Photograph of two crofters carting marram grass from behind Ben Hough in the 1930s.
Courtesy of Mrs Grace Campbell
The two men are transporting marram grass, known locally as bent or muran, from behind Ben Hough at the west end of Tiree. The dried grass is used for thatching roofs while the roots were used as a scourer for cleaning tables and floors.
The grass is cut by sickle or scythe between September and March, outwith its growing season, and is much harder work than cutting corn or hay. The longer the stem the better, as a more waterproof roof is ensured and less work required.
Muran thrives best in shifting sand and grows stronger after cutting. There is less on Tiree today than there used to be. This may be due to the use of fertilisers which encourage the growth of other grasses and the out-wintering of cattle which shelter in the dunes and trample and eat it.
Black and white photograph of piper Hugh MacArthur in 1944.
Audio cassette recording of Hugh MacLeod, Cornaigbeg, interviewed by Maggie Campbell on 1/3/2003.
Hugh MacLeod (Eòghann Charrachan) of Cornaigbeg talks to Maggie Campbell about predicting the weather from the direction of the wind, the moon, stars, tides and rainbows, the behaviour of birds, the view of the islands, how these predictions regulated the crofting year in his younger days and how the weather has changed since then. Tha Eòghann Mhic Leòid a Cornaig Bheag a’ bruidhinn ri Magaidh Chaimbeul mu chomharradh na side a rèir na gaoithe, a’ gealach, na rionnagan, an tràghadh ’s an lìonadh, na boghachan-frois, cleachdadh nan eòin, sealladh nan eileanan agus mar a bha comharradh a riaghail bliadhna croitearachd ann an laithean òige.
Doctor`s bag dating from WWII and medical equipment belonging to donor`s father, Dr Stuart Robertson.
Doctor`s bag dating from WWII belonging to Dr Stuart Robertson, GP in Margate 1926-40 and in Bournemouth 1940-60. Bag contains: an emergency enema in an envelope with a letter from the manufacturer`s Harker Stagg Ltd dated February 1959; empty bluish glass bottle with glass stopper; black case inscribed with Dr Stuart Robertson conatining 7 empty phials (pethidine, mogadon, etc); suspensory bandage from Army & Navy Stores in its box; Leslies Ltd catalogue dated August 1940 of medical and surgical plasters; empty glass bottle with cork stopper labelled Alkia Saltrates;packet of surgical staples; metal case containing glass syringe and hypodermic needles; brown glass jar containing collosal iodine ointment; two aluminium spatulas; screw top metal box of surgeons` finger stalls; lance; tongue depresser; box containing seven tubes of horsehair sutures and needles.
