Photocopies of three airmail letters between brothers Angus (Gus) and Alasdair (Ali) McLellan, and to their mother Mrs R McLellan, Linlithgow, dated March 1943 and December 1944. Angus served with RAF Ceylon, while Ali served with the Hussars. The letter dated 20/3/1943 from Ali to his mother mentions Charles MacLean of Cornaig, who went missing in action: “Has Mrs MacLean heard any more news about Charles or is he still missing? She must be very upset over it all. How is his father taking the news?” The letters were found by the Findlaters in the old School House in Scarinish.
Printed report on ‘The Demographics of the population of Coll and Tiree’ by Sarah Griffin, Senior Information Analyst of Public Health, NHS, 2012. Commissioned by Cùram Thiriodh to assess the health needs of the population of Coll and Tiree. Companion report to ‘Demographics and Epidemiology of Coll and Tiree’, 2011. Includes information on current population, overall health, projected population, dementia prevelance and rates of death.
Softback report ‘Profiles: Health and Community in Rural and Urban Argyll’ using data from the Rural-Urban Morbidity Recording Project (2001-2004), by Jane Farmer et al, 2004. The profiles include the work of health professionals, people’s health status and their use of health services. They also highlight strengths and weaknesses of living in the local communities – centering on factors which might be related to health. See pages 17-23 for data from Tiree.
Memoirs of Alistair MacNeill, Hynish, ‘They were our Vital Sparks’ which recall his fascination with the coal puffers that visited Hynish to off-load coal and other goods during the 1950s. The puffers also took away bundles of kelp for processing on the mainland.
Memoirs of Alistair MacNeill, Hynish, ‘Wireless in my Life’ which recall his enjoyment of, and involvement in, wireless radio from his childhood in Hynish in 1941 to presenting a live broadcast from the Emirates Arena Glasgow during the run-up to the Commonwealth Games in 2014.
Memoirs of Alistair MacNeill, Hynish, ‘Those were the Games’ which recall his years on the Scottish Highland Games circuit, 1954-1972, when he was the only Gaelic speaker competing throughout Scotland.
Printed introduction to the Coastal Archaeology Project, 2004, run by Tom Dawson from the Centre for Environmental History & Policy at St Andrews University. The project wishes to work with local people to help discover the hidden and vulnerable archaeological sites on the caostlines of Coll, Tiree and Islay, before they are damaged by rising sea levels and increasing storms. Includes a list of 156 names, classifications and coordinates of archaeological sites on Tiree.
Pipe wind cap from Calum (Salum) MacLean’s shop in Salum. Round metal cap for placing over the end of a smoker’s pipe in order to prevent the wind from disturbing the tabacco. These were used by sailors, crofters when in the hay barns, or by those not wanting holes burned into their clothes.
