An interesting discovery was made this week by John Clark, when he was walking along the sands at Loch Staosnaig. A substantial piece of timber had been newly exposed by a movement of the sands, and awaits proper identification.

It appears to be about 8ft long, and perhaps a foot in diameter. It is hexagonal (or possibly octagonal) in profile, and in the middle is encircled by an iron ring which appears to have been worm-driven. One end of the shaft has three square sockets, all set into the same face, and also an offset section (providing a kind of heel along its length). The other end of the shaft is damaged, possibly by fire, but shows no signs of sockets.

One assumes that it is some sort of axle, the sort of thing that one might find in a mill. Because of it being washed ashore, one wonders if there is a maritime explanation? If it were a capstan, one imagines that the sockets would be arranged asymmetrically; and one is told that it is too short to have been the axle of a ship's paddle. Further information will be welcomed.

On 14 September, David Jardine discovered a collection of previously unknown cupmarks, two of which are well developed. Such marks are a feature of the early Irish colonists and are largely confined to Argyllshire; it is very likely that they have religious symbolism, and they are known to be closely linked with family life. In Colonsay (and elsewhere), cup-marked slabs have been used posthumously as grave-markers.

Elsewhere in Argyll, cupmarks are found in association with a developed stylistic art form, involving rings, whorls and symbolism of fertility. Any so sophisticated have yet to be discovered in Colonsay, but persons wishing to see David's discovery should inspect the small knoll on their left as they reach the top of the bealach for Balnahard - just where the climb levels off, and where there is the option of turning right to follow the "old" route past the Bells' cairn. In the picture, one cup can be seen three-quarters of the way down, one third in from the right.

House of Lochar has just published "The Birds of Colonsay and Oronsay" by David Jardine, an entirely new publication which was launched with a book-signing and open day at the Colonsay Bookshop. It was a very jolly day, in glorious weather, and was very well supported.

Incredibly, more than 15 years have passed since "The Birds of Colonsay and Oransay" by Jardine, Clarke & Clarke was published and in the meantime many things have changed. Land use, farming methods and conservation techniques have all had an effect, and David Jardine's new book is an invaluable guide to the processes involved. The author provides useful hints on where and how one can readily view the various species, and draws attention to "hot spots" which one might encounter in the course of a more general walk. For general convenience, the book includes a checklist of 191 species recorded since 1975, together with an indication of their status… plus the late addition of a new species confirmed in August by British Birds Rarities Committee, the Black-headed Bunting.

"The Birds of Colonsay and Oronsay" by D.C.Jardine, House of Lochar 2002, ISBN 1 899863 32 X, 48pp, colour illustrations, £5.99 (Available everywhere, or use secure on-line purchase facility at www.houseoflochar.com )

Passers-by have been intrigued to see the outline of a gigantic whale developing on the slope above Sgibinis in recent days. This is an artistic endeavour associated with the foundation established by Jane and Alex Howard, and which mounted a highly successful exhibition in London this spring.

Sgibinis ("ship-nest") was a viking harbour and is distinguished by a striking raised beach. Hollowed out in the beach one can see the roests where the vikings over-wintered their long ships, and nearer the summit there are numerous cairns of indetermined origin. Close to the shore is a viking homestead, together with a slipway, and for many years the skeleton of a whale lay along the tideline. One or two ribs and sections of backbone still exist in the island (e.g. beside St. Odhran's well), but most of the remains have disappeared - it was said to have been the carcase of a Blue whale.

The whale now being created is attracting a lot of attention - dozens of people have already been to see it, many of whom were making a special trip. The species is not yet known, but a section of raised beach runs across the outline and makes one wonder if it is to be a Minke? Hopefully more information will be available for a future edition.

In our picture of the unfinished work, the tail can almost be detected on the left, below a tractor and trailer; over on the right, the muzzle is outlined to the left of the track. (The large blot below the muzzle was caused by gravel extraction and is not connected with the project).

Those who attended Alasdair Satchel's performance were delighted - those who missed it should be sorry. It is not every day that live theatre comes to Colonsay, and it is rare indeed that we can enjoy a performance of such outstanding quality. Alasdair trained at Queen Margaret College as a Playwright, then attended L'ecole International de Theatre Jacques LeCoq in Paris. "One Man Rant" was both written and performed in its entirety by Alasdair himself and it was a perfect showcase for his considerable talents.

The comedy of the script softened the genuinely powerful anxieties and emotions of the character being portrayed, and both aspects of this dichotomy were fully expressed by the physical, almost chameleon performance of this talented actor. An extraordinary repertoire of postures, facial expressions and body movements made this an outstanding and memorable performance - it is hardly surprising that Alasdair Satchel received a rave-review in "The Scotsman". Grateful thanks are due to Alasdair Satchel for allowing us to share this excellent entertainment, and to Alasdair Scouller who did the advance publicity and other legwork in Colonsay.

The new computers will be installed in Colonsay by the end of the month. Full support will be given and, doubtless, friends and neighbours will be helping one another in the early stages.

