Black and white postcard of Cornaig mill.
The old mill at Cornaig, probably taken in the 1920s.
1998.184.6
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Object Type: photograph
1998.184.4
The seaweed factory at Middleton
Photograph of the remains of the seaweed factory at Middleton.
Courtesy of Mr Donald MacKinnon
The kelp forests around Tiree are the fourth largest in Scottish waters. This abundance fuelled the seaweed industry on the island which, for a hundred years, produced alkali for soap and glass manufacture, and for bleaching linen.
Undercut by cheap foreign imports, the industry slumped from the 1830s until the 1860s when the North British Chemical Company appointed as manager a brilliant young chemist, Edward Curtis-Stanford. He arrived in Tiree in 1864 to supervise the building of the factory at Middleton, known locally as the Glassary.
Until 1901 the factory extracted iodine and alginates from the tangles, selling the residual charcoal as fertilizer and deodorants for earth closets, and using the gas produced by the process to light the buildings. Most of the factory was demolished in 1941 to provide the foundations of the runways built at the Reef for the RAF station.
Black and white photograph of the old seaweed factory at Middleton.
The old seaweed factory at Middleton in the early 20th century.
1998.176.9
Black and white photograph of chemist Hugh Campbell.
Chemist Hugh Campbell in uniform with bagpipes. He was the son of John Campbell, Garaphail and his wife Flora MacEachern (see Y81), and brother of footballer Archie (see R14).
1998.176.26
Black and white photograph of Scarinish harbour.
Smack moored in Scarinish harbour with the hotel in the backgound. The smack would bring provisions for the Scarinish shop and was captained by Donald MacLean, who later owned the Mary Stewart.
1998.176.10
Black and white photograph of Archie and Fileag MacEachern in Harris in the 1920s.
Leverburgh Sunday School in Harris in the 1920s (see Y79). Flora (Fileag) and blacksmith Archie MacEachern from Creag Mhor, Cornaigbeg are on the extreme left.
1998.176.27
Black and white photograph of an unknown man.
Unknown man – not indexed though probably connected with Cornaigbeg.
1998.176.11
Archie MacEachern and his sister Fileag in Harris
Photograph of blacksmith Archie MacEachern and his sister Fileag at Leverburgh Sunday School in Harris in the 1920s.
Courtesy of Mrs Mairi Brady
In this photograph taken at Leverburgh Sunday School in Harris in the 1920s, Archie MacEachern is in the centre and his sister Fileag is second on the left. Their father was Archibald MacEachern, the blacksmith at Creag Mhòr in Cornaigbeg.
Archie worked for around eleven years on Harris as a blacksmith and missionary. Part of his work involved making spearheads for the harpoons used in the whaling industry. He returned to Tiree in the 1930s to work in the smiddy at Creag Mhòr.
He married Catherine MacLean from The Brae, Cornaigbeg and the couple had three children, Archibald, Hugh and Mary. Archie continued his missionary work, preaching in the United Free Church in Kirkapol in the 1930s.
Black and white photograph of Archie and Fileag MacEachern in Harris in the 1920s.
Leverburgh Sunday School, Harris, in the 1920s. Archie MacEachern is in the centre and his sister Fileag is second left. Archie was the blacksmith at Creag Mhor in Cornaigbeg and also a lay preacher and missionary. He preached in the United Free Church in Kirkapol in the 1930s.
1998.176.28
Black and white photograph of Maggie MacEachern and Christina MacLean.
L-R: Maggie MacEachern of Cornaigbeg and her cousin Christina MacLean, probably taken at the end of the 19th century,
1998.176.12
Black and white photograph of Archie and Fileag MacEachern in Harris in the 1920s.
Leverburgh Sunday School, Harris, in the 1920s. Fileag and her brother Archie MacEachern are on the extreme left (see photos R16 and R17)
1998.176.13
Black and white photograph of Mary MacEachern and Janet Wilson at Stirling Castle in 1946.
Cousins Mary MacEachern and Janet Wilson nee MacEachern at Stirling Castle in 1946. Mary`s father Archie and Janet`s father John were brothers and both blacksmiths.
