Audio cassette recording of John MacKinnon of Kilmoluaig talking to Maggie Campbell in 2000.
John MacKinnon (Iain Aonghais) of Kilmoluaig talks to Maggie Campbell in 2000 about his father Johnnie and his smiddy in Kilmoluaig, his uncle learning the trade in Cornaigbeg, Mull and Glasgow, himself working the bellows, the work of the blacksmith shoeing horses, the people of the area and their horses, the versatility of blacksmiths, the changes in the methods of crofting and the machinery used.
Audio cassette recording of Donald Iain Kennedy, Balephuil talking to Maggie Campbell in 2000.
Donald Iain Kennedy of Balephuil talks to Maggie Campbell in 2000 about the people he remembers in Balephuil, the shop, fishing and the skill of the local people, the places he would fish from, the weather, second sight, healing powers, the ministers in Balephuil, a fatal accident, the local poets and the songs they wrote, shebeens, teachers and school, and tells stories about the old people. Tha Dòmhnall Iain ’Ic Ualraig a Baile Phuill a’ bruidhinn ri Magaidh Chaimbeul ann an 2000 mu na daoine aig am bheil cuimhne aige a bha ann am Baile Phuill, am bùth, iasgach agus sgil nan daoine-ionadail, na carraigean far am biodh e ag iasgach, an tide, an dà shealladh, comas leighis, ministearan Bhaile Phuill, tubaist-bhàs mhòr, na bàird ionadail agus na h-òrain a sgrìobh iad, ‘shebeens’, tidsearan agus sgoil; tha e ag innse naidheachdan mu na seann daoine.
Audio cassette recording of Dr John MacInnes talking to Maggie Campbell in March 2000.
Dr John MacInnes talks to Maggie Campbell in March 2000 about recording oral histories on Tiree with the School of Scottish Studies, the kindness of Tiree people, meeting Eachann and Dòmhnall Chaluim Bhàin and the many stories he heard about Fingal, Oscar and Diarmid and other heroes, the origins of these stories, the Balephuil clearances, the skill of Tiree men at sailing and the importance of giving young people the confidence to speak in Gaelic. Tha Dotair Iain Mac Aonghais a’ bruidhinn ri Magaidh Chaimbeul ann Am Mart 2000 mu eachdraidh beul-aithrise Thiriodh air a chuir air clàr le Sgoil Eòlais na h-Alba, càirdeas muinntir Thiriodh, a’ coinnicheadh ri Eachann agus Dòmhnall Chaluim Bhàin agus gur iomadh sgeul a’ chuala e mu Fhionn, Oscar agus Diarmaid agus gaisgich eile, tùs na sgeulan sin, fuadach Bhaile Phuill, sgil fir Thiriodh aig fairge agus cho feumail ’s a bha e misneachd a’ thoirt do dhaoine òige Gàidhlig a’ bhruidhinn.
Colour photograph of Dun nan Nighean in Balephuil in 2000.
Dùn nan Nighean at Balephuil photographed by Dr John Holliday in 2000.
Photograph of Dùn nan Nighean at Balephuil in 2000
The remains of twenty-five fortresses from the Iron Age (600 BC – 400 AD) survive on Tiree. It is likely that these were unsettled times caused by a worsening of the climate, a growing population, thinning of the first farmed soils and the use of new iron weapons.
These fortresses, all now called ‘dùn’ in modern Gaelic, are either forts large enough to hold a community of 30 to 40 people, small duns made to shelter one family or brochs with double-skinned walls containing a staircase and guard cell, probably standing around 8 metres tall.
The forts and duns had simple defences and usually stood on inaccessible crags away from their accompanying farms. Tradition has it that a group of nuns was cornered at Dùn nan Nighean and slaughtered by the Vikings. There is also said to have been an escape tunnel out of the dun.
Audio cassette recording of Janet Brown of Balephuil talking to Maggie Campbell in November 1999.
