Mingulay 546994 218053300 2008-06-08T23:09:26Z Akerbeltz 3476301 added pronunciation {{Infobox Scottish island | |Map=UK Mingulay.PNG|thumb]] |GridReference=NL560830 |celtic name=Miughalaigh |norse name=Mikil-ay |meaning of name= Old Norse for 'Big island'. |area=640 ha (2½&nbsp;sq mi) |area rank=67 out of 162 |highest elevation= Càrnan 273 metres (896&nbsp;ft) |Population= Uninhabited since 1912 |population rank= |main settlement= The abandoned 'Village'. |island group= [[Uist]]s and [[Barra]] |local authority=[[Na h-Eileanan Siar]] |references=Name<ref name=Buxton>Buxton (1995) ''Mingulay: An Island and Its People''.</ref><ref name=Murray>Murray (1973) ''The Islands of Western Scotland.''</ref>Area<ref name= Smith>Haswell-Smith (2004) pages 209-212.</ref>Elevation<ref name=OS>Ordnance Survey 1:50,000 Landranger: Second Series (1994) Sheet 31.</ref> }} '''Mingulay''' ([[Scottish Gaelic]]: '''Miughalaigh'''<ref>Mac an Tàilleir, Iain, (2003) [http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/language/gaelic/pdfs/placenamesK-O.pdf "Placenames K-O"] (pdf) Edinburgh. Pàrlamaid na h-Alba. Retrieved [[08 June]] [[2008]].</ref>, {{pronounced|mju.əlˠ̪aj}}) is the second largest of the [[Barra Isles|Bishop's Isles]] in the [[Outer Hebrides]] of [[Scotland]]. Located {{convert|12|mi|km}} south of [[Barra]], it is known for its important [[seabird]] populations, including [[Atlantic Puffin|puffins]], [[Black-legged Kittiwake]]s, and [[razorbill]]s which nest in the sea-cliffs<ref name=Murray/>, which are amongst the highest in the [[British Isles]].<ref>Buxton (1995) page 11.</ref> There are [[Iron Age]] remains, and the culture of the island was influenced by early [[Christianity]] and the [[Vikings]]. From the 15th to the 19th century Mingulay formed a part of the lands of [[Clan MacNeil of Barra]], but then suffered at the hands of absentee landlords. After two thousand years or more of continuous habitation, the island was abandoned by its residents in 1912 and has remained uninhabited since. It is currently used for grazing [[sheep]]. Also associated with the island is the ''[[Mingulay Boat Song]]'', although it was composed in 1938 after the abandonment of the island. The [[National Trust for Scotland]] has owned Mingulay since 2000.<ref name=Buxton/> ==Geology and soils== In the [[Pleistocene]] era Mingulay was covered by the ice sheets which spread from Scotland out into the [[Atlantic Ocean]] beyond the [[Outer Hebrides]].<ref>Sparks, B.W. (1960) ''Geomorphology''. London. Longman Green.</ref> After the last retreat of the ice around 20,000 years ago, sea levels were lower than at present and circa 14,000 [[Before Present|BP]] it was joined to a single large island comprising most of what is now the [[Outer Hebrides]].<ref name=Murray/> Steadily rising sea levels since that time then isolated the island, which is made up of Hebridean [[gneiss]] interspersed with some [[granite]].<ref name=Smith/> The ice deposited both [[erratic]] blocks of rock and [[boulder clay]] on the eastern side of the island around Mingulay Bay. The rest of the island is covered in [[peat]], thin acidic soils, or bare rock.<ref name=Buxton/> ==Geography and pre-history== [[Image:Western cliffs of Mingulay.jpg|thumb|left|The western cliffs with the stack of Arnamuil in the centre and Bagh na h-Aioneig to the left.]] Mingulay is now part of the small archipelago known as the [[Bishop's Isles| Bishop]] or [[Barra Isles]] which are "composed of a cluster of islands surrounded by a boisterous sea, making the passage of one island to another a matter of very considerable hazard"<ref>Parliamentary Papers, 1847–8 XXXIII. 65. Quoted by Buxton, 1995 p. 11.