Minidisk recording of Alasdair Sinclair and Duncan Grant talking to Dr John Holliday in An Iodhlann on 21/1/2004.
Alasdair Sinclair of Brock and Duncan Grant of Ruaig talk to Dr John Holliday in January 2004 about their Tiree connections and early memories of Ruaig, Brock and Soa, about Hugh Lamont (Eòghann Iain) from Ruaig, the postal service, Brock ceilidh house, thatched houses, quarrying stones at Brock and the tools used, handmade lintels, and collecting seaweed and birds’ eggs from Soa.
Photocopied magazine extract about the bulb farms on Tiree.
Article about the bulb farms on Tiree. (Plus the title page of an original – E01246)
Colour photograph of Iain MacDonald`s boat at Skipinnis, Ruaig.
Iain MacDonald`s boat at Ruaig. In the background (L-R) are Brooke`s house, Robert Beck`s house and Skipinnis.
Colour photograph of the former bulb fields at Ruaig.
The former bulbs fields at Ruaig.
Black and white photograph of a prize mare and foal at the 1927 agricultural show.
Prize mare and foal belonging to Donald MacDougall of Ruaig at the agricultural show of 1927, from a small photograph album from Silversands in Vaul titled 1927.
Black and white photograph of the crew of the Letitia, Glasgow, 1917.
The crew of the `Letitia` of Glasgow in 1916-17. Back row: (2nd left) Charlie MacDonald, Ruaig – uncle to Mary Flora MacKinnon, Balephetrish and Margaret MacInnis, Ruaig; (3rd left) John MacArthur – father of John MacArthur, Middleton Farm; (2nd right) Alasdair MacDonald – father to Lachie MacDonald, Middleton; (1st right) John MacKinnon, Balephetrish – uncle to John MacKinnon (Iain Aonghais), Kilmoluaig. The ship ran aground at Halifax NS on 1.8.1917 and was abandoned on 4.8.1917.
The crew of the ‘Baron Polwarth’
Photograph of the crew of the ‘Baron Polwarth’ in 1916.
Courtesy of Mr Lachie MacDonald
The ‘Baron Polwarth’ was a tramp steamer that plied its trade around the British coasts and European ports. Owned by the tramp ship company Hugh Hogarth & Sons, which later became the Baron Line, the ships were recognisable by their buff and black funnels.
The owners had a reputation for being overly economical when feeding their crews. As a result, the line was nicknamed the ‘Hungry Hogarths’. The crew of the ‘Baron Polwarth’ included several sailors from Tiree.
One of them, Dougall Lamont, son of Archie Lamont of Cornaigmore, died as a result of an accident on board in January 1916. His remains were brought home to Tiree and interred in Kirkapol cemetery. His fellow crew members clubbed together and bought a marble book which was placed on his grave.
Black and white photograph of the crew of the `Baron Polwarth`, Ardrossan in 1916.
Crew of the Baron Polwarth, Ardrossan, 1916. L-R: (back row) Charlie MacDonald, Ruaig, uncle to Mary Flora MacKinnon, Balephetrish and Margaret MacInnes, Ruaig; John MacKinnon, Balephetrish, uncle to Ian MacKinnon (Iain Aonghais), ‘Lochview’, Kilmoluaig; Charles MacDonald, uncle to Lachie MacDonald, Middleton; John MacArthur, father of John MacArthur, Middleton Farm; (middle row) Hugh Cameron; Walter MacDonald, Moss, uncle to Johann MacKinnon, Barrapol and Neil Brownlie; unknown; (front row) possibly Walter Mackinnon, Greenhill; unknown.
Photocopied photograph of Captain John MacKinnon and Neil MacDougall.
Captain John MacKinnon of Harbour, Caoles and his brother-in-law Neil MacDougall, son of Rev. Allan MacDougall and headmaster of Ruaig School.
Dr Dan MacKinnon of Ruaig
Photograph of Dr Dan MacKinnon of Ruaig in Balemartine during World War I.
Courtesy of Mr Donald MacKinnon
Dr Dan MacKinnon (Dòmhnaill Eòghainn na Sraide) is pictured on his motorbike in Balemartine during World War I. Born at Tor a’ Bhaile in Ruaig in 1890, he was educated locally and in 1913 qualified as a doctor in Glasgow.
After working briefly at the Grampian Sanatorium in Kingussie, he returned to Tiree in 1914 as the island’s doctor. He once had a spill from his motorbike in Heanish. Although unhurt and able to continue on his rounds, the racing engine and spinning wheels caused some consternation to those who came to his aid.
He enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1917 and went off to the war, returning to Tiree in June 1919 but resigning the following year to take up the post of Parochial Medical Officer in Aberfoyle. He died unmarried in 1938 and is buried in Kirkapol cemetery.
Black and white photograph of Dr Dan MacKinnon of Ruaig in the 1910s.
Dr Dan MacKinnon of Ruaig on his motorbike in Balemartine in the 1910s. Houses (L-R): Lachlan MacNeill (former Post Office); Flora Lamont, John Paterson (thatched houses); MacArthurs’ houses. Dr Dan was born at Tor a’ Bhaile in Ruaig in 1890, came back to Tiree in 1914 as its doctor and enlisted in the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1917.
Black and white photograph of Ruaig School around 1929.
Ruaig School around 1929. L-R: (front row) Alister Maclean, Salum; Lachie MacFadyen, Caoles; Willie MacIntosh, Caoles; John MacFadyen, Caoles; Ian MacLean, Croish, Caoles; James Graham, Vaul; (2nd front row) Margaret Graham, Vaul; Margaret MacArthur, Rosigil, Caoles; Mary B MacFadyen, Caoles; Effie MacArthur, Ruaig; Lizzie Barr, Ruaig; Isobel MacKinnon, Croish, Ruaig; Effie MacKinnon, Vaul; Jessie MacFadyen, Caoles ; Ruby MacDougall, Vaul; (2nd back row) Ena MacDonald, Brock; Ina Faulds, Ruaig; Flora Lamont, Sackhill; Lizzie MacGill, Ruaig; Mary MacKinnon, Vaul; Ann Hobbins, Vaul; Elsie MacKinnon, Kirkapol; Jessie MacGill, Ruaig; Chrissie MacKinnon, Primary Teacher; (back row) Robert MacLeod, Headteacher; John Faulds, Caoles; Archie MacFadyen, Brock; Donald MacDonald, Ruaig; Alfie Walker, Vaul; Lachie Maclean, Vaul; David Maclean, Ruaig.
