A digital copy of Dr John Holliday’s field notes on the history of Tiree taken between 1990 and 2025.
‘FIELD NOTES’
These fragments were collected over a 30-year period from 1994 to 2026. They include a mixture of stories, often humorous; snippets of oral tradition; place-names; song fragments; newspaper cuttings; and references. Usually, the opportunities to collect this material cropped up during everyday conversations rather than in structured interviews. My Gaelic and local knowledge improved as time went on, but there are likely to be errors in what I collected. Despite these limitations, I hope this collection will prove useful in the years to come.
Dr John Holliday, Balephuil, 2026
433 pages. Restricted access: not currently for public display.
The Tangle Gatherers… Hynish, Tiree c. 1956
A poem by Alistair MacNeill, (born Hynish 1940) – Head Teacher, Banavie Primary School.
Describing the collecting of tangles during his teenage years in Hynish. Written in 2022 in North Berwick.
Tunes from the Past
A short story by Alastair MacNeill (born Hynish 1940) – Head Teacher, Banavie Primary School.
Two men go hiking. There is a mysterious encounter at the end.
The Christmas Band
A short story for children by Alistair MacNeill (born Hynish 1940) – Head Teacher, Banavie Primary School, about Morna the reindeer with her deformed antler and a visit from a kind old man in a red coat.
Seall An Reul See the Star
Words and music composed by Alistair MacNeill (born Hynish 1940) – Head Teacher, Banavie Primary School, for pupils who were beginning to learn Gaelic, hence all the repeated words.
