmen’s visit in 2011. Their proposal that the findspot was a souterrain on the site of a supposed nunnery [ » read more ]

By long and solid tradition in Uig, the spot where the Uig Chessmen were found in 1831 is held to be the Bealach Ban, a hollow in the dunes in Ardroil. In November of last year, a paper by Dr David Caldwell et al in Mediæval Archaeology proposed that, on the evidence of the Ordnance Survey Place Names book compiled by contractors from local information in the 1850s, the findspot may have been a few miles away at Mealista. Anna Mackinnon, Ardroil, wrote an initial [ » read more ]

An article published in Mediaeval Archaeology this week raises some questions about the origins of the Uig Chessmen.  From the BBC today: New research has cast doubt on traditional theories about the historic Lewis Chessmen. The 93 pieces – currently split between museums in Edinburgh and London – were discovered on Lewis in 1831. But the research suggests they may have been used in both chess and Hnefatafl – a similar game that was popular in medieval Scandinavia. It also casts doubt on the traditional [ » read more ]

A number of archaeological finds collected by the McVean family in Uig and handed to Museum nan Eilean for Treasure Trove are on loan to Uig Museum and currently on display. Several of the artefacts were found at Mealista eroding from a midden on the beach.  There is a bronze-age barbed and tanged arrowhead made of flint (1800BC-800BC), which is large compared to others found in the Western Isles and may have been imported. Flint does not occur locally other than as beach pebbles left behind as [ » read more ]

From West Over Sea by DDC Pochin Mould, 1953. To go to Uig is to go to a different country from the rest of the Lews, to go from the moors into the mountains, to the great massif which, with the Forest of Harris, builds the highest ground in the Outer Hebrides. It is only 32 miles from Stornoway to Uig, but the single-track road, which is untarred beyond the turn to Bernera, makes the way seem much further. It turns off at Garynahine on [ » read more ]

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 ]

Another extract from Uig, A Hebridean Parish, compiled by HA Moisley and members of the Geographical Field Group, Universities of Glasgow and Nottingham.  This section was written by Pamela M Gough; see also the further detail on life in the townships. Soils are generally deep, and there are few rocky outcrops on the crofts which are fairly level.  In Brenish and Islivig, the soils are mainly peaty, becoming wetter in the west.  Where visible the subsoil is gravel or stony boulder clay.  In Mangersta the [ » read more ]

From Uig, A Hebridean Parish, 1960. The photo of Brenish is by Sam Forrest, taken on land court business in 1965. More of his pictures in the gallery. Brenish has a south-westerly aspect whilst Islivig faces north-west; in both the elevation of the crofts decreases seawards from about 125 ft in the east to 50-25 ft in the west. Only on croft in Islivig, and the eight most southerly crofts in Brenish, run to the sea – the rest obtain some shelter from a line [ » read more ]

On 4 June 1883 the Napier Commission, chaired by Lord Napier, was in Miavaig to take evidence from crofters and others on issues surround land management and tenancy.  Among those interviewed was Norman Morrison, crofter and fisherman at Brenish, aged 61, who stated he had two milk cows, three young beasts, between fifteen and twenty sheep, and no horse, on a croft which he shared with his brother, who kept similar stock.  The following is slightly abridged. Have you been fairly elected a delgate by the [ » read more ]

Mealista Island (on the right) from above Molinish, with Scarp in the distance.  From “Various Superstitions in the North-West Highlands and Islands of Scotland, Especially in Relation to Lunacy” by Arthur Mitchell AM MD, Deputy Commissioner for Lunacy in Scotland, Corresponding Member of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.  From the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, vol IV, published in Edinburgh in 1862.  Excuse the non-pc approach: There is a little island called Mealista, separated by a narrow seaway from the coast of [ » read more ]

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 of Pabbay (see also his website) and particularly in the male and female descendants of the following line: XIV. Iain Ruadh Macleod (1692-1770) “John McEan Vic Gillichalum”, recorded in Borrowston as tenant in 1763 and [ » read more ]

Having been on the losing side in the Jacobite rising of 1715, the Seaforths had to forfeit their lands to the Crown. These were then administered by a body of Commissioners for a number of years (though the Seaforths were eventually allowed to buy them back, because no other buyer could be found.) It appears that, for some years after the etates had been forfeited, the tenants continued to pay rent to the exiled chief of the Seaforth Clan; but in 1725, whilst the estates [ » read more ]

To go with the picture of Sgail and his crowd of excursionists, part of an article from the Uig News: In the 1930s there were four cars in Uig. The two ministers both had cars – one was a Vauxhall. The Doctor had a car and so did Norman Mackay, the Public Assistance Officer – he had a Ford 8.  There was also the Morris van that brought the mails.  Motorbikes were driven by Donald Macaulay, no.19 Brenish; he had an O.E.C. and John Morrison of [ » read more ]

Pictures by Roddy from the Comann Eachdraidh walk out to the shieling at Mealista, one of the last to be built in Uig and still in solid shape, with a fine view over the Atlantic.