Happy Christmas

We wish all our readers a very happy Christmas. There will be plenty happening here in Colonsay, including the traditional "Christmas Tree" party. The Pantomime has been put back into January, so that Millie and Angus Howard will be able to take part, but the schoolchildren performed an excellent Nativity play at the Baptist Church on 14 December. There was a large and enthusiastic audience and particular thanks are due to Carol and her staff at the school, also Margaret Walker, Eleanor McNeill and Irene Campbell.

The Christmas Service planned for 17 December has had to be cancelled as Rev. Freda Marshall is unwell, but the Watchnight Service of Carols and Readings will take place as usual, to which one and all are warmly invited. There will be special ferry sailings on Christmas Eve and Hogmanay, so it is hoped that many friends will be able to spend all or part of the festive season here in Colonsay. Those wishing to visit Oransay may like to know that there is a full moon about 26 December and a New Moon on 9 January. If you cannot be here at Christmas or New Year, do come soon. Unless you are staying with friends or relations, make your reservations soon, even if on a provisional basis. In 2000, bookings for the main season were very heavy from early January and some regular visitors were unable to get the accommodation or dates which would have been their preference.

The above picture was found amongst some old papers... can readers identify any of the teachers or pupils, or help with a date?

CalMac Fares Review

Only a dozen or so of Colonsay residents need to pay the full "islander" fare, but for those concerned it is a heavy burden. Most of the rest of us can avail of fares which are subsidised by anything upwards from 50%, usually on grounds of age or health; others enjoy free travel in connection with their work, or are able to charge it against the legitimate costs of running a business. Nonetheless, one must remember that any people who may be tempted to come to live in the island are likely to be deterred by the fares (currently well over £100 for a trip to the shops).

All islanders are affected by the cost of freight and Commercial traffic, and also by the implications for tourism. Caledonian MacBrayne has just published its interim response to the Minister's request for a review of its fares structures; the report has been prepared by retained consultants, and includes some staggering proposals and conclusions. It has been published now, for "Public Consultation", just a few days before Christmas, and any response must beat a closing date of January 15th; it would have been difficult to choose a less convenient timescale. The full report costs £10.00, payable in advance - if you send off your cheque on Monday 17th, you just might get your copy before New Year. Fortunately, it is also available on the company website www.calmac.co.uk and an abridged copy is available locally from Hughie.

Although Colonsay is one of the least well served and most distant recipients of a "lifeline" service, the consultants are not known to have visited the island or to have made contact with the community. The report is smug and self-satisfied, full of gratuitous comment such as:

"The current fares structure has met (the Local Economic Objective) through … offering significant discounts to regular travellers and the operation of "islander" fares. This also addresses the tenor of the consultation process and the workshops, which highlighted that this objective was best realised by CalMac's services being "for the islanders"". What consultation? What workshops? What "significant discounts"? The discounts that most of us enjoy are provided by our employment or by a public agency; the discounts referred to in the above quotation are the tiny savings achieved by buying a ticket in Colonsay rather than in Oban. If the authors think that over £100 return fare to the shops (out of taxed income) is some sort of bargain, they must be earning more than the fiver an hour which is about average in Colonsay.

Or "… the introduction of a Road Equivalent Tariff system … would … be likely to require significant investment in vessels and infrastructure to support the increased demand generated by lower fares." So that's alright then - RET would be popular and meet a demand, thus causing a lot of extra work and hassle; so let's knock that idea on the head for a start.

Or "There was no evidence that there is any need to rebalance fare levels for visitors as opposed to residents." Are they living in this planet? Is it not obvious that the visitors have bigger and better cars than we do? Is that not a clue to potentially higher levels of disposable income?

