| Lewis had
formed part of the northern Pict territories before the Norse embarked
on tentative exploratory raids that eventually established them as the
dominant power in northern Scotland during the early part of the second
millennia. The oldest written reference to Lewis is found in the
Saga of Magnus Barefoot (1093-1103) where the island is referred to
as ‘Ljodhus’. The Saga, in translation, records that: "Fire
played fiercely to the heavens over Lewis. He [Magnus] went over
Uist with flames. Men in Cantyre [Kintyre] bowed before the sword
edge."
During the 12th and much
of the 13th century, Lews formed part of the Viking ‘Kingdom
of Man and the Isles’. In many parts of western Scotland, the pure
Norse and their kin of mixed Scandinavian and Celtic parentage had
transplanted themselves so successfully that they had effectively become
the indigenous population. Somerled, from whose nephew the Clan
Donald is reputedly descended, was the result of such a Norse-Celt
marriage. In his Book of Lews, W.C. MacKenzie wrote of the,
"....remarkable circumstance that a parish in the island of Lewis
[Ness], until modern times, was peopled by an apparently Norse
(though Gaelic speaking) race who were regarded as foreigners by their
neighbours."
During the early 11th
century the Hebrideans had gradually become less dependent for their
subsistence on their masters back in Norway. This led to rising tensions
between the two until formal ties were eventually broken. In response to
this threat to their authority and the loss of Hebridean allegiance to
the Norse crown, the Vikings embarked on a series of punitive raids
during the years, 1093, 1098 and 1103, which left Lewis largely ravaged
and devastated by fire. The Norse domination of the isles was finally
broken in 1263 following their defeat at the Battle of Largs. The
following year, the Kingdom of Man and the Isles came under the
jurisdiction of the Scottish Crown - Lewis becoming part of the
Earldom of Ross, with its principal possessors being the Macleods.
The marriage of Norse and
Celt blood during this turbulent period had helped to create a more
enduring population through the fusion of Celtic cultural and soldiering
qualities and the sailing and fighting strengths which personified the
Viking people. However, towards the latter stages of the 13th century
the Celtic culture and language increasingly began to replace its Norse
predecessor; although numerous placenames and influences would continue
to this day. Because of the numbers of disparate parochial communities
within the Hebrides at that time there was continual unrest and fighting
between factions. These frictions continued largely unabated until the
various island communities eventually gained equal status as subjects of
the Crown.
|
‘Brothers Delight’ (SY148). This 18’ keel sgoth
was apparently built for an owner from North Tolsta and
operated out of that township and Stornoway until 1936, when it was
bought by Angus MacKay from Galson.
For more
information on
Brothers Delight
while based in North Tolsta. |
As early
as the 12th and 13th centuries, Dutch fishermen had managed to
establish a foothold in Scottish waters. They were operating in the
North Sea along the east coast of Scotland, northwards to the
Shetlands and the Atlantic. At this time, Scots fishermen were
confined to sea lochs and sheltered inshore waters due to the
inadequacies of their boats and gear. Although the Scots curach
(a small boat constructed from light timber and hide) had been an
improvement on the earlier Pictish skiffs and canoes, it was the
Viking conquests of northern Britain that led to the real leap in
Scottish boat design, construction and navigation. |
The Norsemen were
renowned as accomplished sailors, fishermen and boatbuilders. They were
capable of building large, sea-going, craft that could venture far from
home and into hostile waters that were inaccessible to the native Scots.
Later on, the Dutch, French and Spanish were also able to exploit the
rich Scottish whitefish and herring waters. It was not until the end of
the 16th century that the real potential of the Minch fisheries was
finally realised by mainland Scots who had, by that time, acquired a
great deal of skill and knowledge from the more industrious foreign
fleets - particularly, the Dutch.
By the 16th century,
cured cod, pickled salmon and salted herring had become important to
Scottish exports. Although the West Highlands contributed to these
exports, Scottish fishing was largely carried out from Ayrshire and the
Clyde ports. The lack of co-ordinated activity within the industry in
northern Scotland was partly due to the general unrest that prevailed in
the Highlands and Islands at the time. The Crown realised that enormous
revenues could potentially be raised from taxation on fishing. But,
mindful of the nature of the industry and the power and influence of the
feudal chiefs of Scotland - particularly, the Lord of the Isles – the
Crown was also well aware that there would be real difficulties in
collecting the tax. To try and address these problems the Government
responded by extending the powers of the regional Burghs to give them
the authority to collect duties on fish landings. This meant that
fishermen were restricted to landing their catches at Burgh piers -
where even higher taxes were levied on foreign boats. However, the
Highland clan chiefs had also identified the income that could be
derived from the growing Scottish fishing industry. From about 1550 they
also began to collect taxes from fishing and those curing herring and
whitefish along the west coast.
In 1598, five years
before the Act of Union that established the UK, James VI of Scotland
attempted to colonise parts of Lewis with men he had brought in from
Fife. King James’s intention was to establish a colony of lowland
sympathisers in Lewis. The King, evidently, believed that the
introduction of these chosen immigrants would help to dilute the
influence and power of the MacLeods within the Isles and help collect
the substantial duties that the MacLeods allegedly owed to the Scottish
Crown. James VI was convinced that, with the assistance of the Fife
settlers, the island would offer even greater opportunities for
increasing Crown revenue from northern Scotland. However, from the
outset the settlers were to encounter difficulties. |
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