</ref> and which form the southern end of the larger [[Outer Hebrides]] group. There is one large beach on the eastern side of the isle where the only settlement of note (‘The Village’) was located and a tiny cove at Skipsdale ([[Old Norse]]: ''ship valley''). Bagh na h-Aioneig ([[Scots Gaelic]]: ''bay of the steep promontory'') on the western side is a deep cleft in the sea-cliffs<ref name=Smith/> once thought to be the highest in the UK<ref name = Buxton/> which rise to 213&nbsp;m (699&nbsp;ft) above sea level at Builacraig. Mingulay boasts three large [[Stack (geology)|sea stacks]]: Arnamul ([[Old Norse]]: ''Erne mound''),<ref>Buxton, 1995 suggests the more evocative ‘Old Norse for sea eagle or Arni (personal name.)’</ref> Lianamul ([[Old Norse]]: ''Flax mound'') and Gunamul, which has a natural arch in 150&nbsp;m (490&nbsp;ft) cliffs through which boats can sail on rare days when the restless sea is calm. There are several outlying islets including the twin rocks of Sròn a Dùin to the south-west, Geirum Mòr and Geirum Beag to the south between Mingulay and the nearby island of [[Barra Head|Berneray]], and Solon Mòr ([[Scottish Gaelic language|Gaelic]]: ''Big Gannet''), Solon Beag (''Little Gannet''), Sgeirean nan Uibhein, Barnacle Rock and a smaller stack called The Red Boy, all to the north between Mingulay and [[Pabbay, Barra, Scotland|Pabbay]]. The highest hills are Càrnan (273&nbsp;m or 896&nbsp;ft), Hecla ([[Old Norse]]: ''Hooded shroud'') (219&nbsp;m or 719&nbsp;ft) and Macphee's Hill (224&nbsp;m or 735&nbsp;ft).<ref name=Smith/> The last was named when a relief ship sent by MacNeil of Barra was sent to discover why communications from the island had ceased. A crewman called Macphee was sent ashore and returned to report that the residents had all died of disease. Fearing the plague, his shipmates refused to allow him back on board. He survived for a year, and climbed the hill every day to look out for a rescue. When the island was re-settled [[Clan MacNeil of Barra|The MacNeil]] granted him land there.<ref>Murray, W.H. (1966) ''The Hebrides''. London. Heinemann. Murray speculates that the disease may have been [[typhus]].</ref> The south-western promontory of Dun Mingulay features the remains of an [[Iron Age]] fort and there is a pre-historic site at Crois an t-Suidheachain near the western 'landing place' at Aneir at the southern end of Mingulay Bay, which may have been a stone circle.<ref name=Murray/><ref name=Smith/> In 1971 a 2,000 year old Iron Age [[midden]] was found resting on sand near the ‘Village’ overlooking the Bay. A stone 'pebble hammer' was discovered nearby in 1975, but it has not been possible to date the find. Skipisdale may also contain Iron Age remains.<ref name = Buxton/> ==Name== In historic times the [[Hebrides]] have been heavily influenced by Celtic, Norse and Scots culture and this is evident in the variety of names the isle possesses. ‘Mingulay’ is derived from ''Mikil-ay,'' the [[Old Norse]] for ''Big Island'' although this is misleading as it is only the second largest of the [[Barra Isles]] behind [[Vatersay]], which is lower lying and appears smaller from the sea.<ref name=Buxton/> ''Miughalaigh'' and ''Miùghlaigh'' are two variants of the [[Scots Gaelic|Gaelic]] name. [[Scots language|Lowland Scots]] speakers in their turn have variously described the island as ''Mewla''<ref> Campbell, J.L. (1954) ''The MacNeils of Barra and the Irish Franciscans.'' Innes Review.</ref> or ''Miuley''<ref> Carmichael, Alexander (1874) ''On a Hypogeum at Valaquie, Island of Uist''. Journal of the Anthropological Institute 111. Quoted by Buxton (1995).</ref> (which are both approximations of the Gaelic pronunciation), ''Megaly''<ref> Munro, Donald (1774) ''A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland called Hybrides.''</ref> and ''Micklay''<ref>Martin, Martin (1703) ''A Description of the Western Isles of Scotland.'' London.</ref> before finally settling on the current variant. Murray (1973) states that the name “appropriately means Bird Island”.<ref>[[W. H. Murray]] (1973) ''op cit'' p41.