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...

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Custom relating to 'Uisge-coisreach' [holy water] probably collected on Miùghlaigh/Mingulay, which reads 'Of 5 boats 2 had this in small stone bottles fixed by a string to the stem stem (sic) inside.'

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Field notebook belonging to Alexander Carmichael containing proverbs; Fenian tales; stories about shipwrecks; Roderick Morison 'An Clàrsair Dall' and his father John Morison tacksman of Bragar; the Beaton family; and about sea-faring; notes about islands in the Sound of Harris; and a small amount of vocabulary.

Scope and Contents Fragment of a custom about the 'Biast Bhoireach' with a reminder for Carmichael to 'Ask [Arch[ibald]] Macdonald Houghary why the Biast Bhoir was given or John Macintosh'. Also noted is that the 'Cuileain moine for min[is]t[er] by night' and 'Cuil[eain] goineach for [mending] boat oars.' Across the text is written in ink 'Transcribed into No I B[ook] p[age] 196 A. A. C [Alexander Archibald Carmichael] Creagorry 8 October 1875.' [Creag Ghoraidh, Beinn na Faoghla/Benbecula]. The text directly...

Scope and Contents Fragment of a story about MacLaine of Lochbuie capsizing. The story mentions that MacLean of Coll, MacLaine of Lochbuie and Saxon were out shooting on a Sunday and that [they all got into a boat] which capsized. On being rescued his man said to him, 'Fad bha [th]u os mo chionn san t saoghal cha bhi [th]u os mo chionn san a shaoghal thall.' An aside notes that 'On Mull side of Ulva Sound [there are] columns like Staffa.' [Am Muile/Isle of Mull, Caolas Ulbha/Sound of Ulva] The handwriting here...

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Incomplete note about 'Giodha people' [Giogha/Gigha, Earra Ghàidheal/Argyllshire] that they 'like to be low on Tir-mor lest no boat could be'.

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Note about crotal [moss] that sailors never wear cloth made from it as it sinks if they fall out and that this sinking is the 'revenge' from the stones off which the crotal is taken.

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Note about the saying 'Sionnach air barr do shlaite' collected from John MacAulay from Gearrloch [Geàrrloch/Gairloch, Ros is Cromba/Ross and Cromarty] but living in Edinburgh [Dùn Èideann, that if it is said to a man going fishing he will return home. The vocabulary note reads 'Gothan = Mi-dhuracan'. text has been scored through as if transcribed elsewhere.

Scope and Contents Notes on the Beàrnaraigh/Berneray [Barra Head] lighthouse describing its situation and the strength of the seas around it, including how sheep sometimes put out to graze on Sgeir Chriosnain 'A green square island which lies in the sound between Ber[neray] and Miulay [Miùghlaigh/Mingulay] and which stands about 100 ft high...have been known to have been swept clean off by one wave' and how on Berneray 'large squ[are] stones...[some] weigh 80 tons...were knocked about on the rocky ledges as if...

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Poem beginning 'Gao an iar thar na Feiste, Ceo is uisge' which is described as having been composed by Màiri Nighean Alasdair Ruaidh to the MacDonalds after a meeting at Rodail [Roghadal/Rodel, Na Hearadh/Isle of Harris] at which the MacLeods and MacDonalds quarrelled. A vocabulary note reads 'Foirich = Pestle'. Text has been scored through as if transcribed elsewhere.