Scalpaich Settlers of North Talisker:

Fernlea, Portnalong, and Fiscavaig

 

The promise of land in a "land fit for heroes" was a recruiting cry during the First World War. These promises went unfulfilled after the war and servicemen decided to take matters into their own hands. They decided to fight for the land that was rightly theirs and from which they had been evicted to be replaced by sheep. This led to land raids throughout the Highlands and Islands and many succeeded in reclaiming their former land. The Government was forced to acquire land for crofters, initially via the Congested Districts Board and then by the Board of Agriculture. Some existing holdings were enlarged and new ones created to provide ex-servicemen with the land that they had been promised.

 

By 1920 the MacLeod estates in Skye were crippled by debt and the Board of Agriculture needed land. MacLeod agreed to sell North Talisker, part of his Talisker Estate, to the Board. They divided North Talisker into sixty-eight holdings of various sizes and ex-servicemen from the most overcrowded parts of Lewis and Harris were asked to apply for resettlement. Four hundred people from sixty-eight families settled in the area; two families from Skye, twenty-two families from Lewis (mainly from Point), and forty-three families from Harris.

 

Note:

Crofts were only allocated to ex-servicemen so in some cases it was the son who qualified for the croft and the parents came with him. In other cases the father qualified for the croft but decided to return and a son then took over the croft. The record was originally compiled in 1998 based on information from the late Dollag MacDonald, Carbost; Roddy MacInnes, Glasgow / Ness; Molly Campbell, Cruden Bay; John and Rachel MacLeod, 8 Fiscavaig; and the late Willie MacLeod, 2 Fiscavaig.

 

Four families with Scalpay connections left for North Talisker, but only one of the three that remained in Skye included Scalpay-born children. Scalpay-born migrants are in bold. Skye-births are marked x.

Dates have been cross-referenced between the Croft History andScotland’s People to provide as accurate a record as possible.

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4 Fernlea

 

John Ferguson (Iain Og), 37 Scalpay (1868 – 1931)

m.1898 Portree

Mary Ann MacSween, 30 Scalpay (1875 - 1959)

 

Family: (All nine born in Scalpay, where married daughter Effie remained)

 

• Effie (1900 - 1991) // Angus Morrison – 39 Scalpay

 

• Roderick (1901 - 1985) - unmarried - 4 Fernlea

 

• Finlay (1903 - 1967) - m - Joan MacAskill 10 Fernlea/ex 4 Kyles Scalpay (1908 – 1992) - Set up home at 8 Fernlea

 

• Margaret (1906 - 1989) - m - Peter Kenny MacAskill 10 Fernlea/ex 4 Kyles Scalpay (1896 – 1972) - Set up home at 10 Fernlea

 

• Morag (1909 - 1947) - m - Malcolm MacKenzie, 5 Fernlea - Set up home in Fort William

 

• Norman (1911) died in infancy

 

• Chirsty Ann (1913 - 1964) - m - Norman MacLeod, 2 Fernlea (1905 – 1955) - Set up home at 2 Fernlea

 

• Mary                               - n/m - 4 Fernlea

 

• Finlay                              - n/m - 4 Fernlea

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25 Portnalong

 

Hector MacSween (1884 – 1929), 1 Scotasay

m.Govan, 1913

Hannah MacLeod (1886 – 1958), 20 Scalpay (sister of Marsali MacLeod, 28 Fiscavaig)

 

Family: (None born in Scalpay)

 

• Murdo Mor - m - Margaret MacLean, Ness, Lewis - Set up home in Glasgow

 

• Ian - m - Kate MacLeod, 13 Portnalong - Set up home at 25 Portnalong

 

• Murdo Beag (1918 - 1947) - Lost at sea

 

• Norman - m- Peggy, Nottingham - Set up home in Braes and Inverness

 

• Donald - m - Joan Ross  - Set up home in Glasgow

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26 Portnalong - Returned to Scalpay

 

Donald John MacLeod (1887 - ) (Lowrie), 4 Scalpay

m

Kate MacLeod (1899 - ), 1 Fiscavaig

 

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28 Fiscavaig

 

Donald Martin (An Taillear) (1874 – 1937), Bunavoneader

m.1905 Harris

Marjory MacLeod (1863 – 1952), 20 Scalpay (Sister of Hannah MacLeod, 25 Portnalong)

 

Family: (First six children born in Tarbert)

 

• Angus (1906 - 1984)- m - Martha Rowan, Glasgow - Set up home in Glasgow

 

• Mary Ann (1908) -died in infancy

 

• Murdo (1909 - 1952) - 28 Fiscavaig

 

• Murdo (1914 - 1959) - m - Annie Morrison, Luskentyre] (niece of Neil MacLeod, 4 Portnalong) - Set up home in Glasgow

 

• Murdina (1916 - 1977) - m - Charles MacLeod, 20 Portnalong - Set up home at 5 Fiscavaig

 

• Catherine  - m - George Fraser - Set up home in Spinningdale

 

• xDonald Ewen  - m - Annie MacLeod, 17 Portnalong - Set up home at 28 Fiscavaig and Glasgow

 

• xJohn Angus - m - Isobel Johnstone, Fort William - Set up home in Glasgow

 

• xThomas Wilson (1924) - died in infancy - (1st birth in Portnalong and 1st burial in Portnalong Cemetry)

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