Book 24 - The Vatersay Raiders

The Vatersay Raiders by Ben Buxton - first published in 2008

This is the true story of a group of men from the islands of Barra and Mingulay in the Outer Hebrides who, due to overpopulation, were so desperate for land on which to grow crops like potatoes, barley and oats and raise livestock to feed their families that they occupied land on the islands of Vatersay and Sandray.  These islands are located to the south of Barra and the north of Mingulay but they are much closer to Barra.  They became known as the Vatersay Raiders.

In 1835 crofters were evicted from Sandray, which was then used as grazing by Vatersay Farm.  In 1850-51 all the crofters were evicted from Vatersay by Colonel John Gordon of Cluny, who had bought South Uist, Benbecula and the Barra Isles in 1840.  Vatersay was then farmed as a single unit.  Colonel Gordon died in 1878 and the islands were inherited by his widow Lady Gordon Cathcart, whose only visit to them was in 1878.

In 1883 cottars (people with houses but no crofts) and crofters on Barra unsuccessfully appealed to Lady Gordon Cathcart for crofts on Vatersay.  In 1903 the Congested Districts Board purchased land at Uidh on Vatersay, so that cottars could grow potatoes there.

 From 1900-1905 the raiders visited Vatersay and marked out crofts but did not occupy the land.  In 1906 they occupied the island and started to build huts in which to live.  In 1908 Lady Gordon Cathcart took 10 of them to court in Glasgow and they were imprisoned there for 2 months.  However later in the same year she agreed to the creation of crofts on Vatersay and in 1909 the government bought Vatersay and Sandray.  Initially there were more applicants than crofts but by 1912 most of those who wanted crofts had been allocated them.

The book is a bit dry in places but is a worthwhile read and also includes the earlier history of the island, including the sinking of the emigrant ship the Annie Jane bound for Quebec off the west coast of Barra in 1853 with the loss of over 400 lives.   6/10

Island covered - Vatersay, Barra, Mingulay, Sandray

 Beaches on Vatersay

Book 23 - Whisky Galore

Whisky Galore by Compton Mackenzie - first published in 1947

This novel is based on the true story of a ship called the SS Politician, which ran aground off the north east coast of the island of Eriskay in February 1941 on its way between Liverpool and New York.  The crew were all rescued but the ship broke in two.  The ship was carrying a mixed cargo of Japanese currency, plumbing fittings, motorcycle parts and 264,000 bottles of whisky to help pay for the Second World War.  Before government officials and official salvagers arrived many islanders helped themselves to many of the bottles of whisky, which they hid around the islands in the most unlikely places.  When HM Customs and Excise officials and the police arrived they searched the crofts.  36 islanders were sent to court and 19 were convicted of illegal possession and imprisoned in Inverness.

In the book the ship is called the SS Cabinet Minister and it runs aground between the fictional islands of Great and Little Todday, which incidentally have recently run out of whisky due to wartime shortages.  Officials search for the whisky on the islands but none of the islanders are caught.  The story is fleshed out by the romance and forthcoming weddings of Sergeant Odd and Peggy Macroon and school teacher George Campbell and Catriona Macroon.  The islanders are depicted as lovable rogues, who only pay lip service to the laws of the land and who, if not all alcoholics, all drink large quantities of whisky.  The book was made into a film of the same name by Ealing Studios in 1949 and partly filmed on Barra.  

The author Compton Mackenzie lived on Barra for several years, as well as being tenant of Herm and Jethou in the Channel Islands for a time and owning the Shiant Islands for a few years.  He died in 1972 and is buried at Eoligarry on Barra.  

6/10 - the book lacks the humour of the film

Islands covered - Eriskay

 West coast of Eriskay

 Eoligarry, Barra