Berneray to Vatersay

A new site is currently being compiled on the Fallen from World War I and World War II from the islands of Berneray, Boreray, North Uist, Grimsay, Benbecula, South Uist, Eriskay, Barra and Vatersay. All information welcome.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mulhagery

Image
Mol Thagaraidh, a remote shingle bay on the eastern coast of the district of Eishken in Lewis. Three miles, as the sea-eagle flies, from Lemreway; thirty miles overland. The hill of Fiar Chreag towers over the location, and is the final resting place of a Lockheed Hudson III plane, which crashed there on July 31st, 1942. The three crew all perished. It is thought the plane came down in fog, and had it flown but 10 feet higher, it would have cleared the hill. It took a while for the remains of Flying Officer John Derek Brearly Rigby, Flying Officer Frank Richard Hancock and Sergeant Bernard Frederick Charles Rixon to be removed from Mulhagery. Rigby and Hancock are buried at Sandwick; Rixon is at rest at Hoddesdon near Hertford, north of London.  
Read more

Napier witnesses: George Macaulay

George Macaulay (also known as Seoras Dubh or Seoras Iain Bhan ) was one of the witnesses from Great Bernera. He mentions in his evidence that he was removed from Croir in 1880, something that tallies with the George Macaulay that is on Hebridean Connections , born in 1819. In 1881, we find George (62) with his wife Ann (54) in a private house in Hacklet. Peggy Macleod (20) is there as a domestic servant, and Catherine Smith (16) is a cattleherd. Ten years before, George and Ann's location is not specified. They are in a house with William Smith (16, agricultural labourer), Christy Murray (21, servant) and cowherd Peggy Macleod (11). In 1861, George (41) and Ann (35) are listed at Croir. His mother, Cathrine (73) is in the house, together with visitors William Smith (6), Cathrine Macleod (16) and Rachel Mcdonald (17).  Hebridean Connections mentions the date of George's marriage as 1853, meaning that we find him at home with his parents John (68) and Catherine (66) in the...
Read more

Bonnie Prince Charlie at Arnish

Image
Bonnie Prince Charlie's cairn at Arnish, south of Stornoway.  Kildun, where he stayed the night, is no more. The farmhouse was demolished in 1974 to make way for the Fabrication Yard. Were it to return, it would be floating in thin air - the hill it stood on was bulldozed away. The below image of the house was taken in the 1950s, BPC is not a figure in Scottish history I have much time for. He was badly advised, or else he did not take heed of military advice. The consequences of his failure, after being defeated at Culloden in 1746, are well documented. Changes in Scottish society were speeded up, not caused by Culloden. However, Charles Edward gave men like Cumberland the pretext to commit the atrocities that were visited upon the Highlands and Islands in subsequent years. The burghers of Stornoway could not, or would not, give succour to BPC - but neither did they want to betray him. He was allowed to slip away across moor and loch, back to Eilean Iubhair in ...
Read more