Black and white photograph of Cathy Gunn`s mother, Eilidh MacNally, Eilidh MacDonald and Kate MacDonald.
Balephuil, 1953. L-R: Mrs MacKay (Cathy Gunn`s mother), Eilidh MacNally, Eilidh MacDonald and Kate MacDonald. Note the rotary quern at the door.
Black and white photograph of Neil MacDonald in 1930.
Neil MacDonald (Niall Iain Mhic Dhomhnaill Mhoir) of Balephuil known as `the strongest man in Tiree`, photographed in 1930.
Black and white photograph of Effie MacKinnon in 1929.
Effie MacKinnon outside her house Taigh Oighrig in Balephuil in 1929.
Rescue involving the crew of the ‘Duchess’
Transcription of a letter of 1868 from the Tiree factor John Geekie about a rescue involving the crew of the ‘Duchess’.
Courtesy of His Grace the Duke of Argyll
In a letter of 1868 to the 8th Duke of Argyll, his factor John Geekie commended eight Tiree men who had rescued three fishermen from drowning in Balephuil Bay during a gale. Two of the men were crew of the ‘Duchess’, built by the Duke in 1860 and let out to local men.
In May 1861 the factor had reported that ‘the crew of the Duchess fishing boat had a very good fishing…once they took courage and went out where the Tyree boats were fishing outside the light house’, the implication being that the crew were unnecessarily timid.
Their reluctance is easily explained by their lack of familiarity handling a vessel nearly twice the length of the average Tiree fishing boat and also by the dangers of fishing five or more miles from shore in a small sailing boat in the days before reliable weather forecasting and global positioning.
Black and white photograph of Mor MacArthur of Balephuil sliabh.
Mor MacArthur (Mor Dhomhnaill an t-sleibh) of Balephuil sliabh.
Black and white photograph of Hector MacNeill and Charles Brown.
L-R: Hector MacNeill and Charles Brown (Tearlaich Chaluim) from Balephuil.
Black and white photograph of Balephuil.
View of Balephuil with Kennavara in the background. At the extreme left is Taigh an Sgoileir.
Black and white photograph of Neill MacArthur, Balephuil.
Neil MacArthur (fear gille Ruaidh an t-sleibh) of Balephuil who was married to Mary Catherine Campbell of Cornaigbeg.
Black and white photograph of the MacArthurs of Balephuil sliabh.
The MacArthurs of Balephuil sliabh (muinntir an t-sleibh). L-R: (back) Mor, Peigi, Catriona, (front) Calum and Sandy.
Black and white photograph of Dugald MacArthur`s sister`s house in Canada.
The house in Canada of Dugald MacArthur`s sister from Balephuil sliabh. She and her husband (surname MacGibbon) died of flu.
