Notes on the chapels and burial sites on Tarasaigh/Taransay and Stewart of Loscintire [Losgaintir/Luskentyre], 8 July 1870
Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW116/19
Scope and Contents
Notes on the chapels and burial sites on Tarasaigh/Taransay, describing the beauty of Chè Temple [Teampull Chè/St Keith's Chapel], its construction, dimensions and situation and that its graveyard is still a burying place. He describes the stream which separates Cille Chè and Cladh Charain [Cladh Tharain/St Taran's graveyard] as being there in winter but dry in summer 'its bed covered over with docken'. Of St Taran's he notes, 'St Caran ruins by houses above & horse & cattle fanks now over the sup[posed] site of the real St Car[an]. Coastal erosion is described as having washed away the graveyards and exposed graves. 'Aft[er] a high tide last w[in]t[er] the whole small bay was covered over with bones - the tide being as ruthless as Stewart who had Loscantire [Losgaintir/Luskentyre, Na Hearadh/Isle of Harris] and who ploughed the cladh the people had at Seilebost.' The graveyard is described as being the oldest on Harris with 'skulls & thigh bones...roll[in]g ab[ou]t on surface of gr[oun]d like stones in a stony field' and the Stewarts as 'the greatest curse ever came upon Harris.' He describes how the Stewarts took the best land from good crofters and evicted them. Also described is a tung [tomb] which goes through the stack yard at Taransay's farmstead and its relationship to St Taran. Finally, Carmichael notes 'The sea gains rapidly upon the land here old peop[le] re[member] horses being tethered what is now under neap high water - the land having been washed away.'
Dates
- 8 July 1870
Language of Materials
Gaelic English
Conditions Governing Access
This material is unrestricted.
Extent
From the Series: 64 folios ; 19.5 x 23 cm
Physical Location
5.07
Physical Location
folio 5r, line 4 to folio 5v, line 13
- Archaeology
- Cemeteries
- Cladh Tharain Taransay Inverness-shire Scotland
- Coasts
- Crofting
- Erosion
- Eviction
- Isle of Harris Inverness-shire Scotland
- Landowners
- Losgaintir Isle of Harris Inverness-shire Scotland
- Ploughing
- Seilebost Isle of Harris Inverness-shire Scotland
- Stewart (Park | Isle of Lewis)
- Tales
- Taransay Harris Inverness-shire Scotland
- Taransay Inverness-shire Scotland
- Taransay Inverness-shire Scotland
- Teampull Tharain Taransay Inverness-shire Scotland
Creator
- From the Fonds: Carmichael, Alexander, 1832-1912 (Excise officer | folklorist and antiquarian | Edinburgh | Scotland) (Person)
- From the Fonds: Watson, William John, 1865-1948 (Professor of Celtic) (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository
Contact:
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
is-crc@ed.ac.uk
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379
is-crc@ed.ac.uk