"CalMac should be recompensed through the fare structure for the additional work involved in conveying dangerous goods. It is normal practice for ferry companies to have a surcharge for hazardous cargo and the ferry company should be recompensed for the additional work involved." Lifeline service? The whole purpose of the ferry is for us to be able to get the stuff we need. We already have the dearest diesel, petrol and gas in GB, possibly in the known world. What more do they want? Blood? Actually, they go on to tell us what they want: "It is normal practice for ferry companies to apply a surcharge of 15 - 20% for hazardous cargo…".

The document makes extraordinary reading. It seems that they intend to keep increasing Commercial Vehicle fares without reference to inflation or any other restraint other than market forces (which are limited in a monopoly). Commodity discounts are to be restricted to the agricultural sector, ignoring aquaculture, silviculture or any other development of significance. Whilst ITX fares are to continue, the document fails to acknowledge that they have never been made available on our route. They admit that "fares have not always been reduced even where the Cfares model suggests they should have been; in some years general fare increases have been applied rather than consistently moving towards Cfares levels", but there is no hint of contrition or shame. Cfares were introduced in 1994 - perhaps this explains why the fare from Port Askaig to Oban via Colonsay is CHEAPER than the fare from Colonsay itself to Oban.

Colonsay is rich in agencies and groupings. What with AIE, IaaO, Community Company, Community Council and everything else, it is to be hoped that somebody will organise some sort of response before it is too late.

The above piece is clearly in the nature of an Editorial and may not reflect any widespread view. Very few people have had a chance to study the report as yet and an independent report of the general feeling will be published in our next issue, assuming that it can be gauged.

Medical Fund "Thank you" Party

The Medical Fund committee held a special Christmas party in the Village Hall on Saturday night, to which everyone was invited. During the party, the money collected over the past 9 months was carefully counted. Here is a picture of the six collecting bottles; one each from the following island venues - the Pantry, the Hotel, the Shop, the Surgery, the Estate Office and Colonsay House Café. A prize was given for the best guess at the total raised - more than £1600 - and this went to Kirsty. The final total for the fund including the Fun Run and the Sixties Dance earlier in the year was more than £7,000. Many thanks to all who contributed!

On Saturday night the music was a pleasant mixture of Christmas favourites, "golden oldie" pop music and traditional reels with Seumas as DJ for most of the evening. After he took the children home Peedie took over. There was also a collection and a substantial raffle which raised nearly £120 which Davie Sutherland accepted on behalf of the Poppy Appeal. The Hall was decorated with Christmas lights and about sixty people, including lots of young children, came along to enjoy the fun and the corned beef sandwiches. A very happy occasion. G.H.

Happy Birthday to "The Corncrake"

Issues Outstanding

Recycling (again)

Holiday Idea - A Swap!

Snippets

Oransay was recently marooned for longer than usual - in fact for a complete week. After six days, a boat was able to get across to Colonsay for essential supplies but it was quite small and could only carry a few bottles; the following day, Keith managed through with his cleft stick and the accumulated mails. A dedicated four-wheel concrete mixer has arrived at Kiloran Farm - rumour has it that tracks to Baleromin and Garvard may be in for improvement. There are plans in the Post Office for a new house at Cnoc na Fad, for the Taylors. Angela's new house is well under way - the photos were taken on successive Thursday mornings:

Nature Notes

What's On in Colonsay

Sorry, there is a lot going on, but exact details are not to hand. As usual, it is best to look out for notices at the shop and elsewhere; to add notices to this site make contact via the Editor.
Quiz night - every Wednesday at the hotel.
Religious Services are on certain Sundays at 11.00 in Church of Scotland and 12.00 in the Baptist Church. All are welcome. Please note that in winter there is usually a service once in a fortnight, and that it alternates between the two churches - see shop or hotel for details.
"The Club" meets every Thursday and all children are welcome (3.45pm at the Baptist Church).
COMING SOON: The schoolchildren are working on a Pantomime - it is to be a very exciting version of "Alice in Wonderland". Morag has developed actions for the songs...
Two one act plays are planned for Easter and interested people should contact Diane and/or Rhona re. auditions or just to signal their willingness to help.
On Sundays 24 and 31 December there will be additional sailings to Colonsay, depart Oban 09.30hrs

Nooks and Crannies: Cnoc 'ic Iille Mhinniche

Between Cill Chatriona and the bay at Balnahard, this small hillock is in a direct line between the Bronze Age burial marked by Clach a' Pheanais and that on Cnoc a' Charraig.

