Black and white photograph of Donald and Sarah Black in 1895.
Donald Black(1854-1937) and his wife Sarah Brown both from Balephuil, photographed in 1895 when Donald was appointed Justice of the Peace for Assinboia Territory in the Canadian North West Territories.
Black and white photograph of Balephetrish pier.
Balephetrish pier constructed during WWII so that barges could unload materials for the aerodrome.
Black and white photograph of Donald and Christine MacKinnon of Balephuil.
Photograph of L-R: Donald MacKinnon (shoemaker and member of the Land Leagues movement), Alasdair MacKinnon (Donald`s brother and grandfather to the twins at Bail` Ur), Caroline Black`s father, Christine MacKinnon (Donald`s wife), and two children “who brought him up” (referring to Bernie Smith, Balephuil?)
Black and white photograph of servicemen in a dinghy at Gott Bay pier during WWII.
Servicemen in a dinghy at Gott Bay pier during WWII.
Roadmen in Baugh
Photograph of roadmen working in Baugh.
Courtesy of Mr Angus Munn
A Balemartine man remarked during World War II that ‘Hitler was the best local councillor that Tiree ever had!’ By this he meant that the arrival of the RAF in 1941 brought a remarkable improvement in the infrastructure of the island.
A three-runway airport was constructed, as well as hundreds of Nissen huts and two NAAFIs selling alcohol and showing films. In addition, the road network was upgraded to cope with the lorries carrying supplies between the pier, the RAF station at Crossapol and the radar base at Hough.
The main road to the east end of the island used to be along the sandy expanse of Tràigh Ghott, the beach along Gott Bay; the tarred road around the bay was laid in 1931. This photograph shows workmen gravelling the road up to the doctor’s surgery at Baugh.
Black and white photograph of road-building during WWII.
Road-building during World War II.
Thomas Barr, tenant of Balephetrish Farm 1864-1912
Photograph of Thomas Barr, tenant of Balephetrish Farm 1864-1912.
Courtesy of Mr Angus Munn
In the mid-19th century, the 8th Duke of Argyll was keen to modernise Tiree’s agriculture and introduce dairy farming which he thought admirably suited to island’s pasturage. In 1864 he signed a 19-year lease for £400 a year with Robert Barr, a farmer from Dalry in Ayrshire.
So keen was the Duke for his new tenant to be successful he amalgamated the farms of Vaul, Balephetrish, the Reef, Kenovay and Crossapol to make a sizeable holding of over 3,000 acres. He also repaired the farmhouse and erected byres, stables, cart sheds and other outhouses.
Robert Barr sent his son Thomas to the island to establish the farm. Some cheese was made, but Tom Barr soon found that breeding beef cattle and horses was more lucrative. He introduced the first Clydesdale stallions to Tiree and also introduced the first mechanised hay rake.
Black and white photograph of Thomas Barr of Balephetrish Farm.
Thomas Barr who farmed in Balephetrish from 1864 to 1912.
Black and white photograph of a stackyard by Eric Cregeen.
Stackyard at Balephuill photographed by Eric Cregeen in 1968. (The copy from the School of Scottish Studies is in Filing Cabinet 4 drawer 3)
Black and white postcard of Island House.
Postcard of Island House, Heylipol.
Black and white postcard of the rocks at Hynish.
Postcard of the rocks at Hynish.
Black and white postcard of a view of Mull from Tiree.
Postcard of Taigh Eoghainn Anna (also known as Taigh Alasdair `ic Neill) with the Mull mountains in the background.
