From Estate papers, a list of tenants and their rents in 1867 – including Cliff. No. Tenant Rent 1 Angus Smith £ 1.6.0 2 John Mackay (Roy) £ 2.6.0 3 Angus Morison Jr £ 3.16.0 4 Donald Maclennan (Angus) £ 4.6.0 5 James Morison £ 2.16.0 6 Angus Macaulay £ 2.16.0 7 John Buchanan Jr (Murdo) £ 3.11.0 8 John Buchanan Jr (Donald) £ 3.11. 0 9 Angus Maclennan £ 2.14.6 10 Donald Maclean (Donald) £ 5.3.0 11 Donald Macleod (John) £ 4.16.6 12 John [ » read more ]

Valtos (from the Norse vald hus, house of one in power) is a large and well-populated village on the Valtos peninsula. The main settlement was once on high ground overlooking Cliff bay, where there is archaeological evidence and local knowledge of a temple and burial ground (roughly on the site of the old walled cemetery), castle and smithy. It is said that around the end of the 18th century, a bad storm wrecked all the village boats, and so the decision was made to shift [ » read more ]

During the Second World War, five Macdonald brothers from the village of Valtos, Uig, Isle of Lewis, served at sea. The five sailors were sons of Donald and Christina Macdonald 22 Valtos. Their mother Christina (nee Maciver), formerly of 25 Valtos, had lost two brothers in the first World War. Norman Maciver serving on a destroyer was swept overboard and lost in 1915 and Murdo Maciver in the Canadian Seaforths was killed in action in France 1916. Donald Macdonald, the father of the five young [ » read more ]

From West Over Sea (1953) by DDC Pochin Mould. Near the sheep fank on the flank of Benisval there is, so they tell me, a stone commemorating the visit of Lord Campbell, Lord Chief Justice in the 1850s. When I splashed through the Kinloch Resort river, I crossed from Harris into Lewis, and it was Lord Campbell’s boundary that I went over. There was a long dispute concerning the boundary line between Harris and Lewis in this part of the country. Along Loch Seaforth there [ » read more ]

The Rev William Matheson, “Mac Gille Chaluim” and the pre-eminent Island genealogist of his day, gives the following account of the Macaulays resistence to, and eventually tentative alliance with, the Mackenzies who took ownership of the Isle of Lewis in 1610, after the decline of the ruling Macleods and the failed attempt at colonisation by the Fife Adventurers.  This is from his History of the Mackenzies, first published in the Stornoway Gazette in 1955. The dislodgement of Neil Macleod [natural son of the last chief [ » 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 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 ]

The following comes from the Spring 1987 edition of Sanais, the Comann Eachdraidh’s quarterly publication under the editorship of Anna Mackinnon.  There are many tales about the Old Soldiers of Uig and this is another about the doughty Calum Olach of Valtos, serving with the Seaforth Highlanders as one of the Saighdeirean Mac a’Mhinisteir.  They were in Java in 1811. We return to Java, to the stronghold of the Sultan of Jogjakarta, one of the native princes who had helped the French against the British. [ » read more ]

Pictures also viewable here if the slideshow doesn’t work for you. Thanks to Iain Watson for these pictures and his memories of scout camps in Uig. The pictures were all collected by Don Laing, who used to be a Scout Leader in Stornoway for many years from the early 60′s until he died in 2000. Over the years he had collected several hundred scouting pictures; when he died his wife Mavis gave me the box. The Scouts used to go to Uig for most of [ » read more ]

Chrissie Matheson 39 Cliff and Jessie Macdonald 24 Valtos.

Back 1. Donald John Smith 2. Murdanie Macdonald 3. John Buchanan 4. Ray Goodge 5. DM Buchanan Front 6. Mary Peggy Mackay 7. Seonag Matheson 8. Chrissie Smith 9. Chirsty Bell Mackay 10. Annie Mackay 11. Marlene Morrison Schoolhouse

Another item from the endlessly entertaining Lewsiana, by W Anderson Smith (1874/1886). From the fact that every crofter owns a few sheep, wool is naturally the first and most important article in use [in clothing]. This is often torn from the animal, Shetland fashion, in place of being clipped. More wretched looking creatures than these poor little sheep, hanging in rags, cannot be conceived; and one wonders if it is a source of satisfaction to the cotter children to see something more hopelessly ragged than [ » read more ]

Teacher: Sophie Macsween (Macleod). Thanks to Mary Peggy Mackay for putting the names to the faces. Back 1. John Angus Mackay 7 Reef 2. Dan Buchanan 7 Valtos 3. DA Morrison 13 Reef 4. Calum Ian Buchanan 8 Valtos 5. Archie Macdonald, FP Manse Middle 6. John Andrew Buchanan 7 Valtos 7. Donald C Morrison 32 Valtos 8. Norman Mackay 31 Valtos & Miavaig 9. Donald Angus Mackay 30 Valtos & Crowlista 10. Donald N Morrison (Tammy) 32 Valtos 11. John Smith 30b Valtos Front [ » 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 ]

Photo taken by Aneas Maclean, nephew of Mrs Jessie Macdonald 24 Valtos, while on student placement.  We’ll expect the gaps to be filled in promptly: if not, I’ll be waylaying the others. Teachers: Mrs Alexina Macleod, Shawbost Mr Donald John Macleod (Inky), Carloway Front Row: 1. Calum Macdonald (Titch) 22 Valtos 2. Donella Matheson The Cottage, Miavaig 3. Catherine Ann Smith, 9 Kneep 4. Christine Macdonald (Tinie) 22 Valtos 5. Donald John Maclennan (Don-Don) Valtos Second Row 6. Iain Chisholm Macdonald 11 Reef 7. Margaret [ » read more ]