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INSIDE
From the chairman
News
The Factors House
The Land Struggle
Lewis and Harris
Uist and Barra
Angus Macleod Lecture
Books
and.................
2013 events
programme


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THE ISLANDS BOOK TRUST
URRAS LEABHRAI CHEAN NAN EI LEAN
ne ws l e t t e r No.35
January 2013
editor
Alayne M Barton
THE ISLANDS BOOK TRUST
U R R A S L E A B H R A I C H E A N N A N E I L E A N
Tiree
Bliadhna mhath r!
We wish all our members a very happy 2013!
TrisTan da Cunha
the worlds most
isolated island
community
Our 2013
programme kicks
of at An Lanntair
Stornoway with
Alasdair MacEachen
looking back on an
excursion to the
South Atlantic
The highlight of our
2013 programme is
a 3-day conference
in Tiree from 30th
May-1st June, the
frst time the Book
Trust has organised
an event on this
island.
Another busy year has passed, and it is good to look forward to new
horizons in the year ahead. Our programme for 2013 will I hope hold
plenty of attractions for everyone. The centrepiece will be our 3-day
conference in Tiree in late May/early June, the frst time we have held
such an event on this beautiful island. This will build on the friendships
and contacts made last October when we were there to launch the
new book by Mike Hughes and John Holliday about Tiree in World
War 2. What an occasion that was it seemed like half the island
were present in An Talla, and all 300+ books brought across were
sold! The idea of a conference about the history of Tiree, leading in
due course to the frst-ever full-length book about the island, took
shape that weekend, and it is gratifying that so many leading speakers
have already signed up for this years conference. I suspect this will be
a really popular event, so do book early the detailed programme
will be available shortly.
But as you will see from the details of the events for 2013
elsewhere in this newsletter, there are many other boat trips, talks,
and walks to look forward to, and I hope you our members will be
able to take advantage of many of these opportunities. In many ways
it is the people who come on the events who make them special,
and indeed the chance to meet and learn from so many interesting
people from different walks of life is in my view one of the greatest
benefts of the Book Trust.
Our programme of publications planned for the forthcoming
year is also a full one, building on the tremendous achievements
of last year when a record level of sales was recorded. It includes
further books on aspects of life in St Kilda, but also completely new
subjects for the Book Trust - from a book about the Gaelic soap
Machair to the life of the great South Uist-born footballer Malky
MacDonald who was born a hundred years ago next October. We
also plan to publish the proceedings from our two most recent major
conferences held in Shetland and Lewis on the work of the School
of Scottish Studies, and Recovering from the Clearances, respectively.
Previous newsletters have highlighted our fund-raising campaign
to ensure that we can cover our ongoing costs, particularly our two
staff posts. We have put a lot of effort into this over the last year,
and I should like to thank all those who have supported us through
donations or in other ways. At the end of last year, we received the
good news that funding for the next stage of the exciting Hebridean
Connections project which the Book Trust will be managing - has
been secured. This will make a useful contribution to our fnances,
and also mean an increase in our staff for the next two years, but the
fnancial challenges are far from over. We are therefore considering
an increase in membership prices after several years of standstill,
and also ways of reducing costs such as introducing the option of
electronic newsletters. Further details will be included in the May
newsletter. I hope you will agree that membership of the Book Trust
offers excellent value for money and will continue to support us as
we take the measures necessary to ensure that our achievements can
be sustained.
John Randall Chairman January 2013
the islands book trust january 2013 2
from the chairman
Hebridean Connections
Hebridean Connections is an
exciting project which has already
produced a highly innovative and
powerful multi-media website
www.hebrideanconnections.com
which brings together historical
information about people and places
for four areas of Lewis, drawn from
the records of participating Comainn
Eachdraidh (local history societies).
Funding of nearly 300,000 has now
been agreed for the next major
stage of the project from January
2013 until March 2015 from the
Scottish Governments People
and Communities Fund, HIE, and
CnES. This will involve building a
wider network of local history
societies and heritage organisations
throughout the Outer Hebrides
interested in taking part, working
with these societies to train
volunteers in their communities
in IT skills and making heritage
information more easily available,
and improving the website further
through new software and support
from Aberdeen University. The
project will deliver benefts in terms
of heritage, cultural tourism, Gaelic,
economic and social development,
digital inclusion, and improved
health and well-being in remote
communities. A new company
Hebridean Connections Ltd has
been formed to own the intellectual
property rights involved, and the
project will be managed on behalf
of Hebridean Connections by the
Islands Book Trust, who will employ
three new members of staff. There
will be close links with Comhairle
nan Eilean Siars new museum and
archives service for the whole of
the Outer Hebrides, and indeed it
is hoped that in the longer term
Hebridean Connections can become
integrated with this service. The
Book Trust are very pleased to be
playing a role in this pioneering
project, which fts well with our
urras leabhraichean nan eilean am faoilleach 2013 3
of you who were not lucky enough
to receive a copy for Christmas, we
still have some available from our
website but be quick as they are
selling fast!
An t-Eilean Taking a Line for
a Walk
On the afternoon of Saturday 8th
December we launched our newest
publication at the Aros Centre in
Portree. An t-Eilean Taking a
Walk through the Island of Skye is a
remarkable new book in English and
Gaelic by award-winning writer and
broadcaster Angus Peter Campbell,
with wonderful photographs by
Cailean Maclean.
It is loosely based on a long walk
the two of them close friends
since they grew up together in
South Uist made a couple of years
ago from the south to the north of
Skye. In that respect, it is a successor
publication to their Suas gu Deas
(Up South), which is a diary of their
walk from Ness to Mingulay and is
also published by the Book Trust.
But the new book Taking a
Line for a Walk is much more than
that. It is partly autobiographical,
allowing Angus Peter to refect on
his childhood in South Uist and the
main infuences on his life, including
his father and other local characters.
It is partly about his peoples
history, trying to recover from the
clearances and emigration promoted
by absentee landowners such as the
infamous Lady Gordon Cathcart.
At every point there are insights
into the treasures of the Gaelic
language and the rich store of local
heritage recorded by people like
Donald Angie MacLean, who hand-
drew his own map of Sleat with
over 100 Gaelic place-names and
their derivations; and K C Craigs
incomparable study of the Gaelic
dialect, speech, and proverbs of
South Uist.
And, as one would expect from
Angus Peter, the book contains
islands-wide interest in furthering
understanding and appreciation of
the history and culture of Scottish
islands.
Book Trust to extend Education
and Research part of Website
The Book Trust are introducing a
new section on their website to
encourage further education and
research into the history of Scottish
islands. This will allow selected
research and working papers
which contain information of value
to historians and researchers but
which are not in a form suitable for
publication to be made more widely
available. The frst such item is an
informative paper on the history
of the crofting village of Taskavaig in
Skye, compiled by David Hutchison.
Proposals to add further items to
this part of the website should be
addressed to John Randall at john.
lemreway@talktalk.net
Book Launches
Tiree War among the Barley
and Brine
A wonderful new book Tiree War
among the Barley and Brine by Mike
Hughes and John Holliday, with many
archive photographs and personal
memories of Tiree during the
Second World War, was launched in
Tiree on Saturday 13th October.
Tiree might have expected to see
out the Second World War in happy
obscurity. Instead, the Battle of the
Atlantic threw it into the frontline
and a major RAF base was built in
1940, changing its landscape and
wrenching its culture into the 20th
century. One crofter maintained
Hitler was the best councillor
Tiree ever had as a three runway
aerodrome was laid down, cart
tracks became tarmacked roads
and 2,000 servicemen from all over
the world were stationed on the
Hebridean island.
Although never under direct
enemy attack, the island saw its fair
share of dramas the destroyer
HMS Sturdy was wrecked there in
1940, two Halifax planes collided in
mid-air over the island, the weather
report that postponed the D-Day
landings by a crucial day came from
RAF Tiree and plans for the Royal
family to escape to Canada via the
island were laid in the event of a
Nazi victory.
However, the main star of this
story is the island itself how the
service men came to feel about
Tiree, how the islanders themselves
felt about this invasion, and how
two very different cultures met.
The authors to a large extent let
the people tell their own story - a
story that goes far beyond the island
itself to examine the profound effect
the war had on the Gaelic-speaking
island, an effect from which it is still
recovering.
Mike Hughes has been
researching the Second World War
in Scotland for almost 20 years,
publishing Hebrides at War in 2001
and Stornoway in World War II with
John Davenport for the Islands Book
Trust in 2008. Married to a Tiree
woman, he has a particular interest
in the island and has a huge archive
of papers, letters and photographs
about the RAF base there, sent
to him by ex-servicemen. He is
now a full time Principal teacher of
Religious Education in Lanarkshire.
Dr John Holliday has been the
GP on Tiree for 25 years. Fascinated
by the islands history, he set up An
Iodhlann, the islands historical centre,
and has a particular interest in the
place names of the island and oral
history. From the collection of 400
audio recordings, he has selected the
most interesting recollections about
the war on Tiree.
Both authors were present at
the launch, and they must have had
aching hands from signing their
autographs as more than 300 copies
were sold on the day! For those
the islands book trust january 2013
4
trenchant views on politics, the
media, and the future of the Gaelic
world. Finally, there are some
absolutely stunning new pictures of
South Uist, Eriskay, and Skye taken
by renowned photographer, Cailean
Maclean. All in all, this is a visual
and intellectual feast, of compelling
interest to people who love the
Outer Hebrides as well as the island
of Skye.