On the very top there was a libation site, where the first of each day's milk was poured onto the ground (allegedly to propitiate the fairies, but more obviously to check that each cow's milk was clear before adding it to the churn). Loder Says "The name possibly enshrines that of the Glaiserig [fairy-woman], for J.G.Campbell says that one at Sron Charmaig, in Lorn, was known as Nic ille Mhicheil (a woman surnamed Carmichael). Once, when the dairymaid looked round after pouring out the libation at Cnoc 'ic ille Mhinniche, all the milk turned to cheese. On another occasion the milk got spilt and a cog of whey was deposited instead. The Glaiserig apparently appreciated the good intention, for in the night music issued from below ground, accompanying a song, of which the following is the best of several versions:

It would be interesting to know of any other translation of "Cnoc 'ic 'ille Mhinniche" - it seems to be "the hill of the daughter of the (male) servant of …(?)."

The Magazine Section

Building a House in Colonsay, Chapter 12

Well here I am in the new house surrounded by boxes and in a state of near chaos. But I am warm and comfortable and everything works (that's tempting providence, but what else can I say?).

The move, or flitting in local parlance, did not happen exactly as scheduled but had to be put off a week. But that was still before the end of the month so I did not have to extend the tenancy of 2 Hall Cottage another month.

An Island flitting is not quite like your normal mainland affair. It does not involve a furniture van. Instead things are loaded onto various farm vehicles, cleaned out for the purpose I hasten to add. One load is shown here in this edition's picture.

Inside, with the exception of one wash-basin, things are finished. Outside the main thing left, apart from the garage (which is in hand), is to tidy up the site and restore Georgina's access road to a better state. The final work of painting the outside of the house white will wait till the spring and better weather.

So that really is the end of the story. What lessons have I learnt? The main lesson is that you have to be a bit ahead of yourself in choosing fittings and such like as you can't just run off to John Lewis or B and Q at a moments notice. But in general things have gone smoothly. This is largely due to a local feeling that problems can be overcome, even if the answers are not always the conventional ones. It's a very refreshing attitude. I suppose it is engendered by the facts of isolation and reminds me of the attitudes of seafarers who, after all, live in rather similar circumstances.

So now I can get down to trying to find homes for all my belongings. Perhaps Rhona's suggestion of a car-boot sale will be the final solution. And I thought I had done a pretty good clear out before I moved to Colonsay! I also think an order for a lot of 9" by 1" timber for building bookshelves is imminent.

Many thanks to Andrew MacGregor for managing to write this series in the throes of actually building the house. Now that everybody has seen how painless a process it is, we must hope that others will follow in his footsteps. To maintain the momentum, it is hoped to publish regular photographs to record the progress on Angela Skrimshire's house, which was started on November 30th.

The Baptist Church in Colonsay (Part 4 of 4)

"After [Malcom McNeill] his death [1873] interest in the meetings began to decline until they were finally dropped, except when a missionary happened to come round. Fortunately this state of affairs did not last long, for when Mr McFarlane came again there was a great revival, the interest being kept up by Mr Tulloch and Mr Allan McDougall coming over at different times.

The Church had now greatly increased in membership and it was determined to build a suitable meeting-house. A site being acquired from the laird the work was at once proceeded with. Those who could not give money gave their time and labour. A handsome and commodious building erected to seat over 100 persons and costing £300 was opened in 1879 free of debt.

Not having a resident minister, Mr. James Campbell, Kilchattan, who had entered heart and soul into the work of the Church, undertook to conduct the services when there was no missionary on the island.

