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Island
Of Mull
Mull:
The Island and Its People This is the story of a Scottish
island as it has never been told before. While many books on
the Hebrides are a litany of agricultural statistics and population
movements, this is the story of the landlords, tacksmen, cottars
and others who actually lived on or visited the island of Mull.
It is based on research into a vast archive of rarely seen or
previously unknown documents, particularly the original correspondence
of the principal families, Macleans and Maclaines. In this book
Jo Currie relates how the emigration that led to the disappearance
of most of the island's native population during the eighteenth
and nineteenth centuries did not follow the pattern of clearance
seen in other parts of the country. It was instead caused by
the long deterioration in relationships between the gentry,
the 'half gentry' and commoners and the inexorable forces of
economic change during these centuries. This is the first serious
history ever written of one of the most beautiful and most visited
of Hebridean islands and is the product of fifteen years' research.
It is lavishly illustrated with a wealth of previously unpublished
pictures. The result is one of the most important books on Hebridean
history yet written, told throughout with humour and masterful
characterisation.
The
Isle of Mull: Tranquillity and... Beauty in the Inner Hebrides.
The island of Mull, the largest in the Inner Hebrides apart
from Skye, appeals to visitors in many ways. The shapely mountainous
areas, the stepped silhouettes of the lower hills, the islets
and skerries immediately to the west, the striking cloud formations
and the clean colours of everything, enchant and entrance those
who see them. The author describes these attributes of Mull
sensitively, assisted by splendid colour photographs and other
illustrations, pointing to the sense of space and serenity so
often yearned for by town folk; and he touches on the story
of Mull, island activities past and present, and on the warm
welcome and the hospitality accorded today to visitors by the
residents.
Island
Voices: Traditions of North Mull Focusing on North Mull,
north of Glen More, but excluding Craignure, Torosay and Brolas,
this book is an anthology of the tales and traditions of Mull
in the words of those who tell them. The book covers belief
and superstitions, pastimes, work, health and cures, tales and
proverbs. The subjects are taken from a wide range of sources
and periods, from Martin Martin in the 17th century to writing
which dates from the end of World War II, a time which saw much
change in Gaelic society as a whole. The material covers traditions
and accounts of a very practical and often harsh existence,
variations on tales which are more obscure as well as those
that are well known. The book is a celebration of a people that
are often excluded from the standard historical accounts of
the clans and Highlands, but who have endured much and safeguarded
an important heritage.
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