The launch was well attended
and both author and illustrator
were on hand to discuss the book
and read extracts, as well as to sign
copies. An T-Eilean is available
from the Book Trust website, priced
20.00.
Outline of 2-day Conference in
Lewis: Friday 21st Saturday
22nd June 2013
The Book Trust is proposing to
hold a mini conference at the
Ravenspoint Centre, Kershader, on
Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd June
2013. Entitled Slighe Chaluim Chille
- Exploring the Life, Legend, and
Legacy of St Columba in Ireland and
Scotland, this 2-day event will bring
together speakers and interested
people from Ireland and Scotland
to discuss St Columbas legacy and
consider how best these linguistic
and cultural links can be celebrated
and strengthened, possibly using
the Slighe as the basis for a series
of annual events involving local
communities on the Slighe. There
will also be a visit to Eilean Chaluim
Chille, a nearby island which can
be reached on foot at low tide and
which has the remains of an early
teampull dedicated to St Columba.
We envisage that some of the talks
will be in Scots Gaelic and some
in Irish Gaeilge, with simultaneous
translation facilities into English
available.
St Columba is the best known
of the early Christian saints who
journeyed from Ireland to Scotland
in and around the 6th century AD
in search of personal fulflment
or to evangelise. He is believed to
have been born at Gartan, Donegal,
leaving Ireland in 563 to found a
monastery on Iona, where he died
in 597. Many legends surround his
activities, particularly in Ulster, Iona,
and the Hebrides. His religious and
cultural legacy is of great importance,
and includes many early churches
dedicated to his name in both Ireland
and Scotland.
To encourage further
understanding of this legacy, and the
linguistic and cultural links between
Ireland (both north and south of the
border) and Scotland, the Colmcille
Initative has recently established
Slighe Chaluim Chille (the St
Columba Trail) from Glencolmcille,
Donegal, in the south to Lewis in
the north, including many sites in
Donegal, Derry, Argyllshire, Easter
Ross, and the Outer Hebrides.
It is instructive to note that in St
Columbas time it was probably
easier to travel along the route of
the Slighe than it is today!
If you are interested in
attending, please contact
Alayne at alayne@
theislandsbooktrust.com or
Margaret on 01851 880737.
The Factors House, St Kilda Andy Walsh St Kilda Archaeologist
The National Trust for Scotland have owned the St
Kilda archipelago since 1957and over that time have
conserved and repaired a number of buildings. This year
we undertook signifcant works on the Factors House.
This was necessary as we had noted some worrying
dips in the fooring and a gap between one wall and
the ceiling. This together with poor electrics and
plumbing meant that anyone staying there had to deal
with a growing number of the buildings eccentricities.
However before works began we had to take some
things into consideration.
The building is a Scheduled Monument which means
it is legally protected, and that all development work
has to be agreed with Historic Scotland (HS). As part of
the process for gaining permission from HS, desk-based
research was carried out in order to understand when
the Factors House was built, who used it and whether
original features survived. The research highlighted how
little we actually know about the building!
The foor plan appears very similar to the houses
built on St Kilda in the early 1860s, and it has been
suggested by Mary Harman that it was constructed
around the same time, although no building plans or
records have been found. The Factors House is not
marked on Sharbaus plan of the village dating to 1858,
or an annotated 1861 version. However, we do know
it was fnished by 1873 when Angus Smith visited the
island.
Sharbaus plan shows us that the Factors House
was built in an area of common property between
the Manse glebe and the Dry Burn. This area probably
represents the remains of two or three plots
which, along with the other 18 which are still visible
today, were laid out in 1834 as part of MacKenzies
reorganisation of the village. By the time Sharbau drew
his plan the plots were held in common because the
families had gone to Australia, a poignant reminder of
the disastrous emigration of 1852. The plan also records
two small structures where the Factors House now
stands. These were cleits and are recorded as belonging
urras leabhraichean nan eilean am faoilleach 2013 5
Top: The Factors House
on St Kilda
Right: The jam jar
container which may
have been made in
Newcastle (Photo: Gina
Prior)
Below: Removing
the foor boards in the
living room revealed
the rotting joists
to Finlay Ferguson, who was using them to store birds
and peat.
The Factors House was used to house the resident
teachers and nurses, the Factor during his annual visit,
as well as the occasional important visitor. There was no
internal staircase within the building so each foor could
operate as a separate household. On each foor there
were two main rooms and a smaller central room or
closet. There were freplaces in the gable walls on both
foors.
From 1900 a room was set aside for use as the Post
Offce, but this was removed in 1913 to make way for a
new wireless station, which had been funded by a Daily
Mirror campaign. Masts were erected to the south and
west of the building and in dry periods their concrete
bases and anchors are still visible as crop marks in the
grass. The newspaper withdrew funding in 1914 and
the station fell out of use, but a year later it was taken
over by the Admiralty. When St Kilda was attacked by
U-90 in May 1918 the wireless station was the main
target, and the Nurses cottage, as it was described in a
confdential memorandum, was severely damaged. The
damage was repaired after the war and it continued to
house the resident nurses until the island was evacuated
in 1930.
After the evacuation it fell into an increasingly
dilapidated state, but following the acquisition of St Kilda
by the NTS in 1957, it was leased to the Ministry of
Defence for use as the offcers base. The MoD repaired
the slate roof, replaced the external doors and windows,
and undertook some refurbishment works inside.
From the early 1960s the building became home to
the Nature Conservancy Council and Scottish Natural
Heritage wardens. During the mid-1970s the internal
spaces were extensively refurbished: downstairs the
closet was converted into a bathroom, the rotten
foor in the kitchen was removed and replaced with
concrete, and most of the kitchen lining boards were
also removed and the walls plastered. Upstairs, a toilet
was added.
The research we carried out this year indicated
that the foor and wall panels in the living room, and
a freplace in one of the upstairs bedrooms, may have
been original (or at least pre-1930) features. Most of
the other features were thought to probably date to
1957 or later, but despite this it was decided that all
the work would be undertaken to minimise the impact
on the building. This meant that nothing would be
permanently removed unless it was damaged beyond
repair or it was a modern fxture or ftting. Some panels
and foorboards were carefully removed in order to
lay new pipes and electricity cables, or to repair rotten
joists but once the work was completed they were put
back in their original position. It was also decided to
reline the kitchen with wooden panels as this was a key
characteristic of the rest of the building.
Under some of the foor boards in the living room
were fve pieces of a stoneware jam jar type container.
They were found lying in a rubble deposit between
different joists, so the bottle had been broken before
the foorboards were laid. This type of container dates
to the late 19th or early 20th century, and the vertical
grooves may indicate that it was made in Newcastle. No
other artefacts were found during the work, but it is
possible that other objects are waiting to be discovered
behind the modern fxtures and fttings.
The works that were carried out this year have
ensured that the building can continue in use and
provide comfortable accommodation for staff and
researchers carrying out important conservation works.
the islands book trust january 2013
6
The Islands Book Trust annual conference is, of
course, always an event to look forward to. Last
year in Shetland had been so very special however,
that here at IBT HQ there was a slight sense of
being underwhelmed by this years occasion, to be
held in the newly vacated Balallan School. When
we arrived frst thing on Wednesday 5th September
the school itself seemed slightly sad, deprived of
the shrill voices and thundering feet of its usual
inhabitants, and their pictures left up on the walls
made the silence seem louder.
Once the catering staff from the Ravenspoint
Centre at Kershader came in though, things quickly
changed. In no time the building was flled with
the aroma of home-made soup, bread, quiches,
pizza and fresh coffee. The IBT bookstand with its
now hundreds (it seems) of books flled the empty
space along with the makeshift reception desk. And
dividing the room into lecture area and socialising
area was the temporary exhibition about the Land
Raiders put together by Proiseact nan Ealan some
years ago.
Gradually people began to arrive, both speakers
and delegates, and the atmosphere began to
take on that special nature which attends all IBT
conferences, wherever they are held; a mix of
enthusiasm, conviviality, knowledge and interest.
This year our subject was Recovering from the
Clearances Land Struggle, Re-settlement and
Community Land Ownership in the Hebrides,
and Balallan School was the ideal venue, being the
place where The Pairc Deer Raid, whose 125th
anniversary took place this year, was planned.
This was one of the seminal episodes in the Land
Struggle by crofters in the Highlands and Islands to
draw attention to the iniquities of the Clearances
and the desperate plight of many landless cottars
in Lewis and other parts of the Hebrides. A
year earlier in 1886, and following the report
of the Napier Commission Inquiry, Gladstones
Government had passed the Crofters Holdings
(Scotland) Act, which gave security of tenure to
existing crofters, but did nothing for the thousands
of families with no rights in land.
However, the Highlands and Islands Land
Struggle of the 19th century, refecting some of the
contemporary developments in Ireland, certainly
marked a growing confdence by crofters, leading
to a change in public opinion more favourable to
land reform. Eventually, after many setbacks, this led
to Government-backed re-settlement schemes and
the legal re-occupation of some of the land lost at
the time of the Clearances.
