Chanter belonging to Captain Lachlan MacPhail, Tiree and Glasgow (1889-1961), who was a great piper and writer of Gaelic poems and bagpipe tunes, and who had a pipe tune named after him. The chanter was presented to An Iodhlann by his eldest grandson on behalf of Lachlan’s three daughters Isabel, Cath and Margaret, who spent the holidays in Tiree in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s.
Iron cruisgean from Sliabh Cottage, Cornaigbeg.
An iron ‘crusie’ lamp that was used to burn fish oil and once belonged to Mrs Mary Campbell, grandmother of the donor. Notes accompanying the cruisgean tell that it came into the possession of the donor in 1996 and was initially offered to the Thatched House Museum in Sandaig. There it was photographed and returned to the donor with some notes suggesting that it was “an early 18th century iron hanging cruise lamp presented by the late Viscountess Gort”, and that “a cruse is a clay container which could be transformed into a lamp by being filled with oil and equipped with a simple wick – a rag would suffice, but a rush was more efficient and minimised the smoke.”
Twelve assorted pottery sherds, an animal tooth, and a possible microlith, found at NL943410 in sand exposures high on the eastern flank of Beinn Ceann a Mhara.
Three small flint flakes found at NM 023483 on the patch from Balephetrish to the Ringing Stone: (1) near a small clearance cairn amidst broad rig cultivation – secondary flake 24 x 12 x 2mm, slight edge damage/wear on one side, possible adaptation by flake removal to make a burin, (2) in a sheep scrape in same general area but nearer the beach 28 x 13 x 10 mm, secondary flake, edge wear, also possible adaptation as a burin, (3) small flint chip – spall.
Empty wooden box belonging to archaeologist George Holleyman FSA, in which were stored 50 glass lantern-slides of Tiree artefacts, people and places, photographed by him during WWII (now stored in archival boxes 2017.54.1 to 2017.54.3).
Six pottery sherds and a fish vertebra, thought to be Iron Age, dug from a midden in a sand dune near Kilkenneth Chapel in April 2017. See accompanying report with photographs: 2017.49.2
Militia and Defence Jacknife made by Thomas Turner & Co., Sheffield, for the Canadian forces during WWI. Inscribed “M&D Canada 1915”. Used after the war by the uncle of Donald Brown, Vaul.
Long-service medal awarded to Inspector Hector MacLean (Eachann Ceitidh) of Torosa, Cornaigmore, from the Dumbartonshire Police department around 1952. One side of the medal bears Justice and reads “for exemplary police service”, while the other bears the head of King George VI. This version of the medal was awarded to full-time police officers with 20 years of service over the period 1951-1954. Includes cardboard presentation box.
Ornate, cast iron tractor seat made by Blackstone & Company Ltd, Stamford, who made farm implements and engines between 1889 and 1937. Mounted on a wooden block by Alan Reid for An Iodhlann in 2008.
Small piece of slate pencil like those used in schools from a collection of around 200 bronze objects found by amateur archaeologist George Holleyman at Balevullin in 1941-43, when he served at RAF Tiree during WWII. Identified by Dr Colleen Batey, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at Glasgow University and David Caldwell, retired Keeper of Medieval Department at the National Museum of Scotland during a visit to An Iodhlann on 29th April 2016.
