MacNeil (of Barra)

Account of a fishing trip around Mingulay with accompanying place-name notes, descriptions and stories, 23 May 1869

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW150/31

Scope and Contents Account by Alexander Carmichael of a fishing trip around Miulay [Miùghlaigh/Mingulay] with accompanying place-name notes, descriptions and stories. Carmichael notes geographical features such as high points, caves, rocks or arches; archaeological sites such as dùns or graveyards; places people have used for looking after livestock or catching birds and fish, noting breeding grounds or habits of some birds; and sea-faring items such as the conditions of the sea or navigation techniques. One...

Dates: 23 May 1869

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael, 1864 to

Series

Identifier: Coll-97/CW114

Scope and Contents Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael, noted as being 'Bought at St Columb, Cornwall, 30 Nov[ember] 1864 pr[ice] 2/3'. The back inside cover contains a note probably collected as part of excise duties which reads 'Rod[erick] MacPhie Mast of boat 21.8 [-] 1.2½ [-]'. The notebook contains one insertion. The majority of the notebook contains lore relating to Miùlaigh/Mingulay mostly collected from Roderick MacNeil, crofter, aged 88, known as Ruairidh an Rùma. Roderick MacNeil also...

Dates: 1864 to

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection

Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael, c1868 to 16 June 1876

Series

Identifier: Coll-97/CW150

Scope and Contents Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael containing primarily songs and stories collected in Miùghlaigh/Mingulay, Barraigh/Barra, Uibhist a Deas/South Uist and Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis. The main informants are Roderick MacNeil or Ruairidh an Rùma from Mingulay and Penelope MacLellan of Ormacleit/Ormaclete. The bulk of the material from MacNeil relates to the southernmost islands of the Hebrides and covers topics such as bird-fowling, the island way of life, place-names,...

Dates: c1868 to 16 June 1876

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection

Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael, 15 July 1870 to 19 October 1871

Series

Identifier: Coll-97/CW116

Scope and Contents Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael, inscribed on the inside cover with 'Alexander A Carmichael Inland Revenue Lochmaddy N[orth] Uist 15/7 1870 Note Book No 8'. The majority of this notebook contains material collected on Tarasaigh/Taransay from the MacDonalds at Paible House, Mor or Marion MacQueen and Donald MacKinnon including notes on the island's archaeology, local history and geographical changes, with stories of how coastal erosion revealed burial sites and renditions of...

Dates: 15 July 1870 to 19 October 1871

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection

Notes and story about the Lochlannaich [Vikings], 1867

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW114/71

Scope and Contents Notes and story about the Lochlannaich [Vikings] probably collected from Roderick MacNeil, aged 88, crofter, Miùghlaigh/Mingulay telling how they lived on Fuda [Fuidheigh/Fuday] and were killed there by Mac an Amhrais, an illegitimate son of MacNeil of Barra to prove, at MacNeil's request, that he was his son. The informant states, 'The Lochlannaich at one time owned all these islands,' and had a king called Barp 'who was the embodi[ment] of al that was fierce cruel and murderous'. When he...

Dates: 1867

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Notes on Tobar Bhi'it [Bridgit], Tobar Eachinn and Tota Chrissein, 1869

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW107/13

Scope and Contents

Notes on the wells Tobar Bhri'it [Bridgit], Sanntrai [Sanndraigh/Santray], Tobar Eachinn [Tobar Eachainn, Bhatarsaigh/Vatersay] and the graveyard Tota Chrissein at Cuir [Cuier/Cuidhir, Bhatarsaigh/Vatersay]. Tobar Eachainn is named after Eachin mac mhic ic Neil and noted as 'cover[ed] over with slats beyond Vatersay Ho[use]'. Tota Chrissein is noted as being used 'in Mr Alastair's time. He put his first child in it'.

Dates: 1869

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about Caibeal Bharra, September 1872

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW90/159

Scope and Contents

Story about Caibeal Bharra [Cille-Bharra, Barraigh/Isle of Barra] that its stones were used by Colonel [Roderick] MacNeil to build roads and dykes in Eoligarry [Eòlaigearraidh], on the advice of a mason named [Peter] Dawson, and that the colonel never prospered after that. Carmichael describes the chapel as having been 'high & large. Full of skulls & bones taken up fr[om] the graves'. The story has been scored through lightly in pencil.

Dates: September 1872

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Two stories relating to Cladh-Mhoire Nunton, 20 January 1871

Item

Identifier: Coll-97/CW116/149

Scope and Contents Two stories collected from Hector MacLeod, aged 85, at Caisteal Bhuirgh/Borve Castle, Lionacleit/Linaclate, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula telling how Cladh-Mhoire Nunton [Baile nan Cailleach] had a roof which was burned the same night as all other church roofs were burnt in Scotland for reasons which remain a mystery. 'No such secret as this was ever Kept. Nothing is know[n] of it.' The first person to be buried there was Bard dugh mhic Neill Bharrai [Bàrd Dubh Mhic Neill Bharraigh] who fell...

Dates: 20 January 1871

Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

University of Edinburgh Archive and Manuscript Collections

Found in 8 Collections and/or Records:

Account of a fishing trip around Mingulay with accompanying place-name notes, descriptions and stories, 23 May 1869

Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael, 1864 to

Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael, c1868 to 16 June 1876

Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael, 15 July 1870 to 19 October 1871

Notes and story about the Lochlannaich [Vikings], 1867

Notes on Tobar Bhi'it [Bridgit], Tobar Eachinn and Tota Chrissein, 1869

Story about Caibeal Bharra, September 1872

Two stories relating to Cladh-Mhoire Nunton, 20 January 1871

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