Janet Brown of Balephuil talks to Maggie Campbell in November 1999 about making butter and cheese, how there was always plenty of food even if the ferry couldn’t make Tiree, different kinds of scones, how all the work had to be finished by Saturday night in order to observe the Sabbath, washing using galvanised baths and Sunlight soap, washing blankets in the burn, harvesting, how herring were plentiful, how everyone helped preparing for a wedding, ceilidhs and dancing and different kinds of stockings.
Audio cassette recording of Annie MacPhee from New Zealand talking to Maggie Campbell in June 2000.
Annie MacPhee of New Zealand talks Maggie Campbell in June 2000 about her childhood in Balephuil and Hynish, her schooling and teachers at Balemartine, her father’s smiddies in Hynish and Balinoe, her family’s emigration to New Zealand in 1927, the help they received from Tirisdeach Donald MacLean in acquiring a sheep station, and the party arranged for her family’s visit to Tiree by Lachie and Sandra Brown.
Audio cassette recording of David MacClounnan of Balephuil talking to John Donald MacLean in February 1998.
David MacClounnan (Dàibhidh na Croige) of Balephuil talks to John Donald MacLean (Teòn Dòmhnall a’ Mhuilinn) about fishing for cod and herring, drying fish, the fishing smacks of West Hynish, the construction of the thatched house in Bail’ Ur and their owners, old stories about fairies, the Old New Year, gathering seafood, the piper who went into the cave at Kennavara, a water diviner, place-names in East and West Hynish, the Norsemen, World War I and Skerryvore. Tha Dàibhidh na Croige a Baile Phuill a’ bruidhinn ri Teòn Dòmhnall a’ Mhuilinn mu iasgach truisg agus sgadan, tiormachadh èisg, bàtaichean èisg nan Cuiltean, na taighean-tugha a chaidh a thogail anns a’ Bhail’ Ùr agus na daoine a bu leis iad, seann naidheachdan mu shìthichean, an t-seann Bliadhna Ùr, a’ cruinneachadh biadh-cladaich, am pìobair a chaidh a steach don uaimh aig Ceann a’ Bhara, fàistinneach-uisge, ainmeannan-aite ann am Ear ’s ann Iar Haoidhnis, na Lochlannaich, a’ Cheud Chogadh agus an Sgeir Mhòr.
Audio cassette recording of David MacClounnan of Balephuil talking to John Donald MacLean in June 1998.
David MacClounnan (Dàibhidh na Croige) of Balephuil talks to John Donald MacLean (Teòn Dòmhnall a’ Mhuilinn) of Crossapol about himself and Flòraidh Bhàird going home by bicycle, fishing, the caves around ‘cowrie shell beach’, the hanging island, a mermaid found at Diobadal in Hynish, Hynish pier and Skerryvore lighthouse, a well in Balephuil, beach-combing, forts, second sight, the first tractor in Tiree, a fairy woman, old funerals and funeral costs.
Audio cassette recording of Hector Brown of Balephuil talking to Maggie Campbell in November 1998.
Hector Brown of Balephuil talks to Maggie Campbell in November 1998 about his first trip to sea at the age of 18 on the cargo ship SS Peril, the contents of his kitbag, the ship’s accommodation and his work as a deckhand/watch, the ports he visited around Britain and Ireland on board the SS Peril, ration books, coupons and some of the men he sailed with in the 1940s. Eachann Brùn o Baile Phuill a’ bruidhinn ri Mairead Chaimbeul anns an t- Samhain 1998 mu dheidhinn a chiad turus aige gu muir, air a bhàta SS Peril, nuair bha e ochd bliadhna deug, na rudan a bha na mhàileid, an obair a bha aige air a bhàta, na puirt air an do thadhail e timcheall Breatainn agus Èirinn, leabhraichean cuibhreann agus feadhainn de na daoine a bha a’ seòladh còmhla ris anns na 1940s.
