SCALPAY TIMELINE

17th Century

1684 – John Oig Campbell extends the area of his lease of the deer ‘forest’ in North Harris to include Scalpay.

 

18th Century

1743/44 - Herring fishing in East Loch Tarbert conducted by vessels from elsewhere. High taxation of salt hindered herring fishing operations.

1745 – Prince Charles Edward passes through Scalpay which is now rented by John’s son, Donald Campbell who, like many island tacksmen, later emigrated to North Carolina.

1755 – Population of Harris is '1969 souls' (NSAS)

1760 - the population of Scalpay was 15-16.

1779 – Harris sold to Captain Alexander Macleod of Berneray for £15,000

1782 - Rev John Lanne Buchanan begins travels, describes Captain Macleod introducing certain craftsmen to Harris

1786 – Rodel House, Harbour and fishing facilities established by Captain Macleod

1786 – John Knox visits Harris

1787 - 'Piscator' visits Rodel - his account is later published in 'The Bee'

1787 – Kenneth Campbell, son of Donald and now Scalpay's tacksman, begins work building Eilean Glas lighthouse.

1789 – Lighthouse completed by Thomas Smith and lit on 10th October

1790 - Alexander Hume Macleod, Captain Alexander's Son, inherits Harris

1792 – Rev John Macleod writes Harris entry for Statistical Accounts of Scotland

1792 – Population of Harris '2536' (NSAS quoting SAS)

 

19th Century

1804 – Bald's Map of Estate of Harris

1808 - A warning regarding The Disease of The Curl that affects Potatoes

1810s – Kenneth Campbell, tacksman, dies and tack passes to Murdo MacLellan, son of the tacksman of Taransay and who also rents Pabbay and St Kilda. He brings some St Kildans to work in Scalpay and many descendents of them still live here.

1811 - Alexander Norman Macleod inherits Harris from his father, Alexander Hume Macleod

1810s - Donald Stewart, Sheep Farmer, becomes Factor

1815 – Kelp Market plummets following end of French Wars

1817 - William Daniell, artist, visits and creates an Aquaprint of the original lighthouse at Eilean Glas

1824 – Present Eilean Glas Lighthouse built

1827 – Murdo MacLellan moves to South Uist and Scalpaigh is rented by Alexander Stewart, a son of Donald Stewart, tacksman of Luskentyre.

1831 – Population of Harris 3810

1834 – 5th March, George Murray, 5th Earl of Dunmore buys Estate of Harris for £60,000

1834 - Duncan Shaw becomes Factor

1836 - Alexander Murray, 6th Earl of Dunmore, inherits Harris Estate

1836/37 - Poor harvest, particularly of Potatoes.

1841 – Population of Scalpay 31 living in 5 households

1841 – Rev John MacIver writes entry for Harris in New Statistical Account of Scotland (NSAS)

1841 – Population of Harris 'upwards of 4000'

1842 – Scalpaigh crofted with formation of 20 crofts for fishermen from the Bays of Harris.

1843 – Church of Scotland fragments in Disruption – islanders join Free Church of Scotland

1844 - John Robertson Macdonald becomes Factor of Harris

1845 - Alexander, 6th Earl, dies and Catherine, his wife, is 'Tutor' for their son, 4 yr old Charles Adolphus Murray, 7th Earl of Dunmore

1846 – 20 new crofters cleared from Pabbay and Taransay to Scalpay and the existing crofts subdivided to create 40 crofts. The new crofters had little fishing experience and hence many left, or became cottars, and the 40 crofts were subject to many alterations over time.

1846 – Potato Famines begin.

1848 – Sunday Postal Deliveries Cease.

1850s – Tarbert gets its first church.

1851 – Population of Scalpay 282 in 45 households

1851 - Potato Famines end.

1851 - Report to the Board of Supervision for the Relief of the Poor in Scotland by Sir John McNeill

1852 – Highland and Islands Emigration Society (HIES) formed – 742 leave Harris for Australia

1852 - The first school building and schooling to appear on Scalpay was in a thatched cottage on a site near the present Free Church building. The erection of the school was sponsored by the Ladies Association of Edinburgh. In its first year 40 pupils attended the school.

1854 – Road from Stornoway to Tarbert completed

1857 - Chart of East Loch Tarbert, surveyed by Lieut. FWL Thomas.

1861 – Population of Scalpay 371 in 69 households

1862 - 24th March - 7th Earl of Dunmore's 21st Birthday

1865 - The fish curing enterprise of Donald Smith (knickname ‘Misan’) from Stornoway was taken over by a Scalpay business man, Kenneth Campbell (Coinneach òg).

1865 - The Tigh Stoir, a store-house on the Station, was built.

1867 - North Harris Estate sold to Sir Edward Scott for £155,000.

1870s - The “Cidhe-na-lat” was built.

1871 – Population of Scalpay 419 in 82 households.

1881 – Population of Scalpay 532 in 96 households

1886 – Countess of Dunmore dies in February

1886 - Crofters' Act passed 25th June

1886 – 58 fishing boats in Scalpay – Men and boys crewing them numbered 116.

1887 – Increasing population results in new crofts being made available in Bowglass and Scaladale for cottars from Scalpay

1888 – Assisted emigration to Canada established

1890 – New fair rents set by the Crofters Commission

1891 – Population of Scalpay 484 in 87 households

1897 - "Government Grant of £4000 lost—It will be remembered that some time ago the County Council sanctioned the construction of two piers in Harris—one at Scalpay and another at West Tarbert. The estimated cost was £2500 for the one at West Tarbert, and £1500 for the one at Scalpay; but we are informed that Sir Samuel Scott agreed to pay £500 of said expense, thus making the Government grant amount to £3500. Proceedings went so far that tenders were asked by public advertisement., and an offer accepted, but before a start could be made the Tory Government withdrew the money. Surely there is need in Harris for the Congested Districts Bill. Piers, roads, footpaths, and other public works demand special attention, as well as the fact that there is not one first or second-class fishing boat in Harris."

