Tag Archives: fuel and firing

1998.12.1

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

1999.144.9

Account by George Holleyman of his time in the RAF on Tiree 1941-1943.

Account by George Holleymen, an amateur archaeologist, of his time in RAF Tiree as a Service Policeman. Two more copies added in 2011 (E01206).

1997.176.7

The Coaling Station at Brock

Photograph of a coal puffer beached on Gott Bay at Brock in the 1930s.

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Around the middle of the 19th century, when local peat deposits had run out and peat was no longer readily available from adjacent islands, coal was shipped to Tiree in sailing smacks and schooners owned and sailed by Tiree men.

Later in the century and into the 1900s, coal was brought in by steam-driven lighters known as puffers. As there are no secure harbours in Tiree, the puffers, like the schooners before them, were beached at spring tides on several of the sandy bays around the island.

The coal was discharged into horse-drawn carts of a half tonne nominal capacity. One such coaling station was at Brock on the east end of the island.

Black and white photograph of the coaling station, Brock.

Photograph from a small album from Silversands, Vaul, titled `The Coaling Station, Brock` of a puffer discharging coal into horse-drawn carts, probably taken in the late 1920s to early 1930s. Around the middle of the 19th century, when local peat deposits had run out and peat was no longer readily available from adjacent islands, coal was shipped to Tiree in sailing smacks and schooners owned and sailed by Tiree men. Later in the century and into the 1900s, coal was brought in by puffers. As there are no secure harbours in Tiree, the puffers like the schooners before them were beached at spring tides on several of the sandy bays around the island. The coal was discharged into horse-drawn carts of a half tonne nominal capacity. One such coaling station was at Brock on the east end of the island.