In a worrying development, it is reported that a telephoned questionnaire is being undertaken by somebody claiming to represent one of the sponsors, and that the technique involved has been causing some distress to participants. Some of the questions are seen as strange e.g. "Do you have a gun?"; "Do you have a safe in the house?" People who hesitate to answer questions have been told that they are being selfish and may affect the success of the project. Nobody should have to be intimidated in this way - unless some clarification can be issued, it is probably best to simply decline any request to be "surveyed" in this connection.

On a more positive note, "The Corncrake" plans to run a series of articles in future issues which will hopefully assist readers in getting some fun and some practical skills and experience on their new equipment… please see the Magazine section for further details, entitled "COBWEB".

Lichen at Kiloran, September 2002

Ferry operator Caledonian MacBrayne has confirmed that there will be no increase in fares for commercial vehicles using the network from the beginning of April 2003. Fares for cars, passengers and coaches will be pegged to an increase equivalent to the rate of inflation.

The new ferry fares will apply from the start of next year's summer timetable in the first week of April, 2003.

Stot's Well is noted in passing by Symington Grieve, as having provided good water. It is little visited today, but can be seen about 50 yards along the valley to the east of the track, halfway down the hill as one approaches Sgibinis from the south. If one turns north at the well, to climb a low knoll, one is rewarded by the well-preserved site of an 18th century house and garadh.

Monday 23 September 8pm CCDC members Meeting, Village Hall

Old Waiting Room - the next and final exhibition for this season has had to be postponed until, hopefully, the coming season. (We are asked to convey thanks on behalf of Colonsay and Oronsay Heritage Trust to everyone who has exhibited this year and to all who have helped in any way to make it such a successful season at the Old Waiting Room.)

Saturday 5th October - Colonsay Young Farmer's Annual Root and Grain Show. Show Forms for all entries will shortly be available from the Shop or Post Office.

Saturday 5th October - Colonsay Young Farmers' Dinner & Dance - for tickets, contact Rhona on 01951 200303 or Angus on 200229. Music, songs, dancing etc. will be provided, and local musicians will be performing.

26th October … Mary Machrin's birthday party

Boat Trips: daily until late October aboard "Lady Jayne" - see brochures and webpage.

The Hotel bar and restaurant opening times are as follows:

BAR - OPEN DAILY -11am till 1am- serving alcoholic beverages, soft drinks, tea & coffee, confectionary and tobacco.
OFF SALES - available from 11am till 1am
BREAKFAST- for non residents from 8.30am till 9.30am (Booking Essential)
PACKED LUNCHES- from 10am till 2pm
MORNING COFFEE - from 11am till 12 noon
LUNCHES AND LIGHT BITES- 12 noon till 2.30pm
AFTERNOON TEA- 3pm till 5pm
EVENING MEALS - served from 6pm till 9.30pm
Food is served all day Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

May's Pantry is open daily from 9am, licensed to sell wines, beers and spirits. Meals and snacks are served all day, with homemade bread baked to order. Please book in advance for evening meals, to be sure of a reservation. Telephone the Pantry on 01951 200325 or call May MacKinnon at home 0n 01951 200341

Tides Seafood Take Away - 12.00 - 5.00 pm, Tel 01951 200200364

Colonsay House Gardens are open (see sign for details)on Wednesdays.

Quiz in the Hotel every Wednesday at 9.30 pm.

Church Service
Please note that services in both the Baptist Church and the Church of Scotland are at the new time of 11.30hrs. Services are held weekly throughout the summer - see notices in the shop and hotel for details.


Other activities to be advertised in shop etc.

Advance notice:
The 14th International Gathering of Clan Macfie is to be held May 14-18, 2003 in Gatlinburg, TN, hosted by the Macfie Clan Society of America. For more information see http://www.macfiesocietyofamerica.com or contact:
Jim McAfee, Macfie Clan Society of America
420 Ash Dr.; Baxter, TN 38544 USA
jgmcafee@tnaccess.com

Norman Hall-Gardiner has been staying at Garvard with his wife Bonnie and the children; Gordon Todd was here for a week in Oronsay; Duncan MacPherson, son of Sandy, was here with his wife and a 2yrold daughter Rachel (who is the fourth generation of the family to enjoy waves at Kiloran bay) - Duncan is going to Germany to join the Black Watch as an army chaplain; Chris Nisbet has been busy with conservation fencing at Maoil Dubh; Andrew MacGregor has bought a motor-sailer (picture to follow); Keith and Shirley Johnston have been amongst two or three couples moving more permanently into the island this month; BT are to erect a new mast (and will demolish the old square reflector screen); the new summer timetable for 2003 - 2009 has been approved by SSAC and is almost assured; Ross Moodie is to get a new Labrador puppy off Friday's ferry; the dutch barn at Kiloran has been demolished; "Lady Jayne of Colonsay" has carried 710 passengers to date - here bicycles are being brought ashore in Mull:

The Magazine Section

SEARCH ENGINE

COBWEB PROJECT

As soon as the new computers are installed (September 25 onwards), "The Corncrake" will invite readers to use them for an ab initio introduction to the exploration of their own family history. The idea is that everyone will be learning together, meeting and resolving the same problems, gaining and sharing tips and wrinkles. So as to be able to call it COBWEB, the full title is to be the "Colonsay and Oransay Bloodlines Project" - but in actual fact it will work just as well even if one has no connection with Colonsay at all.