</ref> ==History and culture== ===Christianity, Norsemen and Clan MacNeil=== There is little doubt that early Christianity influenced Mingulay (for example the nearby islands of [[Pabbay, Barra, Scotland|Pabbay]] and [[Barra Head|Berneray]] both have cross-inscribed slabs) but no direct evidence has yet been found. From circa 871 onwards Viking raids on the Outer Hebrides gathered pace but similarly the Viking graves found on Berneray and [[Vatersay]] are not replicated on Mingulay and whilst there are no definite indications of Norse settlement, their presence on the island is confirmed by the many features they named. [[Image:Kisimul Castle.jpg|thumb|left|[[Kisimul Castle]], [[Barra]], the ancient seat of [[Clan MacNeil]].]] From the 12th century onwards Norse power in the Western Isles weakened and by 1266 they reverted to Scots’ control under the tutelage of the [[Lords of the Isles]]. By 1427 [[Clan MacNeil of Barra]] had emerged as the dominant local power, and they adopted the cliffs of Builacraig as part of their traditional crest and used the name as a war-cry.<ref>Perrot, D. et al (1995) ''The Outer Hebrides Handbook and Guide''. Machynlleth. Kittiwake.</ref> The islanders’ livelihood was based on fishing (for white fish, herring and lobster), [[crofting]] (with up to 55 ha (0.21 sq mi) of arable and pasture land fertilised by [[seaweed|wrack]] on which sheep, cattle, ponies, pigs and poultry were kept) and very dependent on the bounty provided by sea-birds. For example, rent was payable to The MacNeil in ''fachaich'' or ‘fatlings’ - shearwater chicks.<ref name=Smith/> The [[Reformation]] never reached the south of the Outer Hebrides and [[Roman Catholicism]] held sway from the 12th century to the early twentieth. The lack of a resident priest meant that services were often organised by the lay community, but the local culture and traditions of songs and story-telling were rich and varied.<ref name=Buxton/> As [[Samuel Johnson]] observed when lamenting his failure to reach thus far on his 18th century Hebridean journey: <blockquote> "[[Roman Catholic Church|Popery]] is favourable to ceremony; and among the ignorant nations ceremony is the only preservative of tradition. Since Protestantism was extended to the savage parts of Scotland, it has perhaps been one of the chief labours of the Ministers to abolish stated observances, because they continued the remembrance of the former religion."<ref> Johnson, Samuel. (1775) ''A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland''. London. Penguin. (1984 reprint).</ref> </blockquote> Some of the local beliefs were perhaps less welcome to the practitioners of organised religion. An [[Each uisge|each-uisge]] was thought to live in a bottomless well near the summit of Macphee’s Hill, and [[faery]] [[sidhe]]s and their associated music were taken for granted, if generally avoided. The curative powers of the seventh son of a seventh son were assumed to be sufficient for the treatment of diseases as serious as [[tuberculosis]]. Yet the old ways themselves were dying. ===Absentee landlords=== [[Image:Mingulay village.jpg|left|thumb|250px|<Center>Mingulay village in 1888.<ref name="Harvie-Brown">Harvie-Brown, J. A. & Buckley, T. E. (1888), ''A Vertebrate Fauna of the Outer Hebrides.'' David Douglas. Edinburgh. Facing P. 1.</ref>]] The Barra estates of MacNeil (including all the Barra Isles) were sold to Colonel John Gordon of Aberdeenshire in 1840 whose lack of consideration for his tenants during the [[Highland Potato Famine (1846 - 1857)|potato famines]] was matched by his zeal for evictions to create sheep farms. However, the [[Highland Clearances]] seemed to have the effect of increasing Mingulay’s population as families evicted from Barra sometimes chose to re-settle there rather than take the emigrant ships to [[Nova Scotia]]. In this regard Mingulay’s remoteness was probably an advantage and rents were actually reduced from 1840-45. In 1878 Lady Gordon Cathcart inherited the estate and visited but once during her fifty-four year period of tenure.