For some weeks past an eagle has been noticed in an unusual territory surrounding Beinn a' Sgoltaire, so it was perhaps not a total surprise that one of Walter William's ducks was eventually claimed for its larder. All the same, it was interesting to hear that the bird is seemingly quite bold - it killed the duck in full view and quite close to the house, and even when it was shoo-ed away was in no hurry to depart. Nigel Grant has also seen it at close quarters, and remarks upon the fact that it looks so very large. The editor happens to know that a live Golden Eagle will fit comfortably into an empty whisky carton, but unfortunately Nigel did not have one with him at the time for comparison.

Mike Peacock is of the opinion that it may be a sea-eagle, and the RSPB is kindly sponsoring a replacement duck. It is a bit of a privilege to attract the close interest of such an endangered creature and Mr. Williams is said to be very keen on NCC plans to re-introduce wolves and bears in the near future.

Birds are very prominent locally just now. There are a large number of raptors, groups of up to a dozen Great Northern Divers have been seen, and herons are perhaps even more common than usual. The "plaintive" cry of the curlew is more than familiar, they seem to be well up in numbers, and it is especially good to see so many plovers around - numbers had fallen away markedly in recent years. Hooded crows have been active at Scalasaig where they are feeding heavily on winkles - they drop them from about 40 feet onto the concrete surface of the pier, which is now littered with shells.

Two dead grey-seal pups in the harbour are, hopefully, normal casualties of the prolonged onshore wind; in compensation, Escallonia is in flower at Port Mor. LATE NEWS: Sadly, Ross Moodie reports 3 more dead pups at Balerominmore and one at Port Easdail. The Marine Laboratory at Dunstaffnage has bneen notified. Please tel. 01951 200320 if any more are found.

Barnacle Geese at Machrins

Remaining on a military theme, Bonham's will be selling a medal and painting on 17 December which are of Colonsay interest. The medal was presented to Colonel Donald McNeill of the 91st Highlanders after serving in the Pyrenees. He served at Corunna, at Fuentes d'Onoro, and in Spain, Africa, Turkey and Egypt. The oil painting is a portrait by Adam Buck in 1823, showing the colonel in uniform. Bonham's knew little about Colonel McNeill "although it is thought that he came from the island of Colonsay".

"The Corncrake" has advised Bonham's that Colonel Donald McNeill was a younger brother of "The Old Laird", John McNeill and was the fourth son of Alexander McNeill of Oransay by his wife Mary, daughter of Alexander McDougall of McDougall, Chief of the Clan. He had an extraordinary pedigree and Bonham's were given appropriate references - possibly his connections with Whistler's mother and with Sir John Carstairs McNeill V.C. will be more interesting that the fact that his great-grandfather was out in the '15.

In a mss. family tree (copy is to hand), it is recorded that the Gold Medal was gained for a word that is hard to read… it looks like "Santoren" [LATE NEWS: Colin Troup has identified this as Sauroren, where a Donald McNeill was badly wounded - more details will be welcomed]. In the matter of the Pyrenees, the 91st Highlanders (actually its says "92nd" in my book) were under Major John Mitchell in an attempt to control a disputed pass with "little more than a weak brigade" against about 13,000 aggressive Frenchmen. So many Highlanders were slain that "the enemy was actually stopped by the heaped mass of dead and dying; and then the left wing of that noble regiment, coming down from the higher ground, was forced to smite wounded friends and exulting foes alike, as, mingled together, they stood or crawled before its fire …. The stern valour of the 92nd Highlanders would have graced Thermopylae". All told, the British allies lost 7,300 men and the French about 19,000 (dead, wounded and captured).

If any reader would care to purchase these items for the island, £8,000 should meet the case. As a matter of curiosity, that figure is roughly equal to £26 13s 4d in 1811, so it is sad to see that Donald McNeill's heirs find themselves obliged to part with these possessions at little more than cost price. In fact, it is pathetic - after more than 26,000 men were sacrificed, generations have treasured this grim memento and the portrait, yet now the heir is apparently reduced to such straightened circumstances as to be forced to part with it.

S.S. "Bendoran"

The Magazine Section

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The tune: "Andrew MacNeill of Colonsay"

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Photo taken 1953 in Vancouver BC, William Barrie born Isle of Bute, with piping prizes won in the Pacific Northwest

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