Sign our Guestbook


Ness Historical Society


View My Guestbook
 Sign My Guestbook
 
To reduce unsolicited ‘junk’ entries, we scrutinise Guestbook comments to ensure they are genuine before publication on the website.  We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
..

Maritime
Pages

 Scottish Fishing History Herring Girls SY Jubilee Brothers Delight
Butt of Lewis Iolaire Disaster 1919 Superstitions MV Runic on Middleton Reef
 
The Outer Hebrides has a long seafaring tradition that has produced generations of mariners and fishermen that have worked in coastal waters and throughout the world
 
These pages offer a glimpse of the contribution that the islands have made to Britain's maritime heritage over the years
 

Port of Ness harbour showing the 'Eoropie', owned by Donald MacLeod from Eoropie.  The boat had a four man crew and was equiped with both sail and an engine for the four hour journey between Ness and Stornoway with shop provisions and goods.  C1920

The SY Jubilee, the last of the traditional sgoth Nisich that was engaged in the pre-1950s north Lewis line fishing industry.  The boat was also the last sail powered sgoth to make the trip to Sula Sgeir for the annual gannet cull.

Some of the Mayflower crew from the Adabrock area of Ness photographed around 1950:
Norman Macdonald (Tormod Dhòmhnaill Bhig), Angus Morrison (Aonghas Bàn), Murdo Morrison (Jellicoe), Calum Maclean(Calum a' Bhodaich)
Hauling the Mayflower up the slipway at Skigersta Pier around 1950
The Mayflower up the slipway at Skigersta Pier around 1998, fitted with an inboard engine and modern fish sounding equipment

Ness sailors on shore in New Zealand during the 1950s.
Balaich Nis ann an New Zealand:  Murdo MacDonald (Murchadh Alasdair), 9 Eorodal; Donald MacKenzie (Dh’ll Aonghais Dh’ll Tàilleir, Sgiogarstaidh; Tommy Darcaidh, An Rubha; Murdo MacLeod (Murchadh a’ Ghruagain), Adabroc; Calum Mackenzie (Calum na Caib), Tabost; Donald Morrison (Biagaidh), Am Port.
John Finlay Macleod (Iain Mhurdo), 4 Port.  A survivor of the Iolaire disaster, he swam ashore with a rope and helped save the lives of over 50 people when the Naval vessel sank with enormous casualties on the approach to Stornoway harbour on New Year's day 1919

Donald 'Am Patch' Morrison (1898-1990), 7 Knockaird, who survived the sinking of the Iolaire by clinging to the top of the semi-submerged mast until help arrived the following morning
PO John Graham, 28 Borve, who received the DSM after disarming a time bomb on board a captured German vessel, thus saving a valuable prize

 
   
LEFT:  Southern Venturer, a Christian Salvesen & Co owned whaling factory ship that operated around South Georgia during the 1950s
RIGHT:  Angus Morrison (Aonghas Shàm), 35 Eoropie, and Angus MacLeod (Aonghas Chalaips ), 3 Port of Ness, working in South Georgia.