Audio cassette recording of Duncan MacPhee talking to Reg Knapman.
Duncan MacPhee talks to Reg Knapman about the Customs & Excise, smuggling, brewing and shebeens, methods of building, Captain Robert Nisbet of Heanish, Captain Donald MacKinnon of the `Taeping`, the Home Guard, HMS Sturdy, the history of Scarinish piers, his family, the ferry service before the pier, Niall and Iain Alainn, Lady Victoria Campbell and Lord Ash, Lady Ferguson and Miss Gibb, the Dukes of Argyll, Tiree boat building, superstitions and some old stories.
Retired veterinary surgeon Robert Beck talks about the number of blacksmiths on Tiree within living memory during a public talk on the subject of Scotland’s native horse given at the 1997 Feis Thiriodh. In 1945 there were over four hundred working horses on the island providing ample work for eight smiddies.
The Tiree Clydesdale was in great demand in the early 20th century especially for work in the towns. Derived from cross-breeding a superior type of native pony introduced to Tiree in the early 1800s with Clydesdales brought in by Tom Barr in the 1870s, they were tougher and faster than mainland-bred draught horses.
Many crofters kept one or two brood mares which were also worked. Three stallions, two Clydesdale and one Highland pony, ‘walked’ the island, kept by Hector Campbell of Cornaigmore, John MacLean of the Brae, Cornaigbeg and Donald MacIntyre of Gott.
Black and white photograph of John MacKinnon, Lodge Farm.
John MacKinnon of Lodge Farm, Kirkapol is pictured here outside the Lodge with Lady Victoria Campbell’s buckboard. The daughter of the 8th Duke of Argyll, Lady Victoria contracted polio in 1859 when 5 years old and was lame for the rest of her life. When rough seas or low tides made it impossible for passengers to board the lighter for the mail-boat at either of the small piers at Scarinish harbour, the boat was run in as far as possible on the beach at Gott Bay. ‘Faithful John’ would drive the horse and buckboard through the water to the stranded lighter to transfer Lady Victoria, fortunately always without accident.
Photograph of John MacKinnon outside the Lodge at Kirkapol.
Courtesy of Mrs Jean Lindsay
John MacKinnon of Lodge Farm, Kirkapol is pictured here outside the Lodge with Lady Victoria Campbell’s buckboard. The daughter of the 8th Duke of Argyll, Lady Victoria contracted polio in 1859 when she was five years old and was lame for the rest of her life.
When rough seas or low tides made it impossible for passengers to board the lighter for the mail-boat at either of the small piers at Scarinish harbour, the boat was run in as far as possible on the beach at Gott Bay.
‘Faithful John’, as he was dubbed by Lady Victoria, would drive the horse and buckboard through the surf to transfer her to the stranded lighter, fortunately always without accident.
Black and white photograph of the Lodge during World War I.
Lady Victoria`s buckboard outside the Lodge during World War I. John MacKinnon of Lodge Farm, Kirkapol is pictured here outside the Lodge with Lady Victoria Campbell’s buckboard. The daughter of the 8th Duke of Argyll, Lady Victoria contracted polio in 1859 when 5 years old and was lame for the rest of her life. When rough seas or low tides made it impossible for passengers to board the lighter for the mail-boat at either of the small piers at Scarinish harbour, the boat was run in as far as possible on the beach at Gott Bay. ‘Faithful John’ would drive the horse and buckboard through the water to the stranded lighter to transfer Lady Victoria, fortunately always without accident.
