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
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