Publications of the Museum of Islay Life
A collection of 76 old black-and-white photographs from the Museum's large
archive showing many different aspects of the island and its people from about
1890 to 1972, including villages scenes at the turn of the century, some of the
earliest motor and air transport, the first lifeboat, activities such as the
Islay Show, the Pipe Band and the Gaelic Choir and some notable Islay folk.
This is the first book to be devoted solely to the history of Islay. The sad
death of the author prevented the completion of the account to the present
time, but the cut-off date of 1848 is, nevertheless, a very appropriate one as
it marked the end of the Campbell ownership of the island, which then came into
the hands of an English landlord.
This is a collection of 23 accounts of Islay, its life and times, taken from
the books and papers in the Museum library. They include items as varied as
extracts from the Minute Book of the Free Church of Scotland in Bowmore in the
second half of the 19th century, the Ellister murders of 1698, falconry,
rainfall figures from 1866, industrial archaeology and a delightful piece on
charms and divinations. They all add up to a fascinating insight into how the
ordinary people lived and worked on the island through the centuries.
These are variously priced between £1.50 and £2.00.
The purpose of this guide is to help the visitor enjoy some of the more
interesting, and accessible, places and buildings on Islay. It takes the form
of a geographical tour following the road network and forms the perfect
introduction to the island.
Place Names in Islay. Their meanings and pronunciation.
By Katie Ferguson and Margot Perrons. 1988. 16 pages.
The majority of the place names on Islay are Gaelic, though there are some
which are Norse. This booklet lists about 160 of the more prominent names found
on the Ordnance Survey map and gives hints on how to pronounce them correctly,
as well as information on their origin and meaning.
Reminiscences of Islay in the 19th century.
By W.N.Blair. 1995. 32 pages.
The author was an Ileach who emigrated to New Zealand in the 1860s. Thirty
years later, he wrote this account for his children and grand-children. He
summarises the island's history and then paints a wonderful picture of what the
island was like 150 years ago and of the day to day life of its inhabitants.
Dunyveg.
By Clifford Jupp. 1989. 12 pages.
A description of one of the most important historical sites on the island, with
details of its history and a guide to the castle ruins.
The Old Parish Church, Kildalton, Islay.
By Domhnall MacEacharna. 1996 revised edition. 12 pages.
The Old Church at Kildalton (often called the Kildalton Chapel) is the site of
the most famous Celtic Cross in Scotland. This pamphlet describes the Church,
the High Cross and several of the fine carved graveslabs which lie within the
Church and its graveyard.
Musical Life on Islay. 1900 to the present day.
By Debbie Cunninghame. 1990 revised edition. 16 pages.
Based on a Highers Project by a pupil at Bowmore High School, this pamphlet
explores the different kinds of music-making on the island, including the Mods,
the pipe bands and includes examples of the writing of Duncan Johnston, the
well-known Islay bard.
Last revised: 15 July 1999
The History of Islay, from earliest times to 1848.
By Clifford Jupp. 1994. 234 pages. Paperback. £9.95.
The first part of the book is devoted to the period from earliest times,
beginning with the Mesolithic period around 7000 BC. It covers the coming of
Christianity and the influence of the Norse kingdoms on the west of Scotland.
Then follows the very important period when the island was one of the key
centres of the 'Lords of the Isles'. It concludes with the defeat of the
MacDonalds at Dunyvaig.
The second part of the book begins with the pacification of Islay and the
start of the Campbell dynasty which was to last until 1848. Where the first
part relies very heavily on already published sources, this second part
includes much material about the influential Stent Committee and is full of
original analysis. The Stent Committee administered the local government of the
island, raising money and carrying out road and bridge building, maintaining
the postal service and trying to ensure a regular ferry service to the
mainland. At the same time, the Campbell lairds were embarking on their own
programme of building villages and carrying out agricultural improvements. This
came to an end with a succession of poor harvests in the 1830s and then the
onset of potato blight in 1845, all coming at a time of national economic
depression, and leading to the eventual bankruptcy of the last of the Campbell
lairds.
An Islay Notebook.
By C.Gordon Booth. 1984. 112 pages. Paperback. £3.55.
PAMPHLETS
Guide to Places of Interest on Islay.
By C.Gordon Booth, revised by Malcolm Ogilvie. 1998. 20 pages.