<ref name=Buxton/> In 1764 the population of the island was 52.<ref name=Buxton/> Later census records show that there were 113 residents in 1841, 150 in 1881, 142 in 1891 (occupying 28 houses, compared to the 1841 total of 19), and 135 in 1901.<ref name=Smith/> Families were often large with ten or more children not uncommon and three generations sometimes sharing a single small house. Life was co-operative with fishing, [[waulking]], peat cutting and landing the boats all being communal activities. The island is remote but was by no means cut off. In the 19th century fishermen sold fish in [[Glasgow]] and [[Ireland]], both men and women worked on the east coast herring fishing industry, and food was brought in from mainland Scotland on a regular basis. At the height of Village life there was a mill, a chapel house comprising both a church and a priest’s residence, and a school. However, despite there being a continuous population on Mingulay for at least two thousand years, evacuations began in 1907 and the island was completely abandoned by its residents in 1912.<ref name=Buxton/> ===Evacuation=== [[Image:Old School house Mingulay.jpg|thumb|right|The old school house.]] There were numerous reasons for the evacuation. In 1897 a boat from Pabbay was lost off [[Barra Head]] with its crew of five, which amounted to more than half the neighbouring island’s male population, and this did not encourage confidence amongst the fishermen of Mingulay. The lack of a sheltered landing meant that the island could be unreachable for weeks at a time, and loading and unloading goods was at best strenuous and at worst hazardous. This may have meant less at a time when possessions were fewer, but no doubt the population was also increasingly aware of their relative isolation. Writing about the collapse of similar populations in the [[Hebrides]], Neat (2000) suggests: <blockquote> one common thread would appear to be the unwillingness of even the most stoical and historically-aware communities to continue an existence based upon endless physical hardship when the opportunity of an easier livelihood elsewhere is there to be taken.<ref> Neat, Tiimothy (2000) ''When I was Young: Voices from Lost Communities in Scotland - The Islands.'' Edinburgh. Birlinn.</ref> </blockquote> Buxton (1995) tells the story of two men who left Mingulay together. One was visiting Barra, the other intending to emigrate to [[New York]]. They said their farewells in [[Castlebay]] but it did not work out for the latter and he returned from the United States some three months later. To his great surprise he met his friend in Castlebay again, who explained that he had been unable to return to Mingulay throughout this entire time due to adverse sea conditions. Similar difficulties experienced by visiting priests or doctors bound for Mingulay were a constant source of concern to the islanders. The ferocity of the weather should not be underestimated. In 1868 a huge wave washed over the top of Geirum Mor taking its sheep with it. The summit of the islet is 51 metres (170&nbsp;ft) above sea level.<ref name= Buxton/> [[Frank Fraser Darling|Fraser Darling]] and Boyd (1969) also speculate about the “quiet failure” of the populations of small islands like Mingulay to husband the available natural resources.<ref name=Darling>Darling, F. Fraser & Boyd, J.M. (1969) ''Natural History in the Highlands and Islands''. London. Bloomsbury.</ref> Certainly the population was beginning to exceed the carrying capacity of the land. The [[Congested Districts Board (Scotland)|Congested Districts Board]] installed a derrick to assist with the landings at Aneir at the south end of the Bay in 1901, but the design was flawed and its failure was a further disappointment. In July 1906 grazing land on [[Vatersay]] was raided by landless cottars from Barra and its isles, including three families from Mingulay. They were followed in 1907 by eight more ‘raiders’ from Mingulay led by Micheal Neill Eachainn. Lady Gordon Cathcart took legal action but the visiting judge took the view that she had neglected her duties as a landowner and that "long indifference to the necessities of the cottars had gone far to drive them to exasperation".