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 It is lavishly illustrated with a wealth of previously unpublished pictures.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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