Ever since the church was built, however, we have had a number of missionaries paying us occasional visits. Among the first was Mr. McLean, the present pastor of the Baptist Church at Dalkeith, who was followed by the Rev. Donald McMillan, a native of the island. He stayed with us a few months [c. 1882?] and afterwards went out to the Congo, where he died shortly after his arrival. [Donald MacMillan seems to have been the son of Alexander MacMillan, a rabbit catcher, who lived with his wife and six children in the cottage beside Cnoc Eabriginn, and he was born c. 1859; unfortunately his service in the Congo is not recorded in the published history of the Baptist Church in Scotland. It would be good to know more and if, perhaps, his grave is identifiable - editor.]

Then in the following year came the late Mr Henderson, afterwards Baptist minister at Irvine, followed by Mr. Bell of Tobermory. In 1886 we had the Rev. James Black, who remained with us for about three months. Although not a Gaelic speaker his personal influence was very great. He worked hard during his stay, visiting the people in their homes. He held a Bible Class during the week, and on Sundays the people flocked to hear him.

In 1891 Mr. McDougall was sent to us, but he had to devote half his time to Islay, a month in one island and a month in the other, or fortnightly, as suited him best. Mr. Campbell, in his absence, took the service. Mr. McDougall's first visit to Colonsay was in 1869, when he went to Islay in the place of Mr. Miller, who had retired through old age.

We have had visits at various times since from Mr. Brown of Bunessan, who is now in Taynuilt, Mr. McArthur of Tiree, Mr. McDonald, at present in Bunessan, and Mr. Milne of Cambuslang.

Mr. McDougall's services not being required in Islay latterly, he was able to devote the whole of his energies to the work here. He was a native of Mull and one of Spurgeon's students. A good preacher and an interesting man, he worked hard for the good of the island. He taught a singing class and left some beautiful singers behind him. In the Gaelic Bible Class he earnestly taught the younger people. Five were converted, two being baptized by Mr. McDougall, and the others by Mr. Brown of Taynuilt. Shortly before this time, Mr. Brackenridge, a very fine preacher, visited the island. His labours were greatly blessed and he was the means of these five girls making open confession.

Mr. McDougall resigned his charge and left Colonsay in 1907. The people subscribed for a presentation, and before his departure a crowded meeting was held in the Baptist Church on 18th December, a large proportion of the people of the island being present. Mr. Carmichael, the parish minister, presided, and spoke very highly of Mr. McDougall, expressing his regret at his departure from the island. Many others spoke to the same effect.

In January 1908, shortly after Mr. McDougall left us, a severe gale swept over the island, which caused considerable damage to our little church. Lord Strathcona very kindly came to our aid and gave us £10; Lady Strathcona also contributed £5 and the Hon. Mrs. Howard other £5. With a little further effort on the part of the members, the church was again soon set in repair.

Since Mr. McDougall's retiral, the church has been without a settled pastor, but an arrangement was made by the Baptist Home Mission, under which Mr. McDonald, the pastor of Bunessan church, visits Colonsay once a month except during the summer months. Mr. McDonald is a powerful preacher, and invariably has large attendances at his meetings on each of his visits. Mr. William Taylor, one of the students from Dunoon, has been coming here for the last two summers for a period of three months. He is an earnest preacher, a promising young man and working hard in the island. He left Colonsay for Tiree in September last year and returned to Colonsay on 3rd December and stayed until the end of January, when he held meetings every night during his stay, which was greatly blessed, seven professing conversion during that time.

Two years ago we had a visit from Mr. Grant Robinson and Mr. Cornish, who together held very interesting meetings. During the past summer Mr. and Mrs. Maisie from Central Africa gave us an account of the good work going on there, which the people enjoyed very much.