<ref name= Buxton/> Vatersay has sheltered anchorages and was only 300 metres (330&nbsp;yd) from Barra<ref name=OS/> (until the construction of a causeway in 1990)<ref name=Smith/> and Neil MacPhee wrote “it is better a thousand times to die here than to go through the same hardships which were our lot” on Mingulay. In November 1907 six more families comprising twenty-seven individuals from Mingulay squatted on [[Sandray]] which has a sheltered beach. Meanwhile the plight of the Vatsersay raiders had been raised in [[Parliament of the United Kingdom|Westminster]]. Despite considerable public sympathy they were eventually sentenced to two months in prison. Shortly thereafter the Congested Districts Board made an arrangement to purchase the entire island of Vatersay with the aim of providing new crofts. By the next summer there were fourteen Mingulay families living there. Only six families remained on Mingulay itself, and all of them planned to leave. [[Image:Mingulay main settlement from the North.jpg|thumb|200px|left|The ruins of the sand-encroached Village from the north.]] By 1910 there were but a dozen fishermen in six families living there and in the summer of 1912 the island was finally abandoned. Some may have wished to stay, but by now the population had been reduced below a viable number and the lack of a school, which closed in April 1910, would have been a factor. There is also no doubt that the parish priest, Donald Martin, encouraged the desertion. It is claimed that he neither liked travelling there and nor did the church receive much in the collection box on his visits.<ref name= Buxton/> Mingulay bears similarities to the island of [[Hirta]], which was also evacuated in 1930,<ref> MacLean, Charles (1977) ''Island on the Edge of the World: the Story of St. Kilda''. Edinburgh. Canongate.</ref> the former sometimes being referred to as the “near [[St Kilda, Scotland|St Kilda]]”.<ref name=NTSbirds>[http://www.nts-seabirds.org.uk/properties/mingulay/mingulay.aspx# NTS Seabird colonies.] Retrieved 27.12.2006</ref> Mingulay is less than a third of the distance from [[Outer Hebrides|‘The Long Island’]] than Hirta, yet a nineteenth century visitor commented that the former was "much more primitive than St Kilda, especially as regards the cottars’ and crofters’ houses,"<ref> Harvie-Brown, J.A. and Buckley, T.E. (1888) ''A Vertebrate Fauna of the Outer Hebrides''. Edinburgh.</ref> suggesting that the lack of a permanent landing was of greater import than sheer distance. ===1912 to the present day=== After the island was evacuated it was first tenanted and then purchased in 1919 by Jonathan MacLean from Barra. In 1930 it was sold to John Russell who had experience as a sheep farmer in both [[Australia]] and [[Montana]]. Russell was clearly a man who liked his own company, choosing to live on the island alone all autumn and winter with his pet [[ferret]]s and cats, and joined by two shepherds for the spring and summer only. After seven years he sold up to Peggy Greer, a farmer from [[Essex]] who visited only rarely and let the grazings out to local farmers. In 1951 she attempted to sell the island herself, but without success until 1955 when a local [[Croft (land)|crofters']] syndicate called the Barra Head Isles Sheepstock Company completed the purchase. The advent of motor boats made stocking the islands considerably easier and the company’s ownership continued for the next forty years.<ref name=Buxton/> In 2000 Mingulay was acquired by The [[National Trust for Scotland]] through a bequest by J. M. Fawcitt “to provide an area of natural beauty in memory of her parents and the courage of her late brother, Bernard.”