Museum of Islay Life Publications

BOOKS

The Isle of Islay - Looking Back with Bobby Hodkinson. Old photographs of Islay and its people. 1998. 80 pages. Paperback. £7.95.
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.

The History of Islay, from earliest times to 1848. By Clifford Jupp. 1994. 234 pages. Paperback. £9.95.
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. 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.
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.

PAMPHLETS

These are variously priced between £1.50 and £2.00.

Guide to Places of Interest on Islay. By C.Gordon Booth, revised by Malcolm Ogilvie. 1998. 20 pages.
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.