While much has been written about the
Clearances, relatively little attention has been given
to the long drawn out process of recovery, the
often unsuccessful work of the Congested Districts
Recovering from the Clearances
Land Struggle, Re-settlement, and Community Land Ownership
in the Hebrides
During the years of the
Clearances throughout the
whole of Scotland, the legal
authorities could not fnd one
solitary argument as grounds for
intervention on behalf of the tens
of thousands of human beings
whose land was stolen, who were
subject to physical intimidation,
whose very lives were under
threat.
The law protects the abusers. It
protects their rights as though by
design.

ewen cameron
urras leabhraichean nan eilean am faoilleach 2013 7
Board, and then - following the First World War
- the use of compulsory powers by the Board of
Agriculture for Scotland to create more land for
crofters. In more recent times, community land
ownership initiatives are bringing about profound
changes, especially in the Outer Hebrides. Many
see this as the fnal stage in recovery from the
Clearances, even though the population of many
of the islands is now only a fraction of their earlier
populations.
So to some extent we would be looking forward
as well as looking back during the conference.
Who better to start things off then, than Emeritus
Professor at the University of the Highlands and
Islands, Jim Hunter, who gave the keynote address
on the subject of land reform in the Highlands and
Islands. Jims talk encompassed the Clearances, the
Land Raids, Angus MacLeod and the formation of
the Scottish Crofters Union, the Assynt Crofters
and the beginnings of community land ownership,
bringing in the poetry of Sorley Maclean and
Norman MacCaig.
After a quick tea break, Professor Ewen
Cameron from the University of Edinburgh took
the stage. Ewen compared the Clearances with
those in Ireland and Wales and this was followed by
a robust discussion session before the group broke
up to prepare for the conference dinner, which was
held at Ravenspoint. We were honoured to have
Booker prize winning author James Kelman, who,
he recently discovered, had South Lochs ancestors,
to give the after dinner address, which was a
characteristically uncompromising examination of
the Clearances:
During the years of the Clearances throughout
the whole of Scotland, the legal authorities could
not fnd one solitary argument as grounds for
intervention on behalf of the tens of thousands of
human beings whose land was stolen, who were
subject to physical intimidation, whose very lives
were under threat. Many did die whether then or
later, in alien environments in Scotland, America and
Canada, or in the hold of a rickety ship attempting
to sail the ocean. In the face of imperialism human
life is an irrelevance. The law protects the abusers.
It protects their rights as though by design. Those
who suffer as a result might wish to dispute such
rights or the exercise of such rights, and are
free to do so - as long as they respect the law and
challenge from within.
Thursday morning dawned bright and sunny
and Allan Campbell was the frst to speak. His talk,
entitled Dileab Saorsa (The Freedom Legacy) was
a personal view of land issues in Glendale and Skye,
given in Gaelic, however unfortunately we had a
technical problem with the simultaneous translation
which meant that some people missed some of the
fner points Allan made. Joni Buchanans talk was
next, also in Gaelic, so again the translators had to
work overtime trying to make sure the non-Gaelic
speakers understood the gist of it and it was an
exceptionally interesting talk about the Pairc Deer
Raid.
After coffee Professor Donald Meek introduced
us to the Rev. Donald MacCallum in a talk entitled
Preaching the Land Gospel. Rev. MacCallum,
The Prophet of Waternish, was a radical minister
who began his career in Morvern before moving
to Arisaig, where in 1883 he appeared before the
Napier Commission, representing six crofters. The
following year he moved to Waternish in Skye and
became so involved with the land struggle there
that he was eventually censured by the church
presbytery:
The Presbytery express their great
dissatisfaction with Mr MacCallums absence from
duty today, more especially that they are informed
he is going about the country as a political agent, a
course which the Presbytery think is unbecoming in
a clergyman.
In 1888 MacCallum moved to the parish of
Heylipol in Tiree, a post he held for a very short
time, however he was well respected by the
islanders who erected a cairn to commemorate his
work there. From Tiree he moved to the parish
of Lochs in Lewis, where he stayed until he retired
in 1921. In later years he became very active in
recruiting men for the huge estancias in Patagonia.
He died in Glendale in Skye in 1929. Professor
Meek gave a fascinating account of a man who was
either loved or hated, and we look forward to
reading his full length biography of MacCallum one
day.
After lunch Professor Marjorie Harper gave
a presentation about the Land Struggle and
emigration. Marjories talk asked the question, did emigration offer an
effective route of recovery or escape from the clearances, or did
it simply involve a relocation and redefnition of the concept of land
struggle? The answer depended on when the emigration took place, as
Marjorie explained when talking about the clearance of Rum in 1825:
The frst cohort of settlers, in the eighteenth century, did
reasonably well. Many of them, with some capital in reserve, were able
to secure Crown land freehold on generous terms, and established
fairly productive commercial frontland farms, on which they enjoyed
higher living standards than had been possible in Scotland. But those
who came in the 1830s and 1840s, already impoverished by the
potato famine, discovered both that the good land was already taken
and also that stricter regulations made it almost impossible for them
to acquire territory legally. Often squatting without title on scrubby
backlands, they eked out a living in much the same way as they had
done in the Highlands: reliant on a meagre farming base, harnessed to
precarious part-time wage labour in fshing and mining, and dogged by
the same potato blight from which they had just fed. The topography
that reminded them of their Hebridean origins had come back to
bite them, and, like the Canadians at Merville 75 years later, their land
struggle was primarily a literal struggle with the soil and its limitations.
Dr Bob Chambers then took the foor to discuss land re-
settlement schemes in the Hebrides, and he was followed by Iain
MacIver, Factor for the Stornoway Trust, who spoke about the history
and future of the oldest community land owner in Scotland.
That evening was the premiere of the play, We Have Won the
Land, a collaboration between the Book Trust, Rural Nations Ltd and
Community Land Scotland. The play is reviewed elsewhere in this
newsletter, but suffce to say it was very well received and there was a
vigorous discussion session afterwards.
Iain Robertson from the University of Gloucester started
proceedings off on the Friday morning, talking about the design and
building of the Land Struggle memorial cairns, and then we were
lucky enough to have Rob Gibson MSP with us to talk about Donald
Macrae, the schoolteacher at the very school we were sitting in, who
was the leader of the Pairc deer raiders. Prior to his appointment to
Balallan, he had been active in land reform in Alness, and was sacked
by the school board for his pains, earning himself the title, the Alness
Martyr.
That afternoon there was a bus trip to visit some of the sites
associated with the Pairc Deer raid, including various places on the
Eishken estate and the memorial cairn, followed by dinner and a ceilidh
at Ravenspoint.
The fnal day, Saturday, was for looking forward. We had
representatives from two local community land owners, the Urras
Oighreachd Ghabhsainn (Galson Trust) and Stras Uibhist, and David
Cameron from Community Land Scotland talking about the future,
both in the Hebrides and further afeld. As ever, the close of the
conference came upon us too quickly, when there was still so much
to discuss, but it had been a typically inspiring Book Trust event
and everyone went on their way, heads buzzing with ideas and new
numbers in their contacts lists, leaving Balallan school empty once
more; empty, but for the strange feeling that Donald Macrae would
have approved.
As mentioned in our September
2012 newsletter, the Book Trust
has been involved in a partnership
with Rural Nations Ltd and
Community Land Scotland to
present a new play about land
ownership and communities.
Entitled We Have Won the
Land, the play was premiered in
Balallan during our Recovering
from the Clearances conference
in September, then toured
throughout rural communities
in the West of Scotland before
fnishing with performances in
Glasgow and Edinburgh.
The company worked with
factual material collected from
historians and key people and
communities in Scotland who
were or are involved in processes
of buying their land. Dramaturg/
writer Toria Banks from London
pulled the various strands
together into a credible script
along with director Muriel Ann
Macleod, and the actors (David
Walker, Ruth Tapp, Cameron
Mowat, Hazel Darwin Edwards)
themselves were also involved
with the development of the
play as it evolved. There was
a discussion session with the
audience after each performance
which also shaped the play as it
The lslands Book Trust and Rural Natlons Fresent:







A play about land ownershlp and communltles.
Devlsed by the company and wrltten by Torla Banks.
Dlrected by Murlel Ann Macleod. Deslgn by Fhlllppa Thomas.
Muslc by Hector Maclnnes. Llghtlng Deslgn by All Ross.
Onllne tlckets from: ZZZZHJRWWLFNHWVFRP
For more lnformatlon vlslt: www.ruralnatlons.com

Foster deslgn & lllustratlon by Davld Feter Kerr
the islands book trust january 2013
8
We Have Won
the Land
toured. Set design was beautifully
managed by Bristol based Philippa
Thomas and the music was
composed and performed by
Hector MacInnes.
The play was set on a fctional
island, named Murg, and we were
introduced to the community,
played by only four actors, right
from the start. Fred Silver
wrote the following review for
Events in Lewis and Harris, and
we are extremely grateful to him
for permission to reproduce it:
urras leabhraichean nan eilean am faoilleach 2013 9
Story of a community with its back against the wall
We Have Won The Land: Balallan Hall
B
alallan has probably not seen the premire of many plays - but this honour fell to it in September when
We Have Won the Land, produced by Lewis-based Rural Nations, started a Scotland-wide tour there.
This production brought to life on stage in an effective and vivid way the conficts between and within
communities about land ownership, development and actual survival.
