Skip to main content

Isle of Barra Inverness-shire Scotland

 Subject

Staff Only
Subject Source: Local sources

Found in 280 Collections and/or Records:

Story about Dun a Charra, 24 September 1872

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW90/106
Scope and Contents

Story about Dun a Charra [Dùn a' Charra, Barraigh/Isle of Barra], that the 'Carra' [standing stone] was thrown by a Lochlannach [Viking] at his lover out of jealousy. It struck her, killed her and she sank into the earth. 'The carra stands there another lying by its side'. The story is concluded with a proverbial phrase which reads, 'SSpionnadh (sic) 9 naonar (supra: 81) gus am bi a ghrian na h-airde (noon) When the sun de[scends] there nearst de 8l in each fuilt eir'.

Dates: 24 September 1872
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about eating rye and accompanying verse, 1901

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW110/87
Scope and Contents

Story about a man telling a boy eating rye in a verse beginning 'Nach tu an biastach, Gu ith nar diasan' that it would take out his teeth in a year. The man went with the boy to Orkney but never returned. Text has been scored through.

Dates: 1901
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about how Cuilidh na Leannan got its name, 24 Septmeber 2010

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW90/113
Scope and Contents

Story about how Cuilidh na Leannan got its name. A man ran away with another man's sweetheart and as they were 'riding under the piazza' the rock caught them, threw them down and they were killed 'in the sloc below'. The place where this happened was named after them: 'Cuilidh na Leannan' or 'Leac nan Leannan' which is at Cliv [Dùn Cliobh] close to a stream.

Dates: 24 Septmeber 2010
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about how Fionn came to marry Rìgh Lochlann's daughter, March 1867

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW114/11
Scope and Contents Story collected from Donald MacPhee, smith, Brèibhig/Breivig, Barraigh/Isle of Barra in which Fionn meets an old man/giant on the road but Conan is suspcious of him so the man is questioned as to who he is. He says he is a messenger from Rìgh Lochlann [King of Norway] and is consequently put in a hole by Conan. He tells Fionn that Rìgh Lochlann's daughter fell in love with him the first time he was in Lochlann/Norway and that she is so love-sick she is on her death-bed and so Rìgh Lochlann...
Dates: March 1867
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story about how MacNeil died in Gearrynamoine, 19 October 1871

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW116/168
Scope and Contents Story collected from Rev Alexander Campbell, priest, Bornais/Bornish, Uibhist a deas/South Uist, telling how MacDonald of Boisdale was always trying to catch MacNeil of Barra. One day he and his men lay hidden under heather in the bottom of a boat of women. MacNeil fell for the trap and Boisdale caught him. When they landed at Kilbride [Cille Bhrìghde] MacNeil escaped and so Boisdale and his men pursued him. While they were passing through Gearrynamoine [Geàrraidh na Mònadh/Garrynamonie] 'a...
Dates: 19 October 1871
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about 'Iain Og mac Mhic ic Neil', 1867

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW114/61
Scope and Contents Story collected from Roderick MacNeil, aged 88, crofter, Miùghlaigh/Mingulay about 'Iain Og mac Mhic ic Neil' [Iain Òg mac Mhic ic Neill] telling how when a shipwreck occurred off Vaslan [Vaslain, Barraigh/Isle of Barra] he sent people to get a doradh [dorgh or handline] to save the people who had been on board. Stones were put on the end of the lines and it was these stones which killed the people when thrown to them. The survivors told the king that Iain Òg had killed them and the king...
Dates: 1867
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story about Mac a Chreachain, 1869

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW114/59
Scope and Contents Story about Mac a Chreachain probably collected from Roderick MacNeil, aged 88, crofter, Miùghlaigh/Mingulay. In it Mac a' Chreachain prophesies that Ciosmaol [Caisteal Chiosmuil/Kisimul Castle, Barraigh/Isle of Barra] will be 'na garrai beiste dugh' [a cave for a black beast] and is sent to Maol donaich [Maol Dòmhnaich] as a punishment. He threw a stone into the sea and later caught a fish which had swallowed the same stone. He predicted that Barrai [Barraigh/Isle of Barra] would be full of...
Dates: 1869
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael

Story about MacNeil, MacDonald and MacConnell and accompanying verse, c1875

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW105/29
Scope and Contents Story about MacNeil, MacDonald and MacConnell [MacDonald, Lord of the Isles] in which they are all on a boat and MacDonald, running out of food, chooses to give MacNeil the food on the understanding that he will see Kisimul Castle [Caisteal Chiosmuil, Barraigh/Barra]. They reach Castlebay [Bàgh a' Chaisteil] in a storm and are running out of water so MacNeil orders his butler to give water to his own men and whisky to MacDonald's men. The accompanying verse begins, 'S mithich dhuinne nis bhi...
Dates: c1875
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about Mairi ("ni Raoil") NicNeill, dairy woman to the MacNeill of Barra, 1885

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW87/43
Scope and Contents Story about Mairi ("ni Raoil") NicNeill [Mary MacNeill née MacDonald], dairy woman to the MacNeil of Barra, [Bruairnis/Bruernish, Eòlaigearraidh/Eoligarry, Barraigh/Barra]. The story tells of how, when General Roderick MacNeil was at war in India, the factor 'would not allow her her own mode of feeding the calfs'. When MacNeil returned he asked for Mary but was told by the factor that she had left. MacNeil reproached him saying that his cattle was famous long before a factor ever saw them...
Dates: 1885
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Transcription notebook of Alexander Carmichael

Story about Major MacDonald, baillie and a dispute between two men from Mingulay, 1869

 Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW107/15
Scope and Contents

Story about two men who come from Mingulay [Miùghlaigh] to get advice from Major MacDonald, baillie on Barra [Barraigh] to settle a dispute. The major offers to settle the matter there and then but the men insist that they all go to the landlord's house in Eoligarry [Eòligearraidh] to have it settled there.

Dates: 1869
Found in: University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections / The Carmichael-Watson Collection / Field notebook of Alexander Carmichael