The idea is to download and install a free programme from the Church of Latter Day Saints, which is an organisation with great experience and resources in genealogy. To avoid doubt, LDS will not have access to your computer or any of your work, and they will certainly not wish to enroll you or your ancestors in their faith - they operate to the highest of ethical principles. If any reader has any concerns on this point, please feel free to contact the Editor privately or for publication.

Once the programme has been installed on your computer, you will already have gained some useful skills and confidence. It then becomes possible to start entering the data - your own name, spouse, children, parents, grandparents etc. All of this is quite good fun, involves keyboard and cursor skills, and enables you to produce some very nifty charts and diagrams. Confidentiality is important - nobody else can access your computer and, even if you decide to "share" your information, the programme will not export information about any living person or include any of your private notes unless you specifically instruct it to do so.

By now, most people will have got back almost one hundred years. At this stage, it will be a big advantage to be studying Colonsay, because most of the source material is available here in the island. We have full records of the graveyards, the census material 1841 - 1901, the Old Parish Register 1795 to 1855 plus Shipping Lists etc. Other resources are available online and, as they are required, we can work together to access such sources. If the project is a success, we might meet from time to time in the pub or somewhere, for general discussion.

Eventually, participants will be able to exchange information if they desire, so that interlinked extended trees can be created. For the moment, the idea is to keep it simple. Please let the editor have your thoughts on this subject. It is not vital, but it would be a big help if somebody would volunteer to be a guinea pig - ideally somebody with old Colonsay roots. A descendant of (say) Neil McNeill and Mary Brown would be rather good, or indeed almost anybody descended from Iain a' Chuain or one of the older families. Have a word in private with the Editor first, before making a decision.

Loch Staosnaig and The Paps

"THE DAFT DAYS" by Neil Munro

Everyone is familiar with Neil Munro's Para Handy stories - if you haven't actually read the originals you will have seen the television versions. Many people may not realise that these stories originally appeared as a newspaper column and that Munro also wrote a number of successful novels and some other wonderful short stories.

The Daft Days, Munro's first contemporary novel, was first published in 1907 and has just been re-published in a paperback edition by House of Lochar. As the title suggests this is a light-hearted work with much to amuse, but it is also a serious comment on the role of women in the Scotland of his time. The story is unashamedly set in Munro's native Inveraray and peopled with characters for whom we automatically feel a nostalgic affection. Pressure for change comes from as far away as the New World epitomised by "Chickagoo" the birthplace of our heroine "Bud". In almost every chapter, small town attitudes and values are compared with those of the outside world and neither is in the end allowed to have a monopoly on perfection. In a further comparison the patterns and rhythms of life in a small town are set against those of the tiny Hebridean island of Colonsay. An important character, Kate the maid of all work in the Dyce family home is perpetually torn between her delight in the sophistication of her new home in a mainland town and her homesickness for the gentler pace of island life. Munro examines one further and perhaps more modern conflict - that of the position of women, especially those of an artistic and imaginative temperament in a Presbyterian "small-town" society.

This novel is a wonderful balancing act. It examines important issues of its time, and indeed ours, but Neil Munro tells the story making full use of his talent for humour and anecdote. Even its title manages to convey several different images. At one level the daft days - an old phrase for the twelve days of Christmas - simply describes the opening moment of the novel but behind that there is the implication that it describes all the joys of a happy childhood or simply some level of innocence. STOP PRESS: Excellent half-page review appeared in the Scottish Daily Mail this week.

THE DAFT DAYS is available now through Colonsay Bookshop or by ordering direct from www.houseoflochar.com at £7.99 - post free in UK.

LATE GENEALOGY NEWS

No time to do justice to theses items here, so the next issue will have more about:

1. "I Think We'll Go Too" by Mary MacKay. Just out, this is the story of Hugh McNeill and Flora McNeill, children of Roderick McNeill and Peggy McLean, and of Neil McNeill and Mary Brown; one way and another, they are connected to virtually every Colonsay family and to literally tens of thousands of individuals worldwide. Copies of the book are on order for Colonsay bookshop.

2. McConnell Family Tree - Isobel-anne McNab has kindly presented a copy of the main tree descended from John McCannel through his son Archie (1812-1889) and daughter-in-law Mirren McNeill (1818-1877). It includes the descent from Malcolm, the tailor, and is accompanied by interesting notes and photographs. It may well prove very handy when the CobWebs project gets going…

WEBSITE TO EXPLORE... Second Attempt, Miss Woods

Readers Write

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