Scanned copy of a package label of Duncan MacKinnon & Son, General Merchants, Balephuil. Duncan MacKinnon and later his son, Alasdair, ran a large shop in Balephuil, which sold all manner of household items and petrol. It closed in 1974.
Collection of six mail-order clothing catalogues, leaflets and order forms from the 1920s, including Dallas’s of Glasgow fashions, 1925; Miximus footwear, Northampton, and its envelope addressed to Mr H McKinnon, ‘Harbour’, Caoles; Maximum Shoe Company and Maximus Clothing; Dorothy Bags, Northampton, 1921; The Last footwear, Dundee, 1925; Greenlees & Sons ‘Easiephit’ Footwear, Glasgow, 1922. From ‘Harbour’, Caoles.
Scanned copy of a typed appeal to raise £15,000 for the Tiree Public Hall Renovation fund during the 1980s. Signed by C A MacLennan, Chairperson. The appeal was for the old hall at Crossapol.
Click here to view 2020.52.5
Collection of papers from the early years of the Tiree Feis, including (1) copies of the organisation’s constitution, and programme, timetable and order of church service for the first Fèis Thiriodh in 1990; (2) thank you letters from Rev Roderick Macdonald, BBC Radio nan Gaidheal, and tutors Mairi, Mark and Gillin; (3) programme for the second Fèis Thiriodh, 1991; (4) report about the third Fèis, 1993.
Click here to view 2020.45.1 (1)
Order of service for the funeral of Rev Bob Higham (1937-2020), and a letter to John Holliday, Balephuil, from Bob’s wife, Di Higham, dated 9/03/2020. Rev Higham was the Church of Scotland minister of the Parish of Tiree during 1995-2002. He published a book about life as a minister on a Hebridean island, was a driving force behind the Tiree Heritage Society, and is buried at Polwarth in the Scottish Borders.
Paper label from a Russian, USSR, fish product, dated 1970. Origin unknown, but assumed to have come off packaging washed ashore on Tiree around 2007.
Tiree Memories calendar 2019 produced by Alec Walker. Images include the ferry Columba, Archie MacLean with his boat at Scarinish in 1934, sheep shearing on the Reef in 1934, Balemartine School photograph 1947, Baugh & Heanish postcard 1906, postcard of a crofter’s stable with mare and foal in the 1920s, postcard of Rossdhu in Kenovay 1938, Ruaig football team 1928, Johnny MacKay collecting tangles by donkey and cart 1957, Scarinish harbour 1935, Ruaig School 1950s, airport control tower 1960s, tramlines on the Gott Bay pier 1920. All of these images are available independently via An Iodhlann’s website.
Two postal envelopes formerly containing official documents addressed to Charles McLean (1917-1941), son of Donald Archibald McLean, Kenovay. One is from the Passport Office and addressed to his home in Linlithgow, dated 21/7/1939, the other from London dated 21/11/1941 and marked ‘Private’. Charles served as a Pilot Officer in the RAF during WWII. The second letter was sent to 217 Squadron based in Cornwall, just days after Charles went missing in action over the English Channel. Part of a large collection of items belonging to and about Donald Archibald McLean, Kenovay (1890-1981), and his family.
Click here to view envelope 1939 | envelope 1941
Invitation to the Queen’s Garden Party at Holyrood Palace, Edinburgh, in 1952, addressed to Mr and Mrs Donald McLean. Includes a photograph of them both dressed for the occasion. Part of a large collection of items belonging to and about Donald Archibald McLean, Kenovay (1890-1981), and his family.
Click here to view 2020.1.21
Original programme for ‘Bon Voyage’ (1945), a performance by The Tireans – a drama group formed by members of RAF Tiree during WWII. Judging by the stains and cigarette burns, the programme was well handled by members of the audience, including the donor’s father, airman Joseph ‘Ray’ Stephens.
