Photograph of Alasdair MacDonald outside his house in Kilmoluaig in the early1980s.
Courtesy of Mrs Rena MacPhail
Alasdair MacDonald of Kilmoluaig is pictured outside his house during its renovation in the early 1980s. Starting at the wall-head, the turfs are laid upside down on the roof timbers and slightly overlapping. They are held in place by small wooden pins.
The turfs are cut from the moor or ‘sliabh’ during May to August when the ground is fairly dry. A well-developed root system is needed in the turf to hold the soil together during handling. It would take an experienced cutter five days to cut the 1,000 turfs need for an average roof.
If the turfing is done properly, the roof should be watertight without any thatch. If the thatch is kept renewed, the turfs should last for more than a hundred years.
Colour photograph of Alasdair MacDonald of Kilmoluaig in the early 1980s.
Alasdair MacDonald outside his house in Kilmoluaig in 1980 or 1981 during renovation work. Note the turves or `sgrothan` laid on top of the rafters.
Colour photograph of Alasdair MacDonald`s house in Kilmoluaig in the early 1980s.
Alasdair MacDonald`s house in Kilmoluaig during renovation work in the early 1980s. Note the overlapping turves or sgrothan laid on top of the rafters.
Colour photograph of a group at Kilmoluaig in the late 1970s.
Sheep-shearing at Kilmoluaig in the late 1970s. L-R: Lachie MacLean, Kilmoluaig; Murdoch Cameron, Balevullin; Maggie Campbell, Kilmoluaig; Murdoch MacLean, Kilmoluaig; Alec MacKechnie, Black Croft, Kilmoluaig.
Letter of 1847 from the Secretary of the Board of Fisheries
Transcription of a letter of 1847 from the Secretary of the Board of Fisheries to the Marquis of Lorne.
Courtesy of His Grace the Duke of Argyll
The failure of the potato crop in 1846 led to widespread food shortages in the Highlands and Islands. In an attempt to provide work for people suffering from destitution, the government decided to improve ‘certain creeks on the west coast of Scotland’.
The Board of Fisheries sent an inspection team to Tiree and neighbouring islands to examine the state of the fishing boats, lines and piers. They concluded a total of £2,199 was needed to develop the fishing industry on Tiree, Mull and Iona and that the Duke of Argyll should pay half the costs.
The Marquis of Lorne argued against this proposal with some justification as the estate had tried for many years to encourage islanders to combine crofting and fishing with little success. However, in 1847 the Duke agreed to pay £690 towards building four new piers at Balemartine, Hynish, Milton and at the Green in Kilmoluaig.
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.
Photograph of a group of young Tiree adults in the 1920s
Black & white photograph of L-R (standing): unknown woman; Donald Archie MacLean, Millhouse; unknown woman; Neil Brown Cornaigbeg; unknown woman; (seated) Alec Hector MacPhail, Clachan; Mary MacPhail, Cornaig PO. Two of the other women are Isobel Stewart, Oban, and Mary Ann MacDonald, Kilmoluaig. Neil Brown was the brother of John Neil Brown`s father. Donald Archie was Archie Dubh`s father. Alec Hector was Willie Clachan`s father.
Photograph of a thatched house in Kilmoluaig in 1990.
Tiree’s thatched houses have immensely thick double walls, around five feet thick and six to seven feet high, filled with sand and rubble known as ‘glutadh’. They were built without mortar and with hip ends as opposed to the more usual gable ends seen on the mainland.
The older houses, pre-1850, were built using un-dressed stones found in the fields and at the shore. Their walls are rougher and the corners rounded. The roof rests on the inner wall, the stones of which are tilted downwards so that rainwater drains away from the rooms inside.
The ground at the back of the house is usually higher than at the front. If built on a slope, they would be slightly dug in at the back to give them greater shelter.
Colour photograph of the Alasdair MacDonald`s thatched house in Kilmoluaig in 1990.
Alasdair MacDonald`s thatched house in Kilmoluaig in 1990. (Original in Filing Cabinet 8 drawer 2)
Photocopied petition dated 1893 to Argyll County Council from a group of Tiree cottars.
Petition dated 1893 to Argyll County Council from a group of cottars from Kilmoluaig, Balevullin, Sandaig, Kilkenneth, Moss, Cornaigmore, Cornaigbeg, Kenovay and Barrapol, all wanting to rent land under the Small Holdings Scotland Act of 1892.