And yes, it was fun as well! The cast of four wore many hats, skirts and other items, switching roles,
accents and costumes with sometimes confusing speed. I was left slightly unsure if the process of converting
a man to a woman by partly wrapping a too-small dress round him over his clothes was a serious comment
about the politics of gender or just a result of leaving the correct garment in a wardrobe in town!
The public meetings that formed part of the plot were brilliantly and simply explained by having the
small group of performers simply change accents and sitting positions. It is hard to pick a single example out
of this mele of debate and activity but David Walker in the storm comes to mind, mimicking the style of
conversation and stance which would be taken up in a high wind, with a background of storm sounds. The
way the wind appeared to snatch away his words made you almost want to look round to see where the
draught was coming from.
We Have Won The Land is about a community on the made-up island of Murg buying the land they live
on (as happened in Eigg and on Assynt, Gigha and many places in the Western Isles) in order to take control
of their own destiny. As the play begins, there is only one child left on the island, one child left in the school.
The landlord is still up there in his big house while the islanders houses crumble - which is precisely what
happened in Gigha, which prior to the buyout, had the highest proportion of substandard housing in Scotland.
One of the characters, an incomer who has been widowed, is left living in a caravan because the landlord
would not let her stay in the house she had shared with her husband.
The people of South Harris might well recognise another part of the scenario as a struggle develops in the
community over a plan to turn a mountain into road rubble with a vast quarry. The problem of the shortage
of local jobs is pitted against the survival of a local mountain. Talk of buying the island for the community
founders on the simple fact that Murg is not for sale.
A new crisis erupts as the quarry plan is dropped. The landlord is going to sell - some residents have
already lived under three owners. But support grows behind the concept: History should not be of the
harm done by rich mens whims but the history of what we do to help ourselves. Helped by a stroke of
luck, the buyout succeeds in the end and the play moves on to look at the varied impact of this success on
some of the individuals involved. Overall, the excellent performances, brisk plot and clarity of philosophy,
made this an enjoyable performance and the company went on to take it throughout the Hebrides and on
to the mainland, encountering problems with weather on the way - at least two performances had to be
cancelled because of the impact of stormy weather.
Underlying this play is the message of the former 7/84 Theatre Company and the statistic that around 50
per cent of Scotland is owned by 1550 people. (The theatre company name came from a statistic, published
in The Economist in 1966, that 7% of the population of the UK owned 84% of the states wealth.)
The play was developed by Rural Nations in collaboration with the Islands Book Trust and Community Land Scotland. The performance
was devised by a company of experienced theatre performers working with director Muriel Ann Macleod, dramaturg/writer Toria
Banks, from London, and designer Philippa Thomas, from Bristol. The company worked with factual material collected from historians
and key people and communities in Scotland who were or are involved in processes of buying their land. Performers included David
Walker (Uist), Ruth Tapp (Ayrshire), Cameron Mowat (Aberdeen), Hazel Darwin-Edwards, (Edinburgh) and Hector MacInnes (musician,
Skye). New music was commissioned from Hector MacInnes.
Faclan 2013
A Personal View by John Randall
The Hebridean Book Festival (Faclan) took place
this year over the period 30th October 3rd
November, mainly at An Lanntair in Stornoway.
The Book Trust are represented on the organising
committee and took responsibility for arranging a
series of illustrated talks on Scottish Lighthouses
by John Love which were held in Barra, Uist, Harris,
and Lewis. The talks were based on Johns book
The Island Lighthouses of Scotland published by
the Book Trust. They were well received, each talk
focussing on a particular local lighthouse. For the
Stornoway talk, focussing on the Flannans lighthouse
and the mystery of the disappearance of the
lighthouse keepers in 1900, John was joined by poet
Kenneth Steven.
A problem for Faclan in the past has been
limited publicity and attendance numbers, but
this year there was a much higher profle, mainly
due to the predictable and sensationalist interest
of mainland-based media in the talk by Richard
Dawkins about his book The God Delusion. Having
built up the story of Professor Dawkins daring
to set foot in a deeply Sabbatarian and hostile
island, the media then expressed surprise at his
reception under the headline Dawkins Cheered
in Stornoway. Certainly, listening to Richard
Dawkins and some of the other speakers with
opposing views (for example, Francis Spufford
and the Reverend David Robertson) was a most
interesting experience in relation to changing social
and religious attitudes in the island, although these
sessions sometimes resembled political rallies which
generated more heat than light.
What was missing from these exchanges in my
view was any recognition that Christianity has been
and still is a very profound part of the culture of
the islands, and that intellectual attacks on religion
however justifed in abstract theoretical terms will
be seen by many as an attack on traditional island
beliefs. The balance was redressed to some extent
by the erudite and sensitive contributions from
Professor Donald Meek and Morag Macleod on the
Gaelic Bible and Gaelic psalms, respectively. These
sessions demonstrated what Faclan should be about
an opportunity to refect, discuss, and learn about
issues relevant to Hebridean life and culture in a
relaxed environment.
Alastair McIntosh
It was a great
pleasure to
welcome the
infuential
writer Alastair
McIntosh back
to Lewis on
Tuesday 2nd
October, to give
a talk entitled
The Islands
Greatest
Export A
Personal
Exploration of Spiritual Values at An Lanntair.
Alastair grew up in North Lochs where his
father was the doctor, and was educated at
Leurbost School and at the Nicolson Institute. He
holds degrees from the universities of Aberdeen,
Edinburgh and Ulster, including a PhD on liberation
theology and Scottish land reform. He is a Fellow of
the Centre for Human Ecology, a Visiting Professor
at the University of Strathclyde, and has lectured in
divinity schools in British and American universities,
at the Holy Trinity Sergyev Monastery in Russia, and
at the World Council of Churches in Geneva. His
books include Soil and Soul and his writing has been
described by Michael Russell MSP as profoundly
important; by James Jones, Bishop of Liverpool, as
life changing; by Rowan Williams, Archbishop of
Canterbury, as very helpful indeed and by Thom
Yorke of Radiohead as truly mental. A Quaker by
convincement, he lives with his wife, Vrne Nicolas,
in the Greater Govan area of Glasgow, where he
is a founding director of the GalGael Trust which
works with poverty, the recovery of meaning, and
boat-building.
Recent Events in Lewis and Harris
Richard Dawkins
the islands book trust january 2013
10
phoTo: murdo maCleod
phoTo: murdo maCleod
Alastair began by declaring his passion for the
beauty of the islands spirituality, whilst recognising
the religious diffculties that history has often
thrown up, and his conviction that there is
something here that constitutes the islands greatest
export to a wider world. He went on to explore
the spirituality of the island of Lewis and Harris
as a place, comprised of many meaningful places,
that have long given life to and sustained a deeply
spiritual community.
The talk then moved on to Westminster
Calvinism which became the outward religious
face of that inner spirituality. Alastair explored
some challenges of the TULIP formulation of
Calvinism and refected on the distinction that
some island Evangelicals make between Calvin and
his Institutes of the Christian Religion of 1536, and
various Calvinisms. He then looked at some
of less-well-known aspects of how Westminster
Calvinism came to Lewis in the 1820s, and especially
the roles of Lady Hood Mackenzie and the Rev
Alexander Macleod, given a recent history of brutal
conscription and clearances.
Finally he celebrated the deep spirituality of
the island that runs beneath historical variations in
outward religious expression, exploring the island as
a place that sustains a deep experiential awareness
of the spiritual realm founded in strength of
community. He concluded by looking towards the
miann, the ardent desire for God, as having the
potential both to bridge religious differences, and to
be the islands greatest export.
Visit to Butt of Lewis Lighthouse
On Saturday 20th October, the Book Trust held a
most enjoyable and instructive event to mark the
150th anniversary of the Butt of Lewis lighthouse,
one of the best known and most iconic structures
in the Outer Hebrides. This took the form of talks
and lunch at the splendid new premises of Comunn
Eachdraidh Nis in the former Cross School,
followed by a visit to the lighthouse courtesy of the
Northern Lighthouse Board.
One of the many lighthouses built around the
Scottish coast under the auspices of the Stevenson
dynasty of engineers to the NLB, the brick-built
Butt of Lewis lighthouse was frst lit on 15th
October 1862. The earlier history of lighthouse
building in Scotland was ably covered by Dr Alison
Morrison-Low of the National Museums of Scotland
in her illustrated presentation. There then followed
a personal contribution from Donald Mackenzie
of Ness, who recalled his earliest memories of
the lighthouse and some of the keepers and their
families who have contributed so much to Ness
over the years. This led on naturally to a discussion
chaired by Iain Gordon Macdonald with some of
the former keepers, which provided a unique insight
into the challenges of life and work in a pretty
exposed location.
After lunch, we made our way to the Butt itself,
passing en route the remains of the buildings at
Stoth where materials for the lighthouse were
landed. We also met Tony Marr, ornithologist, who
gave us a short talk on the importance of the site
for migrating birds. At the lighthouse we were
greeted by Murdo MacAulay, Relief Lighthouse
Keeper, who was on hand to accompany us in
small groups up the tower. It was a most beautiful
calm and sunny afternoon and the view from the
top was stunning, particularly of Ness and the
coastline although North Rona was not visible
despite much eye-straining. Murdo said he had
never seen it from the lighthouse, so it must be just
over the horizon.
