Photocopied newspaper article about a visit to Tiree by George E. Meston in 1935.
Article about Tiree with paragraphs about the ferry and freight services, golf, the beaches, snipe shooting and bird watching, the lochs, air ambulance, the coal boats, wireless sets in Balemartine, Soroby graveyard and the Skerryvore workshops at Hynish.
Photocopied newspaper article about Captain David Barclay.
Article about the retiral of Captain David Barclay of the Scottish Air Ambulance.
Colour photograph of Tiree women with samples of their baking taken in 1993.
Show of Tiree baking for TV programme `Good Morning with Ann and Nick` broadcast in 1993. L-R: Mary Davies, Crossapol; Monica Smith (behind Mary), Hynish; Flora MacDonald, Kilkenneth; Peggy Cameron, Crossapol; Elspeth Gillies, Scarinish; Bella MacKinnon, Hough; Nonaidh MacFadyen, Crossapol; unknown BBC presenter.
Message in a plastic bottle.
Message from the Faroes found in a plastic bottle.
Printout of webpage about emergency wireless telegraphy services to the Hebrides in the 1920s.
Account by David D Murdoch of working in Tiree with the Wireless Telegraphy Section of the British Post Office in the 1920s.
De Havilland Rapide over Sandaig
Photograph of a de Havilland Rapide over Sandaig.
Courtesy of Mr Donald MacKinnon
The first commercial flights from Renfrew Airport began in 1933 to Campbeltown and Islay. The following year a 29 year old businessman, George Nicholson from County Durham, set up Northern and Scottish Airways to take over these routes and develop others.
In October 1935, Nicholson was flown by his chief pilot, David Barclay, on a reconnaissance trip to Tiree. Islanders were woken early as he flew for some time low over the island, landing at 6 a.m. on An Tràigh Mhòr, the beach at Gott Bay. In May 1936, Colin MacPhail was appointed Northern and Scottish Airways local manager.
On 1st July 1936 David Barclay flew the first commercial flight to Tiree via Islay and landed on the Reef in a De Havilland Rapide, a fabric-covered twin engine biplane that could carry eight passengers.
Black and white photograph of a de Havilland Rapide over Sandaig after World War II.
De Havilland Rapide over Sandaig after World War II. The `X` off shore on the right marks the spot where the Sturdy went down.
Photocopied message in a bottle.
Message in a bottle from Michael Munnelly, Donegal found by the beam trwaler `Claudia Maria` at Latitude 55:50:33 North and Longitude 007:05:41 West on 13/6/96.
Loganair ticket for 1987.
Loganair ticket for Tiree-Glasgow flight on18/8/1987.
Two postmen in the late 19th century
Photograph of two postmen in the late 19th century.
Courtesy of Mr Alasdair Sinclair
This photograph taken the late 19th century shows two unknown postmen from the east end of Tiree. In the 1880s the first internal posts were delivered on foot from the main post office in Scarinish to Middleton, Island House and Gott.
In the 1890s these three foot posts were upgraded to horse posts and a further four horse posts were established from Scarinish to Balemartine, Cornaig and Ruaig and from Crossapol to Kenovay. The foot posts were extended to Vaul, Hough and Odhrasgair and in 1906 to Hynish and Caoles.
After World War II the network of foot and horse posts were gradually replaced with the familiar red post vans.
Black and white photograph of two east end postmen.
Two unknown postmen from the east end of Tiree, possibly Brock, taken in the late 19th century.
Audio cassette recording of Angus MacLean of Scarinish interviewed by Maggie Campbell on 3/4/2003.
Angus MacLean (Aonghas Dhòmhnuill Eòghainn Mhòr) of Scarinish talks to Maggie Campbell about Tiree’s plane service from 1934 to the present day, about the various companies that flew to the island, the routes and aircraft used, his work and colleagues at the airport fire service, the fuel supply and runways, the Met Office and Captain David Barclay.
