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...

Scope and Contents

Fragment of a verse collected from an unnamed informant probably in Tolstadh Bho Thuath [Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis], beginning 'La [Fhe]ill[e] Mhic[heil] thig an riogh as an toll, Mar buinn mise dhan riogh.' There are five lines to the verse.

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Fragmentary notes on Tolstadh Bho Thuath [Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis], landownership and serpents. The writing is difficult to make out but seems to refer to people leaving Tolstadh Bho Thuath and the land being given to a Sas[senach] [Englishman] and managed by a shepherd. There is also mention of a tradition which believes that serpents go into the ground in autumn and appear again in the spring.

Scope and Contents Journal account of a trip to the Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis including a description of the standing stones at Callanish [Calanais], telling how local people call them 'Na Tursachain' and 'na Fir bhreige' adding 'They make out that they cannot be counted'. He also describes another stone circle nearby at Gearradh na h-abhine [Gearraidh na h-Aibhne/Garynahine] as 'a circle within a circle' and names some of the island's other stone circles: Taigh nan Druiean at Grimartaidh and Gleann...

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Note about a road probably between Tolstadh Bho Thuath and Nis/Ness, Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis, which reads 'Form of a road cut in moss most of way - places here & there unmade. - road simply moss mud.'

Scope and Contents Notes on Caisteal a Mhorair or Bhorain, Bagh-Ghearadh, Tolasta [Tràigh Ghearadha, Tolstadh Bho Thuath, Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis] that it is a detached rock about one hundred feet high on which there are the remains of a house. A 'rocky dangerous path goes up on one side' and it 'Stands out ab[ou]t 60 y[ar]ds fr[om] precipce on southside' with the walls of the ruins following the edge of the rock making it 'Impreg[nable] except to guns'. He adds that a Lewis proprietor sent his wife...

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Sketches and notes on 'Clach a Fhradraic on Beinne-na Sibhinn close to Loch Slitir on Tolastadh fo Thua' [Beinn Àirigh na Sibhinn/Beinn Airigh na Sivin, Tolstadh Bho Thuath, Eilean Leòdhais/Isle of Lewis]. The sketches show the rock from east north east and west south west and gives measurements of each side. It is described as gneiss resting on a 'flatish rock', and capable of moving about an inch at each end, and ship like. Some of the text is illegible.

Scope and Contents Story entitled 'A Bhean Nighe' about a washer-woman encountered at Lochan Dubh na Beinne by Iain Bàn Tàillear. He seizes her by her left hand and demands wealth which she grants but asks why he did not ask for children his response to which is to ask for them too but she says no and that he will never have an heir. Everything happens as the washer-woman predicted. He asks what she is washing and she tells him that she is washing the shirts of people who will drown this year in North Tolsta...