It was most appropriate for the Book Trust
to return to Ness during our 10th anniversary
year, and we would like to thanks all speakers and
participants, CEN, and NLB, for making this such a
memorable event.
Aidan OHara.
Atlantic Gaels:
Cultural and
Historic Links
between the
Western Isles and
Co. Donegal
The cultural and
historic ties between
the Western Isles
and Co. Donegal
was the subject
of an illustrated
presentation at An Lanntair, Stornoway on
Tuesday 20 November, by well-known writer and
urras leabhraichean nan eilean am faoilleach 2013 11
phoTo: rob farrow
broadcaster Aidan OHara.
Aidan is a native of the Inishowen Peninsula,
Co. Donegal. As a boy he spent his holidays with
an older married sister on the northernmost part
of the peninsula. People pointed out the outline of
the southern part of the island of Islay and the Paps
of Jura further off in the distance to the northeast.
From his earliest years, therefore, he was not only
aware of the proximity of Scotland but was familiar
with the distinct accents of its people, visitors from
Glasgow and the lowlands, mostly, many of them the
children of Donegal people who had emigrated to
Scotland. Its just under 40 miles from the north of
Inishowen to Islay, and because of its location and
long coastline, Inishowen was easily approached by
sea either from the northern coast of Ireland or
from the west of Scotland.
At the beginning of his talk Aidan reminded us
that for centuries there have been close cultural
links with Donegal. Historians have pointed out
that our people are of the same stock and speak
the same language or languages, indeed. Close
trading links, inter-marriage and cultural contacts
strengthened and sustained the relationships on
both sides of the sea.
Aidan also included stories of times when
Donegal exported whiskey to the people of the
the islands book trust january 2013
12
islands, who in turn came over with barley, corn,
herrings and ponies! Music, song and dance, too,
played a vital part in a shared heritage.
A major part of the presentation dealt with
the Scottish soldiers from the islands known as
gallglaigh in Gaelic and gallowglasses in English.
These mercenary warriors were attached to
powerful Donegal clans among them the
ODonnell and ODoherty families and they
eventually settled in Ireland. In fact, like so many
natives of the county Aidan himself has gallglaigh
blood in his veins, with ancestors whose names
include Mac Colla (Coll), Mac Suibhne (Sweeney)
and Mac Ruair (MacRory and Rogers).
In the centuries before the Tudors came to
power, Donegal and the northern part of Ireland in
general was terra incognita to the centre of power
in Dublin Castle. There was active and constant
communications with the West Highlands and the
term the Wild Irish was applied not only to the
Irish in Ireland but to the Islands and Highlands as
well, as Edinburgh and London sought to bring them
under their control.
Aidan was a very engaging speaker and despite
it being a wild wet night there was a good turnout
of people who must have felt it was well worth the
effort of getting to an Lanntair!
Recent and Future Events in Uist and Barra
Uist and Barra events for 2012 were rounded off by our popular speaker John Love. John gave two
talks, one in Barra and one at Taigh Chearsabhagh, Lochmaddy, at the end of October, as part of
the Faclan Book Festival. The subject for both talks was Scottish lighthouses, each of the venues
having its own association with two well-known Stevenson lighthouses - the Monachs (Heisgeir) in
the case of North Uist and Barra Head lighthouse at the most southerly tip of our island chain.
The fnal talk for 2012 was an interesting account of the northern isles of Orkney and Shetland
given by John at a well-attended event in Claddach Kirkibost Centre on 6th November.
The Trustees are grateful to everyone who supported the Book Trust events throughout the
year.
We now look forward to another full programme for 2013. Hopefully it will be third time
lucky for Ronay. We have brought the trip forward to April on this occasion, as the September
weather conditions have not been in our favour over the last two years, resulting in the trips being
cancelled.
The Wiay trip is back on the programme. Those of you who were on this trip last year may
recall that we were accompanied by Gregor Ewing and his dog Meg, as they retraced the steps of
Bonnie Prince Charlie following the Battle of Culloden. Not only did Gregor and Meg complete
the trip in good time, but Gregor has now completed writing his account of the venture and he
hopes to launch his book at Culloden on Saturday 13th April, that is after returning to the islands
to give us an early preview and a presentation about his expedition. Details of the dates and
venues are in the events programme.
Alasdair MacEachen
urras leabhraichean nan eilean am faoilleach 2013
13
The annual memorial lecture in honour of the late
Angus Ease Macleod of Calbost, South Lochs, was
given this year by Emeritus Professor Donald Meek,
a native of Tiree and an outstanding Gaelic scholar
at Glasgow, Aberdeen, and Edinburgh Universities.
This important lecture, extracts from which are
reproduced below, argued that the history of the
Highlands and policy for the development of the
Highlands have mainly been told or framed by non-
Gaels. As a result, the distinctive Gaelic perspective,
embodied in the writings of people such as the Rev.
Thomas Murchison, has been largely overlooked:
Our understanding of the history of crofting
in the Highlands and Islands has come a long way
since the early 1970s. Thanks to the pioneering
efforts of Dr (now Professor Emeritus) James
Hunter, Highland crofting discovered that it had a
history, and one worth telling from the crofters
perspective. In the course of the 1970s and 1980s,
Professor Hunter was joined by other researchers,
and gradually the course of events a century earlier
became much clearer.
During the 1990s, the focus of research began
to move away from the 1880s and the 1890s to the
twentieth century. In the light of research published
over the last 35 years, it is evident that the broader
framework for crofting stability was constructed
in the 1870s and 1880s, but that the most pressing
of all requirements, namely the need for land,
remained to be addressed after the passing of the
Crofters Holdings (Scotland) Act of 1886. Post-
1886 agitation was aimed at the division of farms,
the initial protest taking the form of land-raiding
and illegal occupation of farmland in many parts
of the Highlands and Hebrides, including Tiree and
Lewis. The struggle for land settlement, as it was
called, was further fomented by the First World War
and the Leverhulme debacle in Lewis and Harris.
The main phase of land settlement, conducted
by the Board of Agriculture, was over by 1930,
although there were intermittent occupations until
after the Second World War.
Government, which had been much involved
in land redistribution in the frst quarter of the
century through the Department of Agriculture,
seems to have become less interested in the matter,
or more remote from it, by 1930. Economic
challenges to crofting and other aspects of Scottish
life multiplied in the era of the depression.
Investment was minimal, and offcial deafness more
than evident. Those who had received crofts from
the Department of Agriculture before 1930 were
now in fnancial distress. As the growing problems
of new smallholders began to be addressed, it
became evident that co-ordination of policy, effort
and action was required across the Highlands and
Islands.
It is in that context that I wish to address
the role of the Rev. Dr Thomas Murchison and
his part in creating the Highland Development
League in 1936, alongside Dr Lachlan Grant. I
would wish to draw attention to the Highland
Development Leagues function and signifcance,
because I believe it was of fundamental importance
to steering the Highlands and Islands through
the diffcult years after 1935. Not only has the
Highland Development League been overlooked
to a large extent, but when it has been noticed, its
signifcance has been minimised, most notably by
Professor James Hunter in his account of crofting
in the mid-1930s, which forms part of his book, The
Claim of Crofting. Professor Hunter has very little
to say about the League, ascribing its foundation
to Dr Lachlan Grant alone, whose contribution, in
his view, seems to have been largely incidental to
Highland development. The League and Dr Grant
were charging at a door which the Secretary of
State for Scotland, Sir Godfrey Collins, was already
holding open.
The Angus MacLeod Lecture 2012
Professor Donald Meek
A Gaelic View of Highland History and Development
the centuries-old droving tradition, and it had
maintained a ferry until it was wrecked in a gale in
1915. So matters remained, until T.M. Murchison
began a campaign for a replacement vessel and
slipways on both
sides of the channel.
These were eventually
provided, after a
struggle with the
relevant landowners,
and Murchison was
given the honour
of opening the new
service in 1936. The
Glenachulish, which still
plies between Glenelg
and Kylerhea, is thus
a lasting memorial to
Murchisons initiative
and his practical
organisational skills.
As his role in
establishing the
Glenelg-Kylerhea
ferry demonstrates,
Tom Murchison was
involved in a practical
manner in many of the
economic initiatives of the time. He was not an
armchair planner. For example, he was a powerful
advocate of Highland interests when hydro-electric
schemes were being mooted in the 1930s, and
consortia were jockeying for opportunities to
cash in on the potential boom. Murchison and the
Highland Development League wanted Highlanders
themselves to have the economic benefts of the
scheme, and he was prepared to travel far and wide
to make the case.
In fact, so strident and comprehensive was
the Leagues role that, in 1938, he and other
representatives of the League were summoned
to the House of Commons by the Committee
of Privileges for holding the House in contempt.
When they arrived in London, they found that the
committee, under Clement Attlees chairmanship,
had no mind to convene, since it had found
(presumably by precognition) that there was no
case for Murchison and his colleagues to answer.
It had not as much as bothered to tell them, and
they had a wasted journey. This tells us a great
deal about the way in which the Highlands and
Highland development were viewed in those days.
There were no medals then for champions of the
I would beg to differ from that interpretation.
In so doing, I would suggest that there is a hidden
history here which must be recovered and put
on record a history hidden, that is, from the
eyes and ears of those historians who do not have
access to Gaelic sources. Indeed, it is appropriate
to sound a warning that, in providing crofting with
a history, scholars do not always provide a history
that Gaels themselves would recognise, because it
is not written from within their experience. Nor is
it written from within the existing Gaelic evidence.
