By all accounts, the year of 1894 was not a pleasing one for those living on Coll.
Admittedly, the children of the three schools at Acha, Arinagour and Cornaig, were probably not greatly dismayed by the lack of enthusiasm shown by H.M. Inspector of Schools since his report coincided with a hamper of gifts and a picnic arranged by the Misses MacLean, formerly of Coll, latterly removed to London. The visitors to the island also seemed undeterred by this disputatious year for in July we learn that `The numbers coming on holiday are steadily increasing every year.' '...being able to leave Glasgow at about 5.0am and be at Coll at 4.0pm' (!!)
Perhaps spurred on by these visitors in his congregation, the new West Coast Missionary, Mr. Macintyre, prompted the remark that `his expositions seem to be animated with fervent zeal and enthusiasm.' And to further engage the tourists, Miss Susie Elton has been giving butter making lessons on Coll... her lectures and demonstrations being largely attended.'
However, much sickness was reported throughout the year, the potato blight struck earlier than usual and the fishing was consistently poor.
`Only five fishing boats are fishing out of Cornaig this season ... there being poor catches of eel and ling despite the very warm weather.. . the boats are becoming too big for Cornaig harbour.'- whilst later in the year:
'It is extraordinary, the scarcity of fish this autumn - they are hardly to be got either by boat or upon the rocks.' Many blamed the trawlers, referred to as, `those engines of destruction.'
However, it is perhaps typical of that period that the greatest, overriding source of contention and acrimony was the question of land rights - or lack of them!
The Deer Forest and Land Inquiry Commission was at that time duly enquiring into the restitution of land to crofters and cottars following the erosion of their rights during the `improvements' or clearances. During that year, the Commission was active in Easter Ross. It is clear that the delegates of the Coll Land League were confident that the Commission would eventually visit Coll but no date for this visit is mentioned. One can only imagine the difficulty with which enthusiasm and commitment to the cause was sustained for over a year, waiting and waiting for the Commission to arrive.
In March the Land League meeting was at Arnabost where Rev. R. Ross (Free Manse), Angus MacFarlane (Soddisdale), Donald MacInnes (Uig) and John Johnstone (Totamore Cottage), `voted to meet the Deer Forest and Land Inquiry Commission to point out land and townships from which people had been removed ... regret was expressed that no land had yet been given to cottars and others.'
This was followed in May by an Extraordinary Meeting of the Land League when the first delegate (Rev. Ross) stated that, `the population in 1841, before the present proprietor's father bought the property, was 1442 while in 1891, it was 552.' John Johnstone gave statistics from the rent roll of 1854 showing that, 'In 1854, before the present owner bought the estate, there were at least 70 tenants ... within the crofter's rent limit who would have had security of tenure at a fair rent if the Crofter's Act had been passed then. Now there were only five crofters on the whole estate so that the present owner had nearly the entire estate in his own hands.'
Hugh Maclnnes, 72yrs., cottar in Arinagour remembered when, 'the 19 householders in his township had each a croft with two cows and followers, a horse and several sheep together with common grazing and a right to peals for all about £2 each. The houses were built by themselves or were purchased or rent free. The present owner now claimed all the houses as his own and compelled them to pay as high as £4 for the houses alone, without an inch of land.'
At a later meeting three older men were added to the existing delegates to meet the Commission since they, `could remember well the state of the island before the great clearances were effected.'
It was, however, the relationship of the Land League group to the owner of the Coll estate that engendered the bitterest feelings and most keenly sensed grievances.
Charles MacFadyen, ferryman at Arinagour for 19yrs described how he was, 'dismissed with 3 days notice for voting against the estate owner at the last County Council election.'
Donald Maclnnes added that, 'at the first rent collection of the present owner, the landlord sat receiving rents in the Parish Church with a 6-chambered revolver on the table.'
Rev. Ross had faired somewhat worse for when he had 'lifted his voice against tyranny ... his doors had been barricaded by the erection of six rows of barbed wire fencing and the manse well was filled with all sons of filth and stones.'
It was claimed subsequently that both the front and kitchen doors of the manse had been thus wired and that the barricade had been renewed three times after removal. As a result a formal complaint appears to have been lodged for on the 9th. June, the case of the free church minister, Rev. Ross, was raised by Sir Charles Cameron in the House of Commons. On 23rd. June the Procurator Fiscal arrived on Coll to investigate the matter, followed by an all too familiar silence. Nothing more is reported in this connection throughout the remainder of the year.
The year's final meeting of the Land League sounds a slightly defeated tone in concluding that, 'no progress will be made whilst the House of Land Lords continues to veto the decisions of Parliament.'