Mr R. M. Percy at the Hynish bulb farm in the 1950s
Postcard of the Hynish bulb farm in the 1950s.
Courtesy of Mrs Mary MacKinnon
In the early 1950s the West of Scotland Agricultural College’s horticultural adviser R. M. Percy suggested an experiment in bulb-growing to Walter Hume of Hynish. The experiment showed that the light sandy soils of Tiree were well suited to growing daffodil, tulip, narcissus and hyacinth bulbs.
Encouraged by this success, a number of crofters formed a Hebridean bulb-growers association and launched into bulb-growing as a commercial enterprise, supplying mainland hot-house growers with bulbs for forcing. Initially the economic prospects looked good as the yield per acre was high.
However, the bulbs were decimated by diseases and ravaged by pheasants, mice and slugs. Reinvigorating spent bulbs took longer than expected and markets became more difficult to find. Nowadays the only reminders of the bulb experiment are patches of daffodils growing wild in the fields.
Black and white postcard of the bulb fields at Hynish.
Postcard of the bulb fields at Hynish.
Black and white postcard of a boat at Gott Bay pier.
Tying up at Gott Bay pier. Eairdsidh na pacaid is standing in the stern.
Black and white postcard of Scarinish harbour in 1938.
Postcard of the `Mary Stewart` beached in Scarinish harbour in 1938 with lobster pots in the foreground, the Scarinish Hotel at the extreme left and communication masts in the background to the right. (Duplicate of A7)
Black and white photograph of Ruaig School in 1952-3.
Ruaig School in 1952-3. L-R: (back row) Mary Gardiner; Annie MacLelland; May Meechan; Jane Meechan; Irene MacDonald, Machair House; Jean MacFarlane, teacher; (2nd back row) John MacLelland; Agne MacCulloch; Jean Cunningham; Sandra Band; Tommy MacKinnon, Vaul; Agnes Law; Gavin Clark; (3rd back row) Mary Ann MacLean; John Shanks; Robert MacDonald; David Conn; Lachie MacDonald; Alfie Tarbert; (front row) Mary MacInnes; Ann MacKinnon (Langley); Sylvia MacKinnon; Betty Cunningham; Ellen Macinnes. (Duplicate of W3 – 1999.24.25. Not indexed)
Black and white photograph of Ruaig School in the late 1940s-1950s.
Ruaig School in the late 1940s-1950s. Back row (L-R): ?, ?, ?; Hugh Archie MacLean, Salum. Middle row (L-R): Nan Menzies; Chrissie Marno; Ella Donald (nee MacKinnon), Vaul; Sadie Menzies, Salum; Margaret MacInnes (nee MacKinnon), Ruaig; Fiona MacLean, Ruaig; Annie Stewart, Croish(?). 2nd row from front (L-R): Ethel Woods; ?; ?. Front row (L-R): Mary Gardner(?); Alfie Tarbert; Gavin Clark, Ruaig; Catherine Mary MacDonald (nee MacKinnon), Upper Vaul; Bobby MacLean Mealum; Hugh MacKinnon, Ruaig; Tommy Gardner, Kirkapol.
Laser print of a black and white photograph of an unknown group taken at the Tiree Show in Scarinish in 1922.
Unknown group taken at the Tiree Show in Scarinish in 1922. (From Myra Lamont’s photograph album of the 1920s.)
Mrs Ludlow demonstrates how to make butter in 1922
Photograph of Mrs Ludlow demonstrating how to make butter at the Tiree Agricultural Show in Scarinish in 1922.
Courtesy of Mrs Rachel Wylie
Butter was made on Tiree by first skimming the cream off fresh milk that had stood for twenty-four hours. The cream was usually collected over several days, by which time it had fermented. This produced a fuller flavour. The cream was then churned until it separated into butter and buttermilk.
Plunge churns were popular on Tiree in the 19th century. These are tall barrels with a plunger, at the end of which is a wooden disk with holes drilled in it. Towards the end of the century they were superseded by patent barrel churns, which were turned round with a handle.
Butter was usually preserved with salt and was known in Gaelic as ‘ìm saillte’. It was stored in an earthenware jar called a ‘pige’. Homemade butter, patted into shape, was exhibited at Tiree Agricultural Shows until the 1950s.
Laser print of a black and white photograph of Mrs Ludlow at the Tiree Show in Scarinish in 1922.
Mrs Ludlow demonstrating how to make butter at the Tiree Show in Scarinish in 1922. (From Myra Lamont’s photograph album of the 1920s.)
Laser print of a black and white photograph of the Tiree Show in Scarinish in 1922.
The Tiree Show in Scarinish in 1922. (From Myra Lamont’s photograph album of the 1920s.)
Laser print of a black and white photograph of a family group taken at Heylipol Cotttage.
Unknown family group photographed outside Heylipol Cottage. (From Myra Lamont’s photograph album of the 1920s.)
Laser print of a black and white photograph of Flora and Jessie MacNab in the 1920s.
`Resting by the way`. L-R: Flora MacNab, school teacher in Glasgow, and her sister Jessie who was a district nurse in Tiree. (From Myra Lamont`s photograph album of the 1920s.)