To be fair, however, that evidence is sometimes
hard to access. Only within the last two years
has a selection of Murchisons Gaelic essays been
made available in print, together with his invaluable
autobiography.
Thomas Moffat Murchison was a minister of
the Church of Scotland from 1932 until his death
in 1984, serving frst as parish minister of Glenelg
from 1932 to 1937, and then of St Columba-
Copland Road, Govan, Glasgow. The latter merged
with the Summertown church in 1966 to become
St Columba-Summertown, from which he retired
in 1972. He was also a household name in the
Highlands and Islands when I was growing up in the
1950s and 1960s. There are at least four reasons
for his prominence:
(1) Murchison was the editor of the Gaelic
Supplement of Life and Work, the journal of the
Church of Scotland, from 1951 to 1980.
(2) Murchison was a regular broadcaster on
Gaelic radio from the mid-1940s.
(3) Murchison wrote articles on Highland
economics and crofting issues in Gaelic journals, and
particularly in Gairm (1952-2002).
(4) Murchison was a well-known, practical
supporter of the crofters cause. He got into his
stride in the mid-1930s, when, as minister of the
parish of Glenelg, he campaigned for justice for
crofters in Glenelg who had incurred serious debt
on their holdings.
The Kylerhea-Glenelg area was of fundamental
importance to Murchisons formation as a
campaigner on behalf of crofters, as well as to the
creation of the Highland Development League.
His roots lay there, but so also did his frst parish,
as well as his frst practical challenges. These
included the provision of appropriate transport
arrangements linking Glenelg and Kylerhea, and
the creation of a through route by ferry to and
from Skye. The narrows of Kylerhea had been
a signifcant crossing-point for cattle within
I would suggest that
there is a hidden
history here ..........
a history hidden,
that is, from the eyes
and ears of those
historians who do
not have access to
Gaelic sources.
.......scholars do not
always provide a
history that Gaels
themselves would
recognise, because
it is not written
from within their
experience.
the islands book trust january 2013
14
Highlands, and certainly not for those who dared to
raise their voices against the status quo.
The Highland Development League was of
considerable importance in its own day, but it is
evident that Grant and Murchison had bigger, wider
goals for the Highlands than merely to support
crofting. They did not want to deal with individual
economic challenges, or with only one strand of the
Highland problem; rather, they wished to develop
a means of dealing with the Highland economy as a
whole. It was in this context that Murchison began
to articulate his vision of a single body responsible
for the economic regeneration of the Highlands
and Islands. As far as I am aware, he was the frst
person ever to describe what later emerged as
the Highlands and Islands Development Board,
and he did so in print in 1938, in an important
article entitled Wanted a Broader Outlook: The
Highlands To-day and To-morrow, published in a
booklet celebrating the Empire Exhibition of that
year.
Murchison was ideally equipped to chair the
1955 Crofters Commission, but the Government
chose a career diplomat, Sir Robert Urquhart,
in keeping with the colonial perspectives of the
period. Although there was a noticeable element
of condescension in government attitudes to native
Highlanders, Murchisons lack of prominence in the
annals of Highland development may have been
partly his own choice some might say even his
own fault as he was a shy, self-effacing man in
private, who may never have wanted recognition.
In the new Highlands which we all know today,
and which T. M. Murchison and Lachlan Grant strove
to bring into existence from the mid-1930s, his
achievements would have been recognised more
readily or at least we trust so. In Murchisons
time, however, Highland development was very far
from being a fashionable subject of the kind it is
now, with a quasi-populist view of crofting as a way
of life intrinsically worthy of government support
and generous offcial recognition (in the Honours
lists) of non-Gaelic-speakers who administer the
existing structures. Native Gaels who showed
vision and enterprise before Labours new deal for
the Highlands was unveiled as the HIDB in 1965
were treated with little respect. They were a
thorn in the fesh of the government and its wider
establishments, but they were not exactly viewed
with favour even after 1965. Indeed, Murchison
himself pointed rather sharply to the lack of native
Gaels on the HIDB when it was created, and asked
how such men as Sir Robert Grieve could have
access to real information about the real Highlands,
if the Board contained no Highland insiders.
It may well strike us as quite breathtaking that
an outstanding native Gael, thinker and planner
like T. M. Murchison, with unrivalled practical and
intellectual knowledge of the feld of Highland
development, was not a member of the Board.
Colonial attitudes to the region and its culture,
and especially Gaelic and Gaelic speakers, lingered
long, as did the concept of a board which was
a medium for government intervention, rather
than a transmitter to government of native Gaels
considered views of the needs of the Highlands and
Islands. To government across the centuries, Gaels
were outsiders and somewhat subversive, and this
perspective has been hard to eradicate.
A most telling story in this regard comes from
Andrew Murchison, son of T.M. Murchison. When I
was discussing his fathers achievements with him on
one occasion, Andrew told me that he would never
forget the day a policeman in uniform appeared at
their home. Andrew was then a small boy, and the
arrival of the bobby frightened him. However, the
bobby did not come with bad news or to arrest
anybody. In fact, he had come with good news!
And what was the good news? It was that the fle
held by the Special Branch on the Highland-related
activities of the Rev. T.M. Murchison had now been
closed!
I am not sure how the Rev. Dr Thomas Moffat
Murchison would have reacted to that. As one of
the most gracious and courteous men ever to have
engaged in Highland development, he must have
had wry smile at the very least, knowing that one
particular door was now closed. He himself made
the point more than once that the only door that
was potentially open to him, particularly in the
fraught days of Highland hydro-power schemes
when he was summoned to appear before the
Committee of Privileges of the House of Commons,
was that of the Tower of London! Charging at
an open door? Yes, there was indeed an open door,
but it was not perhaps the one that would have
given Tom Murchison or Highland crofters more
freedom!
A full illustrated account of Professor Meeks lecture
entitled Charging at an Open Door? An Alternative View
of Crofting History and Highland Development has been
published by the Islands Book Trust and is available price
6 plus P and P from www.theislandsbooktrust.com or by
phoning Margaret on 01851 880737.
urras leabhraichean nan eilean am faoilleach 2013 15
the islands book trust january 2013 16
Tiree War among the Barley
and Brine
Mike Hughes and John
Holliday
Tirees inhabitants had fought to
master the seas for centuries.
Tirees soil had nourished a large
population, along with other islands.
In World War Two, Tiree was
required to offer sustenance and
shelter to arrivals from a multitude
of cities and states.
In the early 1940s, as country
after country fell to Hitlerism, Tiree
became a sentinel for the Clyde and
other vital, west coast sea ports.
Convoys crammed with servicemen
and women and crucial supplies
skirted close by, while U boats
lurked just out of view. The military
commandeered chunks of almost
every Hebridean island - if invasion
came, would there be fghting on
the machair?
And so a vital role developed
for Tiree, in an enormous Allied
endeavour. Without victory in the
Atlantic, how would a second front
be prepared for and launched to
liberate Europe?
Was there more than stubborn,
enduring or endearing stoicism
linking Tiree and Winston Churchill
in wartime? Was there something
more than loyalty connecting the
island with the Royal family at this
time? How might Tiree offer rescue
to those in peril on the seas, in
time of war? What was it about the
weather; the turbulent, sometimes
chaotic weather patterns of Tirees
Atlantic shroud, which educated
and informed the planners of Allied
victory? The authors have sought to
capture here some memories of this
momentous time, while memories
still prevail, just; recollections of
youth; RAF, Royal Navy and islander
alike.
ISBN: 978-1-907443-38-1 |
160pp | 76 B&W illustrations |
Paperback | 15.00 | Available
now
An t-Eilean
Taking a Line for a Walk
through the Island of Skye
Angus Peter Campbell
with photograhs by Cailean
Maclean
This is an account in words and
pictures of a walk taken through
Skye by the award-winning writer
Angus Peter Campbell and his
friend the photographer Cailean
Maclean. Both were brought up
in South Uist, so the journey here
extends well beyond Skye to their
pre-electric upbringing in the Outer
Hebrides: a beautifully written and
photographed memoir of people,
places and times.
Tha iomadach seud taisgte anns
an leabhar bhriathran is dhealbhan
seo. Chan e a-mhin cunntas air
cuairt tron Eilean Sgitheanach, ach
cuimhneachain air daoine, iteachan
agus amannan. Am measg nan
ulaidhean a gheibh sibh an seo tha
briathrachas mu iteachan a dhfhg
Dmhnall Angaidh MacIlleathain
nach maireann aig Aonghas Phdraig,
a-bharrachd air deagh iomradh
air faclan a thog KC Craig ann an
Uibist-a-Deas.
English and Gaelic | ISBN:
978-1-907443-39-8 | 152pp |
33 illustrations | Paperback |
20.00 | Available now
Alexander MacDonald, Bard
of the Gaelic Enlightenment
Alasdair mac Mhaighstir
Alasdair, Brd an
t-Soillearachaidh
Ghidhealaich
Camille Dressler and
Domhnall Uilleam
Stibhart (Eds.)
Modern poetry in Scottish
Gaelic begins with the brilliant,
controversial fgure of Alexander
MacDonald, better known as
Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair.
