LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editress,

In your 1984 issue, mention was made of the ruins at Canada, saying that the place was so-called because the inhabitants of a century ago emigrated and the settlement was named after their memory.

This is a misunderstanding, the place was called Canadidh long before the name of Canada was current and long before emigration started on a large scale. In fact, the MacKinnon family until recently at Sorasdal had an ancient connection with it. The late twins' great-grandfather is on record as living there in 1819.

Yours etc.
Beny MacDougall.

Ed's note; The above is the only letter intended for complete publication - more next year please... I have, however, received several interesting and complimentary ones prompted by the magazine's appearance, from which the following quotations are taken:

Bill Montgomery of Queensland, 'Australia, compere of a Scottish Radio Programme there, has written enthusiastically about'...a Scottish magazine which is not 80% kilts, tartans, bagpipes and recipes...' and has promoted it over the airwaves.

Mrs S, Wedgewood describes her memories of taking 'Cornaig House as a shoot, together with the services of Morag MacKinnon (cook), the "Sailor" and Johnny as gillies and a girl called Katie as maid. All for £100 a week including two dogs.'

Angus MacLean, who lives in Berlin, told me of his 'ancestor Archibald who was born in Grishipol and emigrated to East Prussia in 1753. In the long line of five generations, one or other of Archibald's descendants used to visit Coll. So the strong ties never ceased.'

Mrs Julia MacNeill whose 'grandmother, a MacKinnon from Lonban, married the then minister the Rev. Roderick Ross and was the first person to occupy the manse at Arinagour', stayed on Coll for summer holidays as a child. She remembers 'three old colleachs who lived somewhere near Gallanach, called 'The Dearies'. (Because they called everybody "dearie"?) I was sure they were witches. But the poor old souls were very kind, and probably very poor at that time.'

And two compliments I rather liked: Mrs Jean Middlemas, whose great-grandfather was Angus MacFadyen, feels the 'magazine is the greatest thing since Samuel Johnston visited the island'!! While Robert Sutherland of Glasgow still enjoys browsing through the first issue which, he says, 'will become a COLLector's item'! (So - if you haven't got one, BUY NOW.)