David SD Jones, author of a number of books and articles on gamekeeping and sporting estates, has produced a new history of Morsgail, the 14,000 acre estate extending from Kinlochroag to Hamnway and Loch Langabhat. It was laid out in 1850 by Sir James Matheson and used as a summer residence and to entertain guests with grouse shooting, salmon fishing and deer stalking. The book looks in detail at the development of the estate, the tenants under the Mathesons and Leverhulme, the subsequent owners (including [ » read more ]

For next year, Uig Museum will be mounting a display of wedding and christening objects, and we’re very keen to collect any items, stories, photographs and archives connected with these events in Uig over the years.  Naturally we don’t need to take ownership of them, unless you’d like to give them a safe home – we can photograph or scan them and return them immediately.  If you have any such Uig-related items you’d like to contribute, please get in touch with Sarah or Finlay (672224); [ » read more ]

To mark the expectation that our new Enaclete bypass will opening soon (surely), here’s a further extract from the unpublished memoirs of Rev Col AJ Mackenzie, who was born at Kinresort in 1887, son of the gamekeeper Roderick Mackenzie.  The family moved in to the gamekeeper’s house at Uig Lodge in 1891, and a few years later the young Alex John made his first journey to Stornoway, accompanying his parents; his mother was needing the town doctor. In those days there was only one way [ » read more ]

Another bit from DDC Pochin Mould’s West Over Sea, published in 1953; at the time even quite substantial and central townships like Geshader were just getting their proper roads. Crossing the moor between Loch Raonasgail and the yellow road by the sea at Uig, I had plenty of opportunity to consider living without roads.  Probably the first thing one notices is the silence.  In a roadless community the noises that make up the background of our road-driven civilisation are lacking: the swish of tyres on [ » read more ]

More about Uig side schools, the small schools provided for a minimum of three pupils in remote parts.  From research undertaken by Maggie Smith for Hebridean Connections and the Stornoway Gazette; see also Part I and Part III. Lily Macdonald (Lilidh Mhorsgail), born 1918, whose father Finlay Ferguson worked as under-keeper in Kinresort and then as gamekeeper on the Morsgail estate, said: I believe there was an earlier side school when Kenneth Maciver’s (Coinneach Mòr) family lived there before the 1920s.  I went to school [ » read more ]

From research undertaken by Maggie Smith for Hebridean Connections and the Stornoway Gazette.  See also Part II and Part III. After the Education Act of 1872, children throughout the country were entitled to an education, and a side school could be provided in remote districts where there were at least three children; a single junior teacher, under the supervision of a village school, would teach in a building or room temporarily provided for the purpose.  If there were insufficient pupils, a single child or two [ » read more ]

Further to the Daily Express cartoon about the alien cause of the disappearing loch at Morsgail, here’s a summary of the international coverage, from the Stornoway Gazette, 29 Dec 1959. Few events in Lewis in recent years have aroused such worldwide interest as the “Morsgail Meteorite”. In addition to the planeload of British reporters, the Columbia Broadcasting system of America sent a team of cameramen to Uig to photograph the ‘hole’ for American TV, and we have received a cutting from the Bulaweyo Chronicle, which [ » read more ]

Duncan Macdonald, Gisla, was the postman on the Kinlochresort route and his daily walk took him four miles over the moors to the remote village.  One day in 1959, he noticed that a loch was missing:  the water was simply gone.  Much debate ensued over the reason for this but the obvious explanation was alien activity.  The above appeared in the Scottish Daily Express on 3 Dec 1959.  Fifty years on, the outline of the loch, still dry(ish), is clearly visible on remote ground just [ » read more ]

This account of the gathering of the sheep into the Gisla fank for the clipping was written by David Henderson and first published in the Scots Magazine in August 1995.  These large-scale community gatherings are now, sadly, a thing of the past.  There are more pictures in the gallery, and of the fank at Loch Suainebhat here. In the diffuse crofting culture of the Western Isles, the summer gathering of the sheep from the moors is one of the main highlights of community life.  The [ » read more ]

Please join us on Saturday 9 August for an (unguided) walk to the Morsgail Beehives (NB131199) under Sgalabhal.  A little information here. Time and weather permitting, we may take in other scant remains of shielings in the area and look for the disappearing loch.  Meet at 11am at Morsgail road end and we will take a car or two up to the start of the track. Optional potluck picnic; we will bring the tea things.

from Donald John Macleod, Enaclete and Aberdeen We look upon the Vikings as seafaring rovers who spent their lives raiding and plundering. However, it is evident from place names that some Vikings settled in Uig where they cultivated the land and tended their sheep and cattle. The following Uig placenames are of interest in this respect. Ardfenish (ON prob Fe-nes) – sheep promontory Bastair (bolstadhar) – where cows and people live Cro (kro) – a small sheep pen Dirass Beinn (dyr-ass) – deer ridge Cruim [ » read more ]

Morsgail Lodge was built about 1850 by Sir James Matheson, purportedly for his wife, Mary Ann Perceval, who chose the spot herself. From 1849 Sir James erected wire fencing around a 15,000 acre tract to form the first deer forest in the Outer Hebrides. He was not a sportsman but used Morsgail to entertain guests and as his summer residence. Besides the stables (with servants quarters above) and various outbuildings, they also built a house for their piper, who played at breakfast and dinner when [ » read more ]

by David SD Jones, February 2008. An illustrated history of the sporting estates, including Morsgail, Scaliscro, Grimersta, Uig & Hamnaway, Garynahine, Eishken, Barvas, Galson and others.  Information from estate records and game books, detail of tenants and development programmes, and many photographs previously unknown to the Comann Eachdraidh, coming as they do from private collections in England.  Available from the museum (£10) or direct from David Jones.  

Stornoway Gazette Friday, 16 January 1920 WEST UIG MAIL SERVICE At a meeting held in Crowlista Public School, Miavaig, Lewis, on Tuesday, 30th December 1919 presided over by Col. Lindsay, Morsgail Lodge,Lord Leverhulme’s representative here, and attended by representatives from all the townships of West Uig, it was resolved to lay before the Postmaster General, their grievances and complaints with regard to the very unsatisfactory state of the mail service to and from Miavaig and Callanish. This is a grievance of long standing, but during [ » read more ]