<ref>[http://www.nts.org.uk/web/site/home/visit/places/Property.asp?PropID=10097&NavPage=10097&NavId=5123 The National Trust for Scotland.] Retrieved 24.12.2006</ref> Only two buildings survive on the island: the schoolhouse and the chapel house, although the latter has recently lost its roof and front wall.<ref name=Smith/> ==Flora and fauna== [[Image:Razorbill iceland.JPG|thumb|right|Razorbill: ''Alca torda'']] Mingulay has a large [[seabird]] population, and is an important breeding ground for [[razorbill]]s (9,514 pairs, 6.3% of the European population), [[Common Guillemot|guillemots]] (11,063 pairs) and [[Black-legged Kittiwake]]s (2,939 pairs). [[Common Shag|Shags]] (694 individuals), [[Northern Fulmar|fulmar]] (11,626 pairs), [[Atlantic Puffin|puffins]] (2,072 pairs), [[storm petrel]], [[common tern]]s, [[arctic tern]]s, [[Great Skua|bonxies]] and various species of [[gull]] also nest in the sea-cliffs.<ref name=NTSbirds/><ref name=Darling/> [[Manx shearwater]]s nested on Lianamul stack until the late 18th century, when they were driven away by puffins, and [[Black Guillemot|tysties]] have also been recorded there.<ref name=Buxton/> Sheep graze the island’s rough pastures and there is a population of [[rabbit]]s, introduced by shepherds after the 1912 evacuation.<ref name=Buxton/> [[Grey seal]]s are abundant, numbers having grown substantially since the departure of human residents. Although they do not breed, up to 1,000 make use of the beach in winter.<ref>Benvie, Niall (2004) ''Scotland's Wildlife''. London. Aurum Press.</ref> The flora of the island is typical of the [[Outer Hebrides]] with [[heather]], [[sphagnum moss]], [[Cyperaceae|sedge]]s, [[grass]] and [[bracken]] predominating. There is but a single tree — a 2 metre high [[poplar]] on a cliff overlooking Mingulay Bay. [[Sea holly]], otherwise rare in the [[Western Isles]], has grown on Mingulay since at least the late nineteenth century, and [[sea milkwort]], normally only found at sea level is able to grow on the high cliff tops due to the ocean spray and seagull manure. In spring and summer there are profusions of wild flowers around the deserted Village.<ref name=Buxton/> Mingulay and nearby [[Barra Head|Berneray]] became a [[Site of Special Scientific Interest]] in 1983.<ref>[http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/protect/sssi_02_03.pdf Scottish Natural Heritage list of SSSIs.] Retrieved 26.12.2006</ref> ==Visiting Mingulay== The island attracts regular visits from naturalists and in recent years has also become popular with rock climbers. The [[National Trust for Scotland]] operates two licensed boatmen from Barra and further information may be available at the tourist office in [[Castlebay]].<ref name = NTSbirds/> There is an ‘occasional’ anchorage in Mingulay Bay sheltered from westerly winds. Landing on the beach may be difficult as there is a regular heavy swell and approaching the old landing place at Aneir may be easier. There is also a landing place at Skipisdale.<ref name=Smith/> ==Mingulay Boat Song== The haunting ''[[Mingulay Boat Song]]'' was composed by Hugh S. Roberton, the founder of the Glasgow Orpheus Choir, in 1938, and first recorded by the Francis McPeake family of Ulster.<ref>[http://www.chivalry.com/cantaria/lyrics/mingulay.htm Cantaria lyrics.] Retrieved 26.12.2006</ref> Written in the style of Hebridean [[work song]]s<ref>[http://sniff.numachi.com/pages/tiMINGULY;ttMINGULY.html Numachi scores.] Retrieved 24.12.2006</ref> to the tune ''Creag Guanach'' from [[Lochaber]],<ref>[http://www.mysongbook.de/msb/songs/m/mingulay.html Mysongbook.] Retrieved 26.12.2006</ref> it invites the listener to imagine the boatsmen of the island singing in time to the pulling of their oars. :Chorus :Heel ya'ho boys, let her go, boys :Bring her head round now all together :Heel ya'ho boys, let her go boys :Sailing homeward to Mingulay! :What care we tho' white the Minch is :What care we for wind and weather? :Let her go boys, every inch is :Wearing homeward to Mingulay! :Chorus :Wives are waiting on the bank, boys, :Looking seaward from the heather. :Pull her 'round boys, and we'll anchor :'Ere the sun sets at Mingulay! :Chorus.<ref>[http://scottishparodies.tripod.com/lyricsandfreesonglyrics/id104.html Free Song Lyrics] of Scottish Celtic Folk Music. Retrieved 26.12.2006. The first stanza from this source has 'white the sea is' which is an unusual variant.</ref> 