Alasdair belonged to the Clanranald
heartland of Moidart in West
Lochaber and his life followed the
fortune of his clan at the time of
the 45. A larger than life character,
he was a heroic fgure, inspirational
and visionary in turn, his heartbeat
in tune with the events of his time.
Hailed as the most original and
innovative poet of the 18th century,
he brought new life and vitality to
Gaelic poetry. Alasdair was at once
an antiquarian revivalist and formal
New and forthcoming books
9 781907 443046
ISBN 978- 1- 907443- 04- 6
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THE ISLANDS BOOK TRUST URRAS LEABHRAI CHEAN NAN EI LEAN
15.00 ISBN 978-1-907443-04-6
Modern poetry in Scotish Gaelic begins with the brilliant, controversial fgure of Alexander MacDonald, beter known
as Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair. Alasdair belonged to the Clanranald heartland of Moidart in West Lochaber
and his life followed the fortune of his clan at the time of the 45. A larger than life character, he was a heroic fgure,
inspirational and visionary in turn, his heartbeat in tune with the events of his time. Hailed as the most original and
innovative poet of the 18th century, he brought newlife and vitality to Gaelic poetry. Alasdair was at once an antiquarian
revivalist and formal innovator, a commited writer about the politics of his time and a literary crafsman, interested in
the development of poetic form.
Tis book brings together papers from a series of conferences which took place at Glenfnnan, Strontian and Canna.
Shedding light on various aspects of Alasdairs rich life and work, the book will also enable the reader to explore the
locations associated with himin West Lochaber through the eyes of one of the most fascinating and complex characters
in Scotish literature.
Alexander MacDonald, Bard of the Gaelic Enlightenment
Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, Brd an t-Soillearachaidh Ghidhealaich
Ale xAnder
MAcdonAld
Alasdair mac Mhaighstir Alasdair, Brd an t-Soillearachaidh Ghidhealaich
o Edited by
Cami l l e Dressl er and D.W. Stibhart
bard of the gaelic enlightenment
THIS PROJECT WAS PART FINANCED BY THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT AND THE EUROPEAN COMMMUNITY HIGHLAND LEADER 2007 2013 PROGRAMME
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Front cover : Castle
Tioramand Loch Moidart
by David Robertson
www.scot-image.co.uk
urras leabhraichean nan eilean am faoilleach 2013
17
innovator, a committed writer
about the politics of his time and a
literary craftsman, interested in the
development of poetic form.
This book brings together
papers from a series of conferences
which took place at Glenfnnan,
Strontian and Canna. Shedding light
on various aspects of Alasdairs rich
life and work, the book will also
enable the reader to explore the
locations associated with him in
West Lochaber through the eyes
of one of the most fascinating and
complex characters in Scottish
literature.
ISBN: 978-1-907443-04-6 | 160
pp | 15 illustrations | Paperback
| 15.00 | Available now
The Carrying Stream Flows
On
Celebrating 60 Years of the
School of Scottish Studies
Bob Chambers (Ed.)
In the summer of 2011 the Islands
Book Trust held a three-day
conference in Shetland to celebrate
the Diamond Jubilee of the School
of Scottish Studies and assess its
contribution to our knowledge and
understanding of Scotland.
The School of Scottish Studies
came into being at the University
of Edinburgh in 1951 as a research
unit dedicated to the study and
conservation of the folk culture
of Scotland. In that year Calum
Iain Maclean was seconded from
the Irish Folklore Commission to
continue his collecting in Scotland,
while other pioneers such as
Hamish Henderson and Alan
Lomax were also beginning the
monumental task of systematically
recording the rich oral culture of
Scotland in Scots and Gaelic.
The conference attracted
an exceptional array of frst-
class speakers, many of whom
had worked for or been closely
associated with the School over
the years. Their topics included
the examination of some of the
pioneers who are no longer with
us, as well as refecting on other key
fgures who played a seminal role
in the history of the School. There
were also scholars from outwith
Scotland, who placed the Schools
work in a wider international Celtic
and Nordic context, helping to
evaluate critically the signifcance of
the Schools work and history, and
to look forward to consider future
priorities.
This volume gathers together all
the contributions to the conference
and is a ftting tribute to the frst 60
years of the School.
ISBN: 978-1-907443-40-4 | 42
illustrations |Paperback | 10.00
| Available early 2013
Defending St Kilda
Ron Morris
In this book, based on new research
and with archive photographs,
Ron Morris tells the intriguing
and little-known story of the role
which St Kilda played in World War
1, including the establishment of
a wireless station and Royal Navy
base to monitor enemy movements
in the North Atlantic. In May 1918, a
German U-boat entered Village Bay
and opened fre, following which a
gun was erected on St Kilda next
to the Manse to respond to future
attacks although this was never
used in anger.
A favour of how the islanders
responded to this unexpected
threat can be gained from the
following extract:
Finlay MacQueen like some of
the other islanders was still under
the impression the submarine was
a friendly craft and intended to
row his little boat out to it for a
chat with the sailors and hoping
to replenish his dwindling stock of
tobacco in the process. He grew
annoyed when the submarine failed
to stop, but continued in its circle
putting his intended visit out of
reach.
ISBN: 978-1-907443-41-1| c.
130pp | Paperback | 10.00 |
Available Spring 2013
Na Pobairean/The Pipers
Dolina Maclennan
The Hebridean islands have a rich
store of traditional Gaelic stories,
transmitted by word of mouth
through the generations. They have
also produced incomparable story-
tellers. In this beautifully crafted
book, well-known actress, singer
and writer Dolina Maclennan from
Lewis relates in Gaelic and English
a simple but powerful story about
Highland piping, love of music, family
intrigue, and banishment. The book
includes many evocative colour
illustrations by Lewis artist Sandra
Kennedy which capture the spirit
of the islands, and a CD of Dolina
telling her story in both Gaelic and
English. It will appeal to children
of all ages, Gaelic learners, and
everyone to whom the islands are a
source of wonder and inspiration.
ISBN: 978-1-907443-42-8 |
Hardback | Price tbc | Available
Summer 2013
from The Islands Book Trust
All books available from the
Islands Book Trust
www.theislandsbooktrust.com
phone: Margaret on 01851
880737.
the islands book trust january 2013
18
The American Connection to
the Sinking of HMS Dasher
Noreen and John Steele
This book is a cracking read which
will appeal to anyone who enjoys
real life mysteries. It battles through
a shocking cover up, which has
kept this story quiet under the
Offcial Secrets Act ever since the
war. The American Connection
to the Sinking of HMS Dasher by
John and Noreen Steele is the
fnal book on this subject by these
persistent and resourceful authors,
whose years of investigation
uncovers scandals from American
- British politics to a determined
naval cover up, and ends up in
a true life James Bond story.
The scandals include; The MOD
maintaining secrecy regarding what
happened to 379 of the crew from
HMS Dasher, bodies disappearing,
the American connection to the
loss of 379 lives and the sinking of
a Royal Navy aircraft carrier
Read the survivors frsthand
accounts. Over the years the
authors met with relatives of many
of the 379 victims of this disaster,
which involved no enemy action,
and their contact with these
distressed relatives has driven their
determination to uncover what
really happened that day in 1943.
This is a gripping true story which
has been shrouded in secrecy for
almost 70 years.
ISBN: 978-0-9532637-1-4 |
192pp | Paperback |9.99 |free
P&P | Available now from
J.Steele phone 01294 464917
or email dasher1943@gmail.
com
Three Years in Tristan da Cunha
Katherine Mary Barrow
K. M. Barrow was the wife of
the Rev. J. G. Barrow, Missionary
Clergyman in Tristan Da Cunha
and fellow-worker with him on
that island. The Barrows went
out to the island from Britain
in 1905 and Mrs Barrow kept a
diary throughout her time there,
in order to give a simple and true
description of daily life among
a very small community cut off
from the rest of the world. Re-
published recently by Tredicion
Classics.
Tristan da Cunha, a British possession,
is an island-mountain of volcanic
origin in the South Atlantic ocean.
Latitude 37 deg. 5 50 S.; longitude
12 deg. 16 40 W. Circular in form.
Circumference about 21 miles.
Diameter about 7 miles. Height 7,640
feet. Volcano extinct during historic
times. Discovered by the Portuguese
navigator Tristan da Cunha, 1506.
Occupied by the British, 1816. Nearest
inhabited land, the island of St. Helena,
1,200 miles to the N.
In the autumn of 1904 we saw in
the Standard a letter which arrested
our attention. It was an appeal for
some-one to go to the Island of Tristan
da Cunha, as the people had had no
clergyman for seventeen years.
Now, Tristan da Cunha was not an
unknown name to us, for as a child
my husband loved to hear his mother
tell of her shipwreck on Inaccessible,
an uninhabited island twenty-fve
miles south-west of Tristan da Cunha.
She, then a child of four, and
her nurse were passengers on the
Blendon Hall, which left London for
India in May 1821, and was wrecked
during a dense fog on Inaccessible, July
23. The passengers and crew drifted
ashore on spars and fragments of the
vessel. Two of the crew perished, and
nearly all the stores were lost. For four
months they lived on this desolate
island. A tent made out of sails was
erected on the shore to protect the
women and children from the cold
and rain. They lived almost entirely on
the eggs of sea-birds.
