North Uist Inverness-shire Scotland
Subject
Subject Source: Local sources
Found in 241 Collections and/or Records:
Story about Coinneach Odhar [The Brahan Seer], 3 January 1872
Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW90/9
Scope and Contents
Story collected at Gramsdall [Gramasdail/Gramsdale, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula] about Coinneach Odhar [The Brahan Seer] telling how following a dream he had, he got his powers of prophesy from a stone in a box he had found on the strand. Later he threw the stone into a loch near Loch Ness and it was said that when the stone is recovered all his prophesies will come true. The story also lists several of Coinneach Odhar's prophesies relating to Uist and Barra including the presence of grey...
Dates:
3 January 1872
Story about Donl Bhailerail [Donald MacDonald of Balranald], c1872
Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW90/15
Scope and Contents
Story about Donl Bhailerail [Dòmhnall Dòmhnallach/Donald MacDonald of Balranald] stating that he used to visit a man who lived by the graveyard whose son 'was a sore tyrant' and who by their appearance - riding on black horses with white fronts, dressed in green - were fairies. Donald requested a meeting with him at Crao-mhor ['the stump of a thornbush'], Bhailerail [Baile Raghnill or Baile Raghnaill, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist], and after that he was never seen again. 'The man told him that...
Dates:
c1872
Story about Gille na Ciotaig and accompanying song 'Bodach Bhearnasdail', 1877
Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW108/81
Scope and Contents
Fair copy of a story entitled 'Gille Na Ciotaig' about a poet, related to Lord MacDonald who was originally from North Uist but who had to go and live in South Uist [Uibhist a Deas] because he had satirised the proprietor in North Uist [Uibhist a Tuath] for 'some act of oppression'. He travelled with his horse all around the Highlands and Islands and once when visiting a friend in Bearnasdail [Bernisdale, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach/Isle of Skye] his horse got loose and ended up in the corn of...
Dates:
1877
Story about gravestones being mistaken for grey lag geese, 1887
Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW89/213
Scope and Contents
Story about gravestones being mistaken for grey lag geese, in which a man by the name of [Captain Thomas?] Gray having mistaken gravestones at Clachan [Clachan na Luib, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist] for greylag geese began to sketch them and make notes and continued to do so despite being told of his mistake by 'Norman the Bank'.
Dates:
1887
Story about how kelp-making came to North Uist, 20 January 1871
Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW116/165
Scope and Contents
Story collected from Alexander MacDonald, Cladach Chirceboist/Claddach Kirkibost, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist about how kelp-making came to North Uist. The story tells how when Am Moraire Ban [Am Morair Bàn] came to North Uist he brought his wife, three children and factor, called Kingsburgh, and they lived at Sollas [Solas]. They met a crofter at Bailemhartain whose animals were emaciated whereupon Kingsburgh told the man that Lady MacDonald had come among the Uist tentantry for assistance...
Dates:
20 January 1871
Story about Lord Macdonald's heir and the MacLeans of Bororay, 10 July 1870
Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW116/56
Scope and Contents
Story about Lord Macdonald's heir and the MacLeans of Bororay [Boraraigh/Boreray] that the MacLeans looked after the heir from when he was born until he was seven years old, when he was returned home 'with a fold of cattle 12 milk cows and a bull' for which MacLean of Boreray got a new lease 'of 3 nineteen y[ea]rs'. The story tells how MacDonald reminded MacLean that he had to find a fold of cattle, MacLean reminded him that he had nineteen years of a lease to run, whereupon MacDonald cursed...
Dates:
10 July 1870
Story about Mac Thomais building part of Teampull na Trionaid, 20 January 1871
Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW116/161
Scope and Contents
Story collected from Alexander MacDonald, Cladach Chirceboist/Claddach Kirkibost, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist which tells how Mac Thomais [Mac Thòmais] came home and built the west gable of the Temple [Teampull na Trionaid/Temple of the Trinity]. He meant to reroof the building too but Moraire Ban [Morair Bàn] would not let him. He adds that 'Sgeir ioc Thomais (?Ceiseam) is below the Temple' [Sgeir ic Coiseam].
Dates:
20 January 1871
Story about Mac Uistean under the heading 'Roin', c1875
Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW112/23
Scope and Contents
Story about Mac Uistean under the heading 'Roin' and how when he was very old he could no longer go seal hunting on Haisgeir [Theisgeir/Heisker/Monach Isles]. Michaelmas Day, when seals were the key part of the feast, was very stomy and no one could go to Heisker seal hunting so MacUistean was agitated because there would be no slanruith to hang above the fire. That night, however after a ball in Griminnis [Griminis/Griminish, Uibhist a Tuath/North Uist] it got warm and the men went hunting...
Dates:
c1875
Story about 'MacCallain' and 'Frith making', 1895
Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW1/65
Scope and Contents
Story written down by John Ewen MacRury, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula about Duncan McInnes [MacInnes], Balavanaich [Baile a Mhanaich/Balivanich, Beinn an Faoghla/Benbecula] also known as MacCallain [Mac Ailein] who was well-known for making 'frith' [making incantations for a missing person]. Once a boat was caught in a winter storm returning from Uig, Lewis [Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis] and with no wreckage or people it and its crew were thought lost. Mac Ailein was approached for frith and...
Dates:
1895
Story about MacUistean and the fairies, September 1872
Item
Identifier: Coll-97/CW106/92
Scope and Contents
Story about MacUistean, Griminish, North Uist [Griminis, Uibhist a Tuath] describing how he had a cairiste and as he was passing the big fairy hill in Griminish on his way to inspect the sheep-shearing, he heard a baby crying and a fairy inviting him to come in, take a seat and he would get everything. He immediately went home where the baker was baking for the cairiste but the oven was so full that bits of dough were falling over it. She was going to pick the bits up but MacUistean stamped...
Dates:
September 1872