 It has been recorded by numerous artists including Robin Hall and Jimmy MacGregor<ref>[http://www.ibiblio.org/folkindex/m08.htm ibiblio Folk Music Index.] Retrieved 26.12.2006</ref> in 1971, [[The Idlers]] and [[Richard Thompson (musician)|Richard Thompson]] in 2006.<ref>[http://wxpn.blogspot.com/2006/08/my-morning-download-8806-richard.html Rogue's Gallery]: Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs and Chanteys. Retrieved 26.12.2006</ref> The lyrics have also been variously interpreted. For example Hall and MacGregor's 1961 version has a female vocalist (Shirley Bland) rendering the third stanza as: :We are waiting by the harbour, :Weeping, waiting since break of day-o. :We are waiting by the harbour, :As the sun sets on Mingulay.<ref>Robin Hall and Jimmy MacGregor (1961) ''Scottish Choice''. Decca.</ref> Although the fame of the song means that it is one of the few things popularly associated with the island and it is evocative of island life, it was never sung by its residents, having been composed long after the evacuation. Other songs composed by or about residents of the island survive. These include ''Oran do Dh'eilean Mhiulaidh'' (Song to the Isle of Mingulay) written by Neil MacPhee the Vatsersay raider (see above), after the abandonment of the island, and ''Turas Neill a Mhiughlaigh'' (Neil's Trip to Mingulay) written by Father Allan MacLean (known locally as the 'Curate of Spain' having attended the Scots College in [[Valladolid]]), possibly during the period 1837-40 when he lived on Barra.<ref name=Buxton/> ==Miscellany== * There is a local tradition that French gold intended to support the 1745 [[Jacobite Rebellion]] was hidden in a sea cave on the west coast. This story forms the basis of the novel ''Children of Tempest'' by [[Neil Munro (Hugh Foulis)|Neil Munro]].<ref>Munro, Neil (1903) ‘’Children of the Tempest: A Tale of the Outer Isles.” Edinburgh. Blackwood.</ref> * Mingulay is the name of an isolated human colony in [[Ken MacLeod]]'s ''Cosmonaut Keep'' series of [[science-fiction]] novels.<ref>[http://www.nesfa.org/reviews/Olson/DarkLight.html Review of ''Dark Light'' by Ken MacLeod] Retrieved 7 April 2007.</ref> ==See also== *[[Barra]] *[[Barra Head|Berneray]] *[[Barra Isles|Bishop's Isles]] *[[St Kilda, Scotland|St Kilda]] *[[Mingulay Boat Song]] *[[North Rona|Rona]] ==References== * Buxton, Ben. (1995) ''Mingulay: An Island and Its People''. Edinburgh. Birlinn. * [[W. H. Murray|Murray, W.H.]] (1973) ''The Islands of Western Scotland''. London. Eyre Methuen. * Haswell-Smith, Hamish. (2004) ''The Scottish Islands''. Edinburgh. Canongate. ==Notes== {{reflist}} ==External links== *[http://www.lonely-isles.com/Mingulay/Home.htm Lonely Isles Mingulay page.] *[http://www.nts.org.uk/web/site/home/visit/places/Property.asp?PropID=10097&NavPage=10097&NavId=5123 The National Trust for Scotland - Mingulay, Berneray & Pabbay.] Retrieved 24.12.2006 *[http://www.nts-seabirds.org.uk/properties/mingulay/mingulay.aspx# The National Trust for Scotland - Seabird colonies.] Retrieved 26.12.2006 {{coor title d|56.8115|N|-7.6375|E|type:island}} {{Barra Isles}} {{Hebrides}} [[Category:Islands of the Outer Hebrides]] [[Category:National Trust for Scotland properties]] [[Category:Uninhabited islands of Scotland]] [[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Western Isles South]] [[es:Mingulay]] [[fr:Mingulay]]