1898 – Piermasters to be appointed by Inverness-shire County Council for newly constructed piers in Scalpay and West Loch Tarbert (Northern Chronicle and General Advertiser for the North of Scotland - Wednesday 19 December 1900)

1899 - The timber pier at the entrance to the North Harbour was built by the Rankin Contractors of Sandbank in 1899.

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20th Century

1901 – Population of Scalpay 582 in 122 households

1901 – Enquiry ordered into possibility of the mail-steamer to call daily at the Scalpay Pier (Northern Chronicle and General Advertiser for the North of Scotland - Wednesday 10 April)

1907 - Death of Charles Adolphus Murray, 7th Earl of Dunmore

1910 - Norman MacCaig, poet, born 14 November

1911 – Population of Scalpay 589

1916 - The first Scalpay boat to have an engine installed – a Kelvin Poppet Valve engine – was the Zulu “Golden Rule” in 1916. Previously this boat had been driven by a lug sail.

1919 - Lord Leverhulme buys North Harris for £36,000

1919/20 – Scalpay School Roll 103

1920s - The “Rubh ‘nan Bàtaichean” stone jetty was built by a fish-curer, Mr Donnie Flett in the 1920’s. Leabag-an-Eithir (Berth of the Boat) came from the landing stage across the harbours. A timber-built pier was constructed in the North Harbour on the opposite side. It was built by Duncan MacRae, who also owned a curing business. This eventually rotted away after the curing business ceased on Scalpay after the 1930’s.

1921 – Population of Scalpay 636 which was its peak.

1923 – Families from Scalpay move to new crofts in Cheesebay and Hoebeg in the Lochportain area of North Uist on land bought by the Board of Agriculture from the landlord following several years of land raids and protracted negotiations

1925 - Lord Leverhulme dies, North Harris sold at auction.

1925 - Finlay J Macdonald born

1929/30 – School Roll 112

1930 – 61 fishing boats in Scalpay.

1930 – A seaplane, the first ever to land on the sea by Scalpay, arrived in the North Harbour.

1931 – Population of Scalpay 636

1938/39 – School Roll 131

1944 - North Harris Estate bought by Sir T. O. M. Sopwith.

1948 - The older class of fishing vessels start to be replaced.

1950/51 – School Roll 81

1951 – Population of Scalpay 541

1958/59 – School Roll 82

1961 – Population of Scalpay 470

1962 - Loss of the trawler 'Boston Heron"

1963 - Prince Charles (King Charles III) was on board the vessel “Pinta” in the North Harbour, Scalpay

1968/69 – 140 houses in Scalpay.

1971 – Population of Scalpay 483

1971 - The landing stage was built at the jutting promontory named “Aird-na-h-Atha”, literally the height of the Kiln, so possibly there was a kiln here where kelp burning had taken place.

1972 - A local contractor, Norman Morrison, carried out extension work on Scalpay School.

1972 - On 30 December a French trawler went ashore at Mol-a-Ghoill in a southerly gale force wind. Ten members of her crew were saved.

1973 - The “Golden Rule”, which was the last surviving ‘Zulu ‘ fishing vessel, was broken up on “Port Eoghainn”.

1976 - A clinic was opened on Scalpay on 24 August by the Rev. James Morrison, Scalpay.

1978 - There were 152 houses in Scalpay.

1978 - Commerical herring fishing banned from the 30th of June

1978 - 72 cars in Scalpay.

1978 - 34 boats in Scalpay

1978 - A minibus arrived in Scalpay, paid for largely by fund-raising activities within the community and with grants from HIDS and Comhairle nan Eilean Siar.

1978 - 26 cars arrived in Scalpay belonging to tourists.

1979 - On the 26th February a new lobster boat the “Scalpay Isle IV” bought by Finlay Morrison, Bayhead (Fionnlagh Thormoid) arrived

1979 - In November the Eilean Glas lighthouse was lit automatically lit and no longer required manning full-time.

1980 - Murdo Alex MacLeod, 21 Scalpay, took over as attendant to Eilean Glas Lighthouse on 21 July.

1981 – Population of Scalpay 461

1981 - Prince Edward was on board the training vessel “Sea Spirit” in the North Harbour and came to visit one of the shops on 23 June.

1991 – Population of Scalpay 388

1994 - Scalpay Community Centre opened.

1996 – Norman MacCaig, poet, died on 23rd January.

1997 - Scalpay Bridge official opening.

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21st Century

2000- Free Church of Scotland (Continuing) formed.

2001 - Population of Scalpay 322

2003 – North Harris Trust gains ownership of the North Harris Estate on Friday 21st March

2006 - Gàidhlig (Scottish Gaelic) Local Studies1Vol. 06: Na Hearadh

2011 – Population of Scalpay 291

2013 – Fred Taylor gifts the island to the community and a vote sees Scalpay joining the North Harris Trust

2018 - Isle of Harris Marina opens dual sites at Tarbert & Scalpay in East Loch Tarbert.

2020 – Scalpay Heritage Centre proposed.

2023 - Launch of this website.

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Copyright – Comunn Eachdraidh Scalpaigh/Peter Kerr