At the present time our membership is twenty-seven. Some of our members are now scattered over the country - in London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Greenock, Oban, Islay, Mull and some in Canada. Our youngest member is nineteen years of age, and our oldest member - Mrs. Martin - completed her hundredth year last October. [The Martin family of Gortain moved eventually to Homefield, which had been a Campbell home; an archive of various family papers survives (wills, tenancy agreements etc.) - editor]

When the Church was first formed, a silver-mounted cup costing thirty shillings was bought for use at the Communion table and is still in use.

Although the Church work is carried on at a disadvantage, through not having a permanently settled pastor, we can truly say that the Lord has not failed to bless the work, or to raise up witnesses to the Gospel.

Since writing the foregoing, we regret to record the death of our oldest member, Mrs. Martin, who passed away [21 April 1910] at the advanced age of one hundred years. [Jura is famous for longevity, but can any reader identify any other Colonsay centenarians? - editor].

In October 1910 we had a brief visit from Mr. Brown of Taynuilt, when he baptized a young man and a girl, who were also received into fellowship."

Dear Kevin,
I have been most interested to read in recent issues of "The Corncrake" about my great-great-great-grandfather Malcolm McNeill (Calum Ruadh), a founder and early leader of the Baptist congregation on Colonsay in the 19th century. I thought your readers might like to have some background information on him, drawn mainly from the Census returns and Old Parish Register which you kindly passed on to me some time back, and from the researches of Prof. John Sheets, of Central Missouri State University, who knows more about Colonsay in the 19th century than anyone else living.

Malcolm (b.1788) was the eldest in the large family of Neil McNeill and Mary Brown, from whom a large proportion of the present Colonsay population is descended. His youngest brother Duncan (Donnchadh Ban) was featured in "The Corncrake" some months ago, with a photograph and a copy of the obituary written by Prof. Donald Mackinnon. Malcolm married Cathrine McEacharn in 1826.

As far as I can make out, they had three children: a son Neil, who died aged 15 in 1850, a daughter Mary, who married Alexander MacNeill (Alasdair Phadhraig), and another daughter Ann, who married Prof. Mackinnon's brother Malcolm. Malcolm Mackinnon died young, while visiting his distinguished brother in Edinburgh, and the Professor took upon himself the task of supporting Ann and her children. I am not sure if any of them have descendants still living - it would be interesting to find out.

Calum's daughter Mary and her husband Alexander McNeill had three children: Kate, who was to marry Hector Martin and became the mother of the Martin family, whom Colonsay people will remember living at Gortain and latterly at Homefield; Mary, who died in infancy, and my great-grandfather Malcolm (Calum Alasdair Phadhraig) who was born in 1859. Sadly his mother Mary died around the time of young Malcolm's birth, and he and Kate were brought up by their paternal grandparents. So in the space of just over a decade Calum Ruadh lost his wife in 1848, his son in 1850, his daughter in 1859 and his grand-daughter also in 1859, all of which must have sorely tried his Christian faith. He spent his declining years, until his death in 1873 at the age of 85, living with his brother Angus and two of his sons at Balerominmore.

For the record, young Malcolm MacNeill (the grandson of Calum Ruadh) went on to marry Annie McPhee from Uragaig, and they subsequently made their home in Greenock where they brought up two daughters, Mary and Flora. Flora never married, but Mary married my grandfather Edward (Ned) Scouller, and I am the son of their second son Ivor MacNeill Scouller, who died in 1985. Unless Ann and Malcolm Mackinnon have any descendants, I believe I am in fact now the only living descendant of Calum Ruadh, and it has therefore been a particular pleasure to read such a detailed and sympathetic account by his nephew in "The Corncrake" over recent weeks.

Yours sincerely,
Alastair M. Scouller
P.S. Incidentally, the Malcolm McNeill whose tombstone you mention in Issue No.20 was not Calum Ruadh's son but his nephew, and a half-brother of John McNeill who wrote the piece. Whoops! sorry - editor.