After waiting some time in hope of
being seen by a ship, they made a raft
from the remains of the wreck, and
eight of the crew set off in it to try to
reach Tristan, but were never heard
of again, poor fellows. A few weeks
later a second and successful attempt
was made. The men reached Tristan,
but in a very exhausted state. Then
the Tristanites, led by Corporal Glass,
manned their boats, and at great
personal risk succeeded in fetching off
the rest of the crew and passengers,
who remained on Tristan till January 9,
1822, on which day a passing English
brig took them to the Cape of Good
Hope.
This was eighty-four years ago. And
now the son of that little shipwrecked
Books from Other Publishers
urras leabhraichean nan eilean am faoilleach 2013 19
girl was seriously thinking of going
out to minister to the children of her
rescuers.
ISBN: 978-3849153168 | 232pp
| 14.99 | Available now from
Amazon and others
Bearing the People Away - The
Portable Highland Clearances
Companion
June Skinner Sawyers
June Sawyers is a writer who is
based in Chicago, USA. Originally
from Scotland, Sawyers has written
or edited more than twenty books,
many with a Scottish theme,
including popular and regional
histories.
The working title of her latest
book is Bearing the People
Away: The Portable Highland
Clearances Companion, a
popular history on the Highland
Clearances and the subsequent
Scots diaspora, especially to
Canada, and to Cape Breton in
particular.
Part reference guide, part
handbook, part travel guide and
part resource in one portable
volume, Bearing the People
Away uses an encyclopedia
format geared toward the general
reader. The entries vary in length
from brief sentences to several
paragraphs and consist of major
Clearance sites, major and minor
fgures associated with the
Clearances, Clearance-related sites
outwith Scotland (including such
signifcant parts of the Scottish
Diaspora as Canada, the United
States, Australia and New Zealand),
and places and historical events
with Clearance and or Highland
connections. Entries are arranged
alphabetically.
Bearing the People Away
contains approximately 400 entries,
a full index and bibliography, and
a resource section containing
an annotated list of recordings,
websites and relevant museums
and organizations dealing with the
Highland Clearances.
Highlights:
Part reference guide, part
handbook, part travel guide, part
resource
Practical, useful, informative,
entertaining
Cross references for the convenience
of the reader
A comprehensive further reading list
Written in a popular style for
students, scholars, the general
reader and anyone with an interest
in Scotland and Scottish history
and culture as well as the culture
and history of the broader Scottish
diaspora, especially Canada
The only one-volume companion to
one of the most defning moments
in Scottish, and indeed, British and
Scots diaspora history.
ISBN: 978-1-897009-70-3
| $27.95 CAD | Available
Summer 2013 from Cape
Breton University Press
(www.cbupress.ca) or from
The Gaelic Books Council
(www.gaelicbooks.org)
We have a fantastic range of events for you this year
so get your diaries out now to make sure you dont
miss out!
Geographically, the events range from Tiree to
Stroma, and there is a full range of walks, boat trips,
conferences, and evening talks on offer throughout the
Outer Hebrides and in Skye.
The highlight is a 3-day conference in Tiree from
30th May-1st June, the frst time the Book Trust have
organised an event on this island, bringing together
outstanding speakers such as Professor Donald Meek
and Dr Margaret Mackay with local people with a
view to preparing the frst ever full length history of
the island.
There will also be a 2-day event in Lewis on
21st-22nd June to discuss the development of Slighe
Chaluim Chille to mark the early links between the
Hebrides and Ireland established by St Columba
details available elsewhere in this issue.
Boat trips will be organised in the summer months
to Ronay, Wiay, Berneray (Barra Head), Mealista
Island, the deserted settlements of Southern Pairc,
and Stroma, and there will be a walk to Molinginish in
Harris.
And islands further afeld are celebrated through
talks to mark the 50th anniversary of the re-
settlement of Tristan da Cunha, the worlds most
isolated community.
Evening talks will be given by well-known speakers
such as Donald Martin, Bill Lawson, John Love, and
Margaret Bennett.
Commenting on the programme, Chairman of the
Book Trust, John Randall, said: We look forward, as
do our growing number of members, to another full
and exciting programme in 2013, the Year of Natural
Scotland. There is something here for everyone
interested in the human and natural history of Scottish
islands, and I would encourage people to come along
and join us, whatever your background. Our events
offer a chance to deepen your knowledge of special
places and to meet some remarkable people.
For further information, or to book an event,
please email alayne@theislandsbooktrust.com or
phone 01851 820946 or 01851 880737.
Events 2013
NOTES
1. All boat trips are weather permitting and must be booked in
advance.
2. [G] = Mainly in Gaelic, but please note that non-Gaelic
speakers are very welcome and encouraged to come
translations into English will be provided.
3. Please see website www.theislandsbooktrust.com for updated
information on all events.
4. For further details and bookings, please contact Alayne
Barton 01851 820946 or Margaret Macdonald 01851 880737
(all events), John Randall 01851 880365 (Lewis, Harris and
Tiree), Alasdair MacEachen 01870 602124 (Uist and Barra), Sne
Ghilleasbuig 01470 562325 (Skye), or Christine Gunn 01847
896508 (Stroma).
urras leabhraiChean nan eilean - The islands book TrusT a registered scottish charity SC032682 Ravenspoint Kershader Isle of Lewis HS2 9QA
enquiries - tel 01851 820946 email: alayne@theislandsbooktrust.com
book sales - tel: 01851 880737 email: sales@theislandsbooktrust.com
EVENTS
Tuesday 5th February An Lanntair, Stornoway, 7.30pm
ALASDAIR MACEACHEN Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of
the Resettlement of Tristan da Cunha, the worlds most isolated
island community - Alasdair MacEachen looks back on an
excursion to the South Atlantic
Thursday 14th March Taigh Chearsabhagh, Lochmaddy,
North Uist, 8pm - SUSAN BAIN - An Evening with The National
Trust for Scotland - Susan Bain, NTS Western Isles Area Manager,
will bring people up to date on developments and proposals
concerning NTS properties in the Western Isles, including
screening of a St Kilda flm
Tuesday 19th March An Lanntair, Stornoway, 7.30pm
DONALD MARTIN Representing the Western Isles Image and
Reality: Some Personal Refections
Tuesday 9th April Aros Centre, Portree, Skye, 7.30pm
GREGOR EWING Following in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince
Charlie through the Highlands and Islands
Wednesday 10th April Sgoil Lionacleit, Benbecula, 7.30 pm
GREGOR EWING - Following in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince
Charlie through the Highlands and Islands
Thursday 11th April Harris Hotel, Tarbert, Harris, 7.30pm
GREGOR EWING Following in the footsteps of Bonnie Prince
Charlie through the Highlands and Islands
Tuesday 16th April An Lanntair, Stornoway, 7.30pm
BILL LAWSON Emigration from the Western Isles 17501920
Saturday 27th April - Boat trip to RONAY from Kallin (North Uist),
depart 10.30am
Saturday 11th May Walk with EOGHAIN MACKINNON in
Strathaird A Cheapach gu Cill Mo Ruibhe, depart 11am [G]
Saturday 18th May Walk from Urgha (Harris) to MOLINGINISH
to meet SIMON FRASER, depart 11am
Saturday 25th May - Boat trip to WIAY from Petersport
(Benbecula), depart 10 am
Thursday 30th May Saturday 1st June 3-DAY CONFERENCE on
The History of Tiree in TIREE (details to be announced later)
Saturday 15th June - Boat trip to BARRA HEAD (BERNERAY) from
Castlebay (Barra), depart 10am
Friday 21st-Saturday 22nd June 2-DAY EVENT Slighe Chaluim
Chille Links Between Western Ireland and the Western Isles
Ravenspoint (details to be announced later)
Saturday 6th July Boat Trip to former settlements of SOUTHERN
PAIRC between Loch Seaforth and Loch Claidh (including
Kenmore, Bagh Ciarach, Bagh Reimseabhaidh, Caolas Eilean
Thinngartsaigh, and Smuaisibhig), depart from Kyles Scalpay
(Harris) at 11am
Saturday 27th July Walk with DUGALD ROSS from the
Storr Lochs to the former settlement of Holm A cumail na
cuimhne be, depart 11am [G]
Saturday 3rd August Boat Trip to MEALISTA ISLAND from
Husinish (Harris), depart 11am
Saturday 10th August Boat Trip to STROMA from Gills Bay,
Caithness, depart 10am (subject to confrmation)
Saturday 31st August - Walk to USINISH LIGHTHOUSE from
Loch Skipport (South Uist), depart 10am
Friday 20th September Sgoil Lionacleit, Benbecula, 7.30pm
ALASDAIR MACEACHEN - Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of
the Resettlement of Tristan da Cunha, the worlds most isolated
island community - Alasdair MacEachen looks back on an
excursion to the South Atlantic

Thursday 24th October ANGUS MACLEOD MEMORIAL LECTURE,
Gravir, Lewis (details to be announced later) [G]
Friday 25th October - Taigh Chearsabhagh, Lochmaddy, North
Uist, 8pm JOHN LOVE - A Look at Uist Wildlife
Tuesday 29th October Saturday 2nd November FACLAN
(details to be announced later)
Tuesday 19th November An Lanntair, Stornoway, 7.30pm
MARGARET BENNETT Bogs, Bothans, Bridges, and Bagpipes
Personal Refections on my Fathers Life as a Musical Civil
Engineer in Lewis and Newfoundland