Monday, September 8, 2008

monday, September 8, 2008
Rose at 7:30 a.m. Breakfast, cooked by Dad, of lorne (square) sausage, bacon, fried egg, tea and toast. Set off by car up Glen Aros along the road that runs through the middle of the north end of Mull. It’s a single track road all the way. Passed highland cattle, all kinds of sheep, the remnants of many ruined cottages dating back to about the 1840s when the inhabitants were forced out during the Highland Clearances. Part way along, to the left, across the glen, you can see Kengarhair, the farm once leased by Condullie Rankin Morrison, from the historic owners, the McLeans who have all of Torloisk Estate. This farm is where my great grandfather, Neil McKinnon, worked in the late 1800s. In 1883, he married Annie Paterson. Not sure how they met as she was not living nearby that we know of. However, she had an uncle who was a Free Church minister at nearby Dervaig. The house that the McKinnons were in is gone now. It was located well down below the farm house and today all there is is a large clump of trees and a burn. Took pictures. Saw the “shedder” – an iron gate type device once used to separate the social classes. The shepherds etc. had to go in the back door, while the desirable people went through the front door. This was reportedly designed by Condullie Morrison – hated or loved and much respected, depending on who you talk to! His name appears on grandmother, Catherine McKinnon’s birth registration. He was registrar, sherriff, poor law officer and lots of other things. He was great at getting people evicted, it seems. Grandmother was the only one of Neil and Annie’s children born at Kengarhair. The eldest two, Neil and Dan, plus the younger ones, Bella and Mary Ann, were all born on Tiree where Annie’s parents were. She seemed to want to give birth at her mother’s house. Somehow – bad November weather, early baby? – grandmother was born at Kengarhair.
After this, we went up to Glen Aros Estate where great great grandfather, Alexander Fletcher, had gone mid 1800s to work with his relative, Duncan Fletcher. Great grandfather, Angus Fletcher, b. 1860s, was the eldest and was born there in the now ruined house called Achadashenaig, below the big house. Ten children were born there in a period of 18 years, to Alexander Fletcher and Catherine McPhail – Angus, John, Alexander, Colin, Ronald, Mary, Catherine, Jane S., Margaret and Lilly. They moved to Aros Mains and Alexander Fletcher Sr. died there in 1883, as did his daughter, Margaret, about the same time. They were living then in the white house that you can see is located closest to the farm building. At this time, Lilly and Ronald worked at the shop in Salen. It is not known what happened to the family in the short term, but Catherine McPhail, my great great grandmother, lived until 1904. In 1891 and 1901 she was at Derryguaig and died there.
We went out by Sorne and then drove by the beautiful baronial style castle, Glen Gorm, built by a Forsyth who had been in Jamaica and gotten very rich, likely from sugar. He had evicted several local Mull families. Finally, an old woman placed a curse on him, saying he would never live in the house. In the end, he dropped dead from a heart attack on the front step upon a final inspection.
We had lunch today at the Bellachroy Hotel in Dervaig. It was built in 1608. It is a lovely whitewashed building, a nice Scots pub with rustic beams, slate placemats, historical photos on the walls, celtic background music playing. Had a smoked salmon and cream cheese sandwich – very good!
Went to Tobermory, a beautiful seaside village with brightly painted shops. A TV show is filmed here, so they need to keep it looking good. Went into musem. Went into Co-op store again to pick up cookies and cakes for gifts. Came back along A848. Near Salen, we stopped to take pictures of 3 derelict boats anchored at Salen Bay. Also photographed the remains of the old pier where the immigrants were once often seen weeping as they were put onto ships against their will as they were evicted from the land.
Returned to our trailer by about 6:00 p.m. (had left at 9:00 a.m.) and had tea and cake. Then went out again. We had previously stopped in Salen in search of a phone box, in order to phone Alex Fletcher at Ardtun, Bunessan and had also checked the Spar shop there to see if Alex’s sister, Christian, was working there today – no luck with either. So we headed out first to Grass Point, the narrowest place (3 miles) between Mull and the mainland. This is where cattle were brought across to market. Great grandfather, Angus Fletcher, was involved with this process. On the way through Loch Don, we stopped in at the local post office as we believed Alex Fletcher (of Ardtun) had a sister who ran it. I went to the door and sure enough, Cathy (Fletcher) McLean was at home and asked us in for a visit. Had a very enjoyable time there. Her husband, Archie McLean, joined us later. He knew some local folks that Dad had attended school with at Tobermory in the 1940s. Turns out Cathy and her 3 siblings were all born in Tanginyka (now Tanzania) in Africa as her father worked there. When their mother died, just after Alex’ birth, they all came back to Loch Don on Mull. After our visit, we continued to Grass point. Saw many rabbits, a couple of deer and some highland cattle – some on the road. Back at the caravan by 9:00 p.m.