Photocopied letter dated 18/1/1847 to the Marquis of Lorne from Mr Dick Lander, Secretary of the Board of Fisheries.
Letter dated 18/1/1847 to the Marquis of Lorne from Mr Dick Lander, Secretary of the Board of Fisheries, acknowledging receipt of £690 10/- being half the sum required to improve certain creeks on Tiree.
Specification of the fishing boat ‘Duchess of Argyll’
Transcription of a letter of 1860 from Malcolm Liston of Granton regarding the specifications of the fishing boat ‘Duchess of Argyll’.
Courtesy of His Grace the Duke of Argyll
In 1860 the 8th Duke of Argyll commissioned Malcolm Liston, a boat builder in Granton, to build a ‘first class fishing boat’ costing £130. Named the ‘Duchess of Argyll’, the boat was delivered to Tiree and let out to local fisherman.
Much larger than the average Tiree boat of 22 feet, the ‘Duchess’ was the latest in a series of attempts to encourage local fishermen who, since the rich fishing banks offshore were discovered in the 18th century, had been unable to compete with the bigger boats and superior equipment of crews from the north-east and other islands.
The ‘Duchess’ lasted only ten years. Because of her size, she was difficult to pull up on the beach and had to be moored offshore. In 1871, during a gale, the anchor chain tore out the stern, broke the mooring and she drifted ashore among the rocks at Hynish and was smashed.
Photocopied letter dated 12/5/1862 to the Duke of Argyll from John Campbell.
Letter dated 12/5/1862 to the Duke of Argyll from chamberlain John Campbell about the fishing boat `Duchess`. (Bundle 1540)
Photocopied bill of account dated 1861 for canvas for the fishing boat `Duchess`.
Bill of account dated 1861 from William Calder, Sail Maker, for canvas for the fishing boat `Duchess`. (Bundle 1537)
Photocopied bill of account dated 1861 for fitting out the fishing boat `Duchess`.
Bill of account dated 1861 from Malcolm R Lister, Boat Builder, to the Duke of Argyll for fitting out the fishing boat `Duchess`. (Bundle 1537)
Poster `Iasgach`.
Poster about fishing illustrated with black and white drawings of hand implements.
Photocopied page of four newspaper cuttings from the Oban Times, 1968.
(1) Article about Major Iain MacLennan, chairman of the Council of Social Services and of the local District Council, who reports that the councils want to attract light industry to Tiree, reduce freight costs and improve and extend the public water supply, (2) formation of a Tiree Youth Club, (3) new medical unit for Dr Calvert, (4) letters about Anne Sinclair’s piping success and Danina Langley’s MOD success.
Click here to view 1998.182.34
Gaelic list of fishing grounds around Tiree.
List of Tiree fishing grounds in Gaelic compiled by Donald MacFarlane in 1950.
Account by George Holleyman of his life on Tiree 1941-43.
Account by amateur archaeologist George Holleyman of his time in the RAF Service Police on Tiree from September 1941 to June 1943
Hardback book `A Different Country` by Michael Russell.
The photographs of Werner Kissling taken in the mainly in the Outer Hebrides between 1934 and 1959.
De-accessioned 26.2.2026.
