Minutes of Tiree Heritage Society meeting on 8/12/1997.
Minutes of Tiree Heritage Society meeting on 8/12/1997.
2005.58.2
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Object Type: document
2005.58.3
Minutes of Tiree Heritage Society meeting on 20/1/1998.
Minutes of Tiree Heritage Society meeting on 20/1/1998.
2005.58.4
Minutes of Tiree Heritage Society meeting on 24/3/1998.
Minutes of Tiree Heritage Society meeting on 24/3/1998.
2005.58.8
Photograph and correspondence dated August 1998 regarding a Tiree craggan held in Bute Museum.
Photograph and correspondence dated August 1998 regarding a Tiree craggan held in Bute Museum, which the museum may gift to An Iodhlann. The craggan is approx. 230 mm wide and 260 mm high.
2005.58.11
Report on a disaster exercise at Tiree airport on 12/5/2005 called `Exercise Snowy Owl`.
Report on a disaster exercise at Tiree airport on 12/5/2005.
2005.52.1
Photocopied letter relating to the drowning in March 1857 of Lachlan MacDonald, John MacDonald and Hector MacDonald of Caoles.
Letter dated 11/3/1857 from Tiree Registrar William Wilson to Tobermory Procurator Fiscal Henry Nisbet informing him about the capsizing of a fishing skiff south of Coll and the drowning of Lachlan MacDonald, John MacDonald and Hector MacDonald of Caoles.
2005.52.2
1858 Balemartine fishing tragedy
Transcription of the seven witness statements for the inquest into the loss of four Tiree fishermen in April 1858.
Courtesy of Argyll & Bute Archives
On 30th April 1858 four fishermen, cottars Donald MacLean and Alexander MacFarlane from Heylipol and John MacLean and Archibald MacArthur from Balinoe, were drowned in a great gale. They had left the port at Balemartine early that morning in calm, clear weather and headed for the fishing banks between Hynish and Skerryvore.
The wind began to blow in the afternoon. Other fishermen in the area saw them lifting their lines and reported that they were the last to leave the fishing grounds and head for home. The wind and tide were against them and they failed to reach the shore. Their boat was only 14 feet in length.
Charles Campbell, another Balemartine fisherman, set out a few days later when the storm had abated to search for the bodies. He found no trace of the boat or her crew in Colonsay, Islay or Iona.
Images of manuscript added to website August 2024:
2005.52.3
The police report on the Ruaig drowning of 1860
Transcription of the police report on the Ruaig drowning of 1860.
Courtesy of Argyll & Bute Archives
In February 1860, Charles MacLean and brothers Duncan and Archibald MacInnes left Skipnish, the harbour in Ruaig, to check their lobster traps. Their skiff measured just over sixteen feet. With Duncan at the helm and Charles and Archibald on the oars, they rowed four or five hundred yards to the south-east.
They then put three reefs in the sail, hoisted it and steered to the west of Soay. The wind was from the south, very strong but steady. As the sea was so heavy, they decided to shorten sail. While Archibald was doing this, water came aboard. They dropped the sail and in a moment the boat capsized.
Duncan managed to struggle ashore but the other two were drowned. When found by two Ruaig men, he was so weak he was unable to speak and had to be assisted home.
2005.52.5
A folder of papers including witness statements, a petition for search warrant and a search warrant regarding a breaking in and theft of fishing equipment in 1858. Donald McPhail of Kilmoluag is the accused.
2005.52.4
The evidence of Charles MacLean
Transcription of the evidence of Charles MacLean given at the enquiry into the sudden of death of a fishing crew from Mannal in 1860.
Courtesy of Argyll & Bute Archives
In April 1860 two fishing skiffs, one from Mannal and one from Balephuil, were out near Stevenson’s Rock, twenty kilometres to the south-west of Tiree. Both boats were rigged with dipping lugs which require considerable skill when tacking in heavy seas.
In windy weather there is the danger that too much sail will cause the boat to heel over and be swamped. This is apparently what happened to the Mannal boat which was not seen again after leaving the fishing grounds in the early morning.
Lugsails are shortened by lowering the yard and taking in reefs, i.e. hooking the sail to the bow at a point further up the luff (the leading edge of the sail) and tying the excess sail with reefs (cords attached to both sides of the sail). A lugsail may have four